Karnataka Govt. should pay Rs 15,000 as COVID support package: AICCTU

The All India Central Council of Trade Unions (AICCTU) has appealed to the Karnataka Government to increase the COVID support package to the marginalised to Rs 15,000.

The AICCTU, in a statement issued today in Bengaluru had demanded that on the lifting of the lockdown, the State government should introduce an urban employment guarantee scheme to ‘provide employment to all persons in urban areas.

The labour organisation has demanded that the government must immediately begin free distribution of ration kits consisting of rice, wheat, ragi, masala, cooking oil, salt, sugar and other essentials, to suffice for a month for a family of five. “The Government must take steps to ensure that the ration-kit reaches all persons, including migrant workers. Additionally, PDS shops must provide monthly rations and Anna Yojana benefits without insistence on ration cards, and without bio-metric authentication,” the statement said.

AICTU has also appealed that the in exercise of the powers under the Disaster Management Act, 2005, the government should issue an order prohibiting termination and refusal of employment of workers and mandating payment of full wages during lockdown period, and mandating strict penal action against employers who violate the order.

The other measures demanded by the organisation include complete waiver of rents, electricity and water bills, and loans; and mandating a “No eviction policy” safeguarding the right to shelter of all persons; provision free and quality medical care and treatment to all workers and their families affected by COVID or any other illness.

The statement pointed out that while the government has announced provision of free food in Indira Canteens, there are only 186 such canteens in the state, which is far short of the requirement. “Belagavi city Corporation has only six Indira Canteens. Bengaluru has only 198 canteens. These canteens are the only places where food is now being provided. Thus, people have to walk kilometers on end, stand in line for hours for every single meal. This is not only a direct assault on the dignity of persons, but exposes the workers and others to Covid, which defeats the very purpose of the lockdown.”