The Congress on Tuesday alleged that the last 10 years of the Central government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi have been an ‘injustice period’ for the workers.
The main opposition party also said that if it comes to power, it will remove the darkness of injustice for workers through ‘Labour Justice’.
Congress promised that if voted to power, it would increase the minimum wage across the country to Rs 400 per day. The opposition party said that the same wages will be applicable for MNREGA also.
Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge said in a post on ‘X’, “Why has the Congress party brought ‘Shramik Nyay’? The growth rate of real wages was less than 1% per year between 2014-15 and 2021-22 during the tenure of the Modi government. It was only 0.9% for farm labourers, only 0.2% for construction workers and only 0.3% for non-agricultural workers.
“During the second term of the United Progressive Alliance (UPA), real agricultural and non-agricultural rural wages grew at 8.6% and 6.9% per annum, respectively,” he claimed.
In contrast, in the second term of the Modi government, the growth rate of real rural wages has become negative for both agriculture (-0.6%) and non-agriculture rural wages (-1.4%).
Kharge alleged that by making mandatory payment through Aadhaar in MNREGA, the Modi government has taken away the “right to work” from seven crore people in the last two years. Referring to the five ‘guarantees’ given under ‘Labor Justice’ of the Congress Party, he said, “The situation will change hands.”
Congress General Secretary Jairam Ramesh posted on ‘X’, “The guarantee of labor justice will remove the darkness of injustice for the working people of the country.”
Ramesh claimed, “The six major injustices faced by workers in India during the last 10 years – declining real wages, anti-worker labor codes and rising contract practices – are ‘Modi-made de- ‘Industrialisation’, reduction in regular salaried jobs, increase in “self-employment”, gradual dismantling of MNREGA and indifferent attitude towards workers during Covid-19.
Congress leader Sandeep Dikshit told reporters, “The context behind ‘Labor Justice’ is very important. The worst impact of the Modi government has been in those areas where our agricultural labourers, laborers and laborers have been working.
He claimed, “Since 2016-17, 41 percent people were dependent on farming. According to ‘PLFS’ data, more than 3 crore people had gone into agriculture till 2018-19. At the same time, after 2014-15, about 6.5 crore people have left employment from other places and gone into agriculture. This has happened for the first time in the history of India. On one hand, Prime Minister Modi is giving the slogan of ‘Make in India’, on the other hand, people are leaving employment and going into agriculture.
Dikshit said that if the Congress comes to power, it will comprehensively review the anti-worker labor code passed by the Modi government.
He also said, “We also guarantee appropriate amendments to protect the rights of workers.” Congress will stop the contract system for employment in main government works.
Contract labor will be only the last option, which will ensure protection of workers’ rights. It will be necessary for private sectors also to follow social security in contract employment.