India

Delhi waste pickers oppose privatization of waste collection and recycling

500 worker leaders representing more than 350,000 waste collectors of Delhi met at the Constitution Club, Vithalbhai Patel House, to protest against the move towards privatization of waste collection and recycling.
The Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) had on 25 May 2008 announced it would privatize waste collection by handing it to private companies and multinational companies. The worker leaders expressed concerns that more than 350,000 workers and around 1.8 million members stood to lose their livelihoods if the privatization went through. No protective legislation for the affected workers had been discussed and the MCD had so far made no attempts to involve the affected workers to discuss and debate alternative policies to privatization.
Source: All-India Kabadi Mazdoor Mahasangh/Labour News Network, 17 June 2008

Unorganized Workers of Tamil Nadu tell government to keep Labour Welfare local and under Labour Department

The Unorganized Workers’ Federation of Tamil Nadu state in India has urged the government to withdraw its order, Government Order 23, to bring the Unorganized Sector Workers’ Labour Welfare functions under the Revenue Department, and to allow them to continue to function through Village Administrative Officers under the Labour Department as per the existing High Court Directive.
Further, the Welfare Boards only have five seats for unorgainzed sector workers’ representatives, out of a total 20 seats.
The unorganized workers federation have conducted repeated protests and court cases since 3 March in order to ensure that Labour Welfare Board functions continue under the Labour Department, that 50 per cent representation of workers is achieved in the Advisory Committee and the Welfare Boards, and that agricultural workers, sanitary workers and village artists are brought under the Labour Department.
Government Order 23 is seen as regressive—dissuading workers from availing of benefits, weakening trade unions and increasing corruption.
Note: Tamil Nadu is the state with the fifth largest economy in India, and is highly industralized, with over 100 industrial parks and more being planned.
Source: Unorganized Worker Federation, Tamil Nadu, 17 June 2008