Construction workers stage rally

The National Committee of Indian Federation of Trade Unions (IFTU) today organsied a rally here in a bid to redress the issues of workers in the construction sector.
"Workers in the construction sector, numbering about 45 million, face innumerable serious problems at the workplaces and are very often at risk of losing lives and getting injured in the process of construction work. In fact, the ILO has characterized this work as the most risky of all works," said B Pradeep, General Secretary, IFTU.
Large section of workers in the construction industry are deprived of the benefits of provident fund and Employees State Insurance facilities, he said.

"They need to get organized in struggle for getting the laws, ostensibly meant for their welfare, implemented and for realization of demands such as compulsory registration of every worker, supply of safety kit by the Board to all the workers, provision of night shelters, creation of designated labour shelters, providing a bicycle etc," said Pradeep.
Construction industry is today the third largest in terms of providing employment and there was no legislation till 1996 to regulate this booming sector.
"In many states, governments have collected 1 to 2 per cent cess on various types of construction work running into crores of rupees but has not been used for the purpose of the welfare of the workers.

"There are also instances where the Boards set up for collecting the cess and disbursing the amounts under various schemes to the beneficiaries, failed in procuring cess amount from some big corporate companies engaged in construction activity.
"Apart from that the government agency that is responsible for overseeing the implementation of these laws lacks both the will and necessary personnel to enforce them," said Pradeep.
Some ten thousand construction workers from various parts of the country participated in the rally.