Increase daily wage to Rs.500 for labourers: INTUC

The Indian National Trade Union Congress (INTUC) has urged the central government to fix Rs.500 as the uniform amount payable to daily wage labourers across the country.

According to the Congress-affiliated INTUC, the amount of daily wage for labours currently varies from state to state.

It also demanded that the government issue health cards to all labourers so that they can avail cashless medical treatment in hospitals across the country.

"Daily wage labourers in the country are in poor condition and it is sad that the government is not paying heed to their welfare. Today the situation is such that daily wage labourers across the country get different amounts -- some get Rs.150 and some get Rs.180. There is no uniformity," INTUC president Ashok Chaudhary said in a statement.

Chaudhary told IANS: "There are several other welfare schemes for the labourers that have not been implemented including regularisation of contractual workers in spite of their working for years. We want the government to immediately make them permanent."

Among other demands raised by the union were year-round employment to factory workers of sugar mills in the country -- irrespective of the season of production -- and also implementing the maternity benefit act for pregnant female workers in factories.