Belagavi
The Karnataka State Samyukta Building Workers’ Association took out a protest rally from Channamma Circle to the Deputy Commissioner’s office demanding fulfilment of various demands of the construction workers. The process of accepting applications for educational assistance for the current year should be initiated by releasing the educational assistance pending for the last two years of the construction workers.
After the revenue authorities issue a life certificate for the first time by removing the rule that an eligible worker has to apply for pension within six months, the labour department will have to issue a life certificate in the coming years. The protesters demanded that any other pension should not be stopped in this pension.
AIUTUC State Secretary A Devadas told that the pending subsidy should be credited to the workers’ accounts immediately. A cashless health service of Rs 5 lakh should be implemented immediately for registered construction workers and their dependents. The board has also sanctioned Rs 5 lakh for construction workers to build their own houses for which subsidy should be given. The decision to reduce the membership renewal period of the board to just one year should be dropped.
State Committee Member Gangadhar Badigera said that bogus cards should be detected and cancelled, registration should be taken into account by the trade union as it was in the past and action should be implemented only through the labour department and the government should give Rs 10 lakh to the families of the workers who lost their lives in the accident. The protesters then submitted a memorandum to the Labour Minister through the District Administration, demanding that their demands be met. Construction Workers Association State President K Somashekar, District Organiser Raju Ganagi, Sathyappa, Amit Hakate, Arjun Magalakeri and others were present.
