Mumbai: In a letter to PM Narendra Modi, the RSS affiliated Bharatiya Majdoor Sangh (BMS) on Thursday has raised concerns of workers stuck due to the nationwide lockdown following the spread of the pandemic. The BMS has made a slew of demands including rise in minimum support price for crops, develop channels to take care of workers from MSMEs, lifting of lockdown in phases and migration of labourers be facilitated back to the workplace.
BMS said the workers of the unorganised sector, which constitutes around 93% of the country’s workforce, are the worst hit. It has suggested that the government must come up with steps to identify those in need and implement them. This will be in addition to what the government has announced i.e. the Rs 1,70,000 crore package and Rs 15,000 crore additionally for a concerted fight against coronavirus.
BMS General Secretary Virjesh Upadhyay said the government must ensure proper shelter homes, food and nutrition for them. ‘’State governments have announced relief packages but barring UP, Gujarat, Kerala and Tripura, most of the states have not yet transferred any amount. In Tamil Nadu the situation is worst. Almost 10% of the population is being pushed towards starvation. Workers are forced to refuge their lives in shylock which will ruin their life quality. It is an emergency like situation and the centre must intervene,’’ added Upadhyay.
He further noted that workers of fishery sector in non BJP states including Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Maharashtra, Odisha and West Bengal are suffering a lot and the centre needs to direct the states to take a quick action.
As far as small businesses and MSMEs are concerned, BMS opined that most are finding themselves short of funds to pay their workers and sustain. Post lockdown the relief packages should be announced for MSMEs and other small businesses that are not part of the packages announced so far.
Upadhyay suggested that the lockdown should be lifted in a phase wise manner giving enough time and confidence for industries and workers to return back to work. He said a tripartite committee be formed to monitor and direct the economic revival and re-growth.
