AITUC urges govt to facilitate movement of all stranded workers free of cost

The government should bear travel expenses of stranded workers across the country, All India Trade Union Congress (AITUC) on Monday said.

AITUC also demanded immediate withdrawal of an order which provided that the government will facilitate movement of only those workers who were stranded at workplace or hometown just before the lockdown.

The government had imposed the lockdown from March 25 to fight the deadly coronavirus in the country.

"AITUC demands for immediate withdrawal of this order. AITUC also demands that travel charges for trains and buses should not be demanded from the workers as they have already exhausted their cash in hand," it said in a statement.

The union said there are reports that they have taken loans to pay to bus transport operators in various states.

In this deep crisis situation, the government should at least do this much to help them in their distress, it said.

"AITUC deplores the latest order from the Ministry of Home Affairs dated May 3, stating that the government will facilitate the movement only of those stranded workers who had gone to work or from work place to hometown just before lockdown but could not return to their native places/work places on account of restrictions placed on movement of persons and vehicles as part of lock down measures," the union said.

Workers plan to visit families not frequently but after several months of work at a particular place, it added.

They come for seasonal work also when they do not get any work in villages in between sowing and harvesting, AITUC said.