LABOUR ISSUE WATCH

भारत में शिक्षा सुधार

umesh4cafi@gmail.com (LABOUR ISSUE WATCH) — Fri, 24 Feb 2023 22:27:00 -0800

भारत में शिक्षा में सुधार एक जटिल कार्य है जिसके लिए बहुआयामी दृष्टिकोण की आवश्यकता है। बाकी दुनिया की तुलना में भारत में शिक्षा में सुधार के लिए यहां कुछ सुझाव दिए गए हैं:

• शिक्षा तक पहुंच बढ़ाना: भारत में बच्चों के एक महत्वपूर्ण प्रतिशत के पास बुनियादी शिक्षा तक पहुंच नहीं है। सरकार को यह सुनिश्चित करने के लिए बुनियादी ढांचे और सुविधाओं में निवेश करना चाहिए कि हर बच्चे की गुणवत्तापूर्ण शिक्षा तक पहुंच हो।

• शिक्षक प्रशिक्षण और भर्ती में सुधार: शिक्षक किसी भी शिक्षा प्रणाली की रीढ़ होते हैं। भारत सरकार को शिक्षक प्रशिक्षण में निवेश करना चाहिए और यह सुनिश्चित करने के लिए उच्च योग्य व्यक्तियों की भर्ती करनी चाहिए कि छात्रों को गुणवत्तापूर्ण शिक्षा प्राप्त हो।

• एसटीईएम शिक्षा पर ध्यान दें: आज की दुनिया में, एसटीईएम शिक्षा देश के आर्थिक और सामाजिक विकास के लिए आवश्यक है। भारत को वैश्विक अर्थव्यवस्था में प्रतिस्पर्धी बने रहने के लिए अपने छात्रों को गुणवत्तापूर्ण एसटीईएम शिक्षा प्रदान करने पर ध्यान देना चाहिए।

• आलोचनात्मक सोच और रचनात्मकता को प्रोत्साहित करें: शिक्षा को न केवल रट्टा सीखने पर ध्यान देना चाहिए बल्कि महत्वपूर्ण सोच और रचनात्मकता पर भी ध्यान देना चाहिए। इससे छात्रों को उन कौशलों को विकसित करने में मदद मिलेगी जो आधुनिक दुनिया में सफलता के लिए आवश्यक हैं।

• प्रौद्योगिकी को अपनाएं: प्रौद्योगिकी भारत में शिक्षा प्रदान करने के तरीके में क्रांति ला सकती है। सरकार को ई-लर्निंग और डिजिटल शिक्षा प्लेटफॉर्म को सक्षम करने के लिए प्रौद्योगिकी के बुनियादी ढांचे में निवेश करना चाहिए।

• शिक्षा के लिए धन में वृद्धि: शिक्षा एक महत्वपूर्ण क्षेत्र है जिसमें महत्वपूर्ण निवेश की आवश्यकता है। भारत सरकार को शिक्षा की गुणवत्ता में सुधार और शिक्षा तक पहुंच बढ़ाने के लिए शिक्षा के लिए अधिक धन आवंटित करना चाहिए।

• सामाजिक-आर्थिक असमानताओं को दूर करें: भारत में सामाजिक-आर्थिक असमानताएं शिक्षा के लिए बाधा बन सकती हैं। सरकार को शिक्षा तक पहुंच में सुधार के लिए गरीबी और असमानता को कम करने पर ध्यान देना चाहिए।

संक्षेप में, भारत में शिक्षा में सुधार के लिए एक व्यापक दृष्टिकोण की आवश्यकता है जो शिक्षा की पहुंच, गुणवत्ता और प्रासंगिकता को संबोधित करे। बुनियादी ढांचे, शिक्षक प्रशिक्षण, एसटीईएम शिक्षा, महत्वपूर्ण सोच और रचनात्मकता, प्रौद्योगिकी, वित्त पोषण और सामाजिक-आर्थिक विषमताओं को कम करने में निवेश करके, भारत अपनी शिक्षा प्रणाली में सुधार कर सकता है और दुनिया में सर्वश्रेष्ठ के साथ प्रतिस्पर्धा कर सकता है।

भारत में शिक्षा में सुधार के लिए सरकार और लोगों दोनों के संयुक्त प्रयास की आवश्यकता है। यहाँ कुछ विशिष्ट कदम हैं जो दोनों पक्षों द्वारा उठाए जा सकते हैं:

सरकार उठा सकती है कदम:

शिक्षा के लिए धन में वृद्धि: शिक्षा की गुणवत्ता में सुधार और शिक्षा तक पहुंच बढ़ाने के लिए सरकार को शिक्षा के लिए अधिक धन आवंटित करना चाहिए।

शिक्षा नीतियों का विकास और कार्यान्वयन: सरकार को शिक्षा नीतियों का विकास और कार्यान्वयन करना चाहिए जो शिक्षा क्षेत्र के सामने आने वाली चुनौतियों का समाधान करती हैं।

इंफ्रास्ट्रक्चर और टेक्नोलॉजी में निवेश: सरकार को ई-लर्निंग और डिजिटल एजुकेशन प्लेटफॉर्म को सक्षम करने के लिए इंफ्रास्ट्रक्चर और टेक्नोलॉजी में निवेश करना चाहिए।

शिक्षक प्रशिक्षण और भर्ती में सुधार: सरकार को शिक्षक प्रशिक्षण में निवेश करना चाहिए और यह सुनिश्चित करने के लिए उच्च योग्य व्यक्तियों की भर्ती करनी चाहिए कि छात्रों को गुणवत्तापूर्ण शिक्षा प्राप्त हो।

एसटीईएम शिक्षा पर फोकस: सरकार को वैश्विक अर्थव्यवस्था में प्रतिस्पर्धी बने रहने के लिए अपने छात्रों को गुणवत्तापूर्ण एसटीईएम शिक्षा प्रदान करने पर ध्यान देना चाहिए।

लोग क्या कदम उठा सकते हैं:

शिक्षा पहलों का समर्थन करें: लोग स्वेच्छा से, दान करके और शिक्षा से संबंधित अभियानों का समर्थन करके शिक्षा पहलों का समर्थन कर सकते हैं।

अपने समुदायों में शिक्षा को प्रोत्साहित करें: लोग शिक्षा के महत्व को बढ़ावा देकर और माता-पिता को अपने बच्चों को स्कूल भेजने के लिए प्रोत्साहित करके अपने समुदायों में शिक्षा को प्रोत्साहित कर सकते हैं।

शिक्षा सुधार की वकालत: लोग सार्वजनिक चर्चाओं में भाग लेकर, नीति निर्माताओं के साथ जुड़कर और शिक्षा से संबंधित आंदोलनों का समर्थन करके शिक्षा सुधार की वकालत कर सकते हैं।

आलोचनात्मक सोच और रचनात्मकता को प्रोत्साहित करें: लोग बच्चों को उनकी रुचियों का पता लगाने और नए कौशल सीखने के अवसर प्रदान करके महत्वपूर्ण सोच और रचनात्मकता को प्रोत्साहित कर सकते हैं।

सामाजिक-आर्थिक असमानताओं को कम करें: गरीबी और असमानता को कम करने में मदद करने वाले कार्यक्रमों का समर्थन करके लोग सामाजिक-आर्थिक असमानताओं को कम कर सकते हैं।

संक्षेप में, सरकार और जनता दोनों भारत में शिक्षा में सुधार के लिए विशिष्ट कदम उठा सकते हैं। साथ मिलकर काम करके वे इस लक्ष्य को हासिल करने की दिशा में महत्वपूर्ण प्रगति कर सकते हैं।

लेबर इश्यू वॉच

umesh4cafi@gmail.com (LABOUR ISSUE WATCH) — Fri, 24 Feb 2023 22:07:00 -0800

भारत में श्रमिकों के अधिकारों को बढ़ावा देने और उनकी रक्षा करने के लिए समर्पित एक गैर-लाभकारी संगठन "लेबर इश्यू वॉच" में आपका स्वागत है। श्रम कानूनों के बारे में जागरूकता पैदा करने और श्रमिकों के उचित व्यवहार की वकालत करने के मिशन के साथ, हम भारत में सभी कामकाजी लोगों के लिए बेहतर भविष्य बनाने के लिए प्रतिबद्ध हैं।

हमारा संगठन मानता है कि श्रम अधिकार सामाजिक न्याय का एक अनिवार्य घटक है और श्रमिकों के अधिकारों की रक्षा से न केवल व्यक्तिगत श्रमिकों बल्कि व्यापक समाज को भी लाभ होता है। हमारा उद्देश्य श्रमिकों को उनकी चिंताओं को व्यक्त करने, कानूनी संसाधनों तक पहुंचने और उनके अधिकारों का उल्लंघन होने पर समर्थन प्राप्त करने के लिए एक मंच प्रदान करना है।

एक संगठन के रूप में, हम भारत में काम करने की स्थिति और श्रम मानकों में सुधार की दिशा में काम करते हैं, जिसमें उचित मजदूरी, सुरक्षित और स्वस्थ काम करने की स्थिति, सामाजिक सुरक्षा और बाल श्रम उन्मूलन जैसे मुद्दे शामिल हैं। हम श्रमिकों को उनके कानूनी अधिकारों के बारे में शिक्षित करके और मजबूत श्रम कानूनों की वकालत करके उन्हें सशक्त बनाना चाहते हैं।

लेबर इश्यू वॉच में, हम मानते हैं कि प्रत्येक श्रमिक गरिमा और सम्मान के साथ व्यवहार करने का हकदार है, और हम इसे भारत में सभी श्रमिकों के लिए एक वास्तविकता बनाने का प्रयास करते हैं। श्रमिकों के अधिकारों की रक्षा और बढ़ावा देने के हमारे मिशन में शामिल हों, और साथ मिलकर, हम एक न्यायपूर्ण और अधिक न्यायसंगत समाज बना सकते हैं।

लेबर इश्यू वॉच का मिशन भारत में श्रमिकों के अधिकारों को बढ़ावा देना और उनकी रक्षा करना है। हम इसे प्राप्त करने का प्रयास करते हैं:

• श्रम कानूनों और श्रमिकों के अधिकारों के बारे में जागरूकता पैदा करना: हमारा मानना है कि श्रमिकों को सशक्त बनाने और कार्यस्थल में उचित व्यवहार को बढ़ावा देने के लिए शिक्षा महत्वपूर्ण है। हम श्रमिकों को उनके कानूनी अधिकारों को समझने और उनके संरक्षण की वकालत करने में मदद करने के लिए जानकारी और संसाधन प्रदान करते हैं।

• कामगारों के साथ उचित व्यवहार की हिमायत करना: हम कार्यस्थल में शोषण, भेदभाव और अनुचित प्रथाओं के खिलाफ लड़ने के लिए प्रतिबद्ध हैं। हम श्रमिकों के अधिकारों की रक्षा करने वाले मजबूत श्रम कानूनों और नीतियों की वकालत करके उनका समर्थन करते हैं।

• श्रमिकों को अपनी चिंताओं को व्यक्त करने के लिए एक मंच प्रदान करना: हम श्रमिकों को अपने अनुभव साझा करने और उनके अधिकारों का उल्लंघन होने पर मदद मांगने के लिए एक सुरक्षित और गोपनीय स्थान प्रदान करते हैं। हमारा मानना है कि प्रत्येक कार्यकर्ता को सुनने और समर्थन करने का अधिकार है।

• काम करने की स्थिति और श्रम मानकों में सुधार: हम उचित मजदूरी, सुरक्षित और स्वस्थ कामकाजी परिस्थितियों को बढ़ावा देने और बाल श्रम के उन्मूलन की दिशा में काम करते हैं। हमारा मानना है कि प्रत्येक कर्मचारी ऐसे वातावरण में काम करने का हकदार है जो दुर्व्यवहार और शोषण से मुक्त हो।

लेबर इश्यू वॉच में, हमारा मिशन भारत में सभी कामकाजी लोगों के अधिकारों की वकालत करके और कार्यस्थल में उचित व्यवहार को बढ़ावा देकर उनके लिए एक बेहतर भविष्य बनाना है।

लेबर इश्यू वॉच का दृष्टिकोण एक न्यायसंगत और न्यायसंगत समाज बनाना है जहां प्रत्येक कार्यकर्ता को गरिमा और सम्मान के साथ व्यवहार किया जाता है। हम एक ऐसी दुनिया की कल्पना करते हैं जहां:

श्रमिकों के पास उचित मजदूरी और सुरक्षित काम करने की स्थिति तक पहुंच है: हमारा मानना है कि प्रत्येक श्रमिक एक जीवित मजदूरी और एक कार्यस्थल का हकदार है जो खतरों और स्वास्थ्य जोखिमों से मुक्त हो।

श्रमिकों के अधिकारों की रक्षा और सम्मान किया जाता है: हम एक ऐसे समाज की कल्पना करते हैं जहां श्रमिकों के अधिकार कानून में निहित हैं और नियोक्ताओं द्वारा सम्मान किया जाता है, और जहां श्रमिकों के अधिकारों का उल्लंघन होने पर कानूनी संसाधनों और समर्थन तक पहुंच होती है।

बाल श्रम का उन्मूलन: हम एक ऐसे भविष्य की कल्पना करते हैं जहां बच्चों को अब खतरनाक और शोषणकारी परिस्थितियों में काम करने के लिए मजबूर नहीं किया जाता है, और जहां उनके पास अपने भविष्य के लिए शिक्षा और अवसरों तक पहुंच है।

सामाजिक न्याय एक वास्तविकता है: हम मानते हैं कि प्रत्येक कार्यकर्ता, उनकी पृष्ठभूमि या स्थिति की परवाह किए बिना, गरिमा और सम्मान के साथ व्यवहार करने का हकदार है। हम एक ऐसे समाज की कल्पना करते हैं जहां नीति और निर्णय लेने में सामाजिक न्याय सबसे आगे हो, और जहां हर कार्यकर्ता को सफल होने का समान अवसर मिले।

लेबर इश्यू वॉच में, हमारा दृष्टिकोण एक ऐसे समाज का निर्माण करना है जहां प्रत्येक कर्मचारी के साथ निष्पक्षता और सम्मान के साथ व्यवहार किया जाता है, और जहां उनके अधिकारों की रक्षा की जाती है और उन्हें बरकरार रखा जाता है। हमारा मानना है कि एक साथ काम करके हम एक ऐसा भविष्य बना सकते हैं जो सभी के लिए न्यायसंगत और न्यायसंगत हो।

LABOUR ISSUE WATCH का app आ गया है ।

umesh4cafi@gmail.com (LABOUR ISSUE WATCH) — Wed, 29 Jun 2022 03:17:00 -0700

सभी सदस्य नीचे दिए लिंक पर क्लिक करके तुरंत ही जुड़ें और अपना सदस्य ID कार्ड प्राप्त करे - Powered by Kutumb App

https://kutumb.app/labour-issue-watch?slug=cf29f816e84c&ref=YLGFM

दरिद्रता और बिमारी (चमकी बुखार) की मार झेलता बचपन

umesh4cafi@gmail.com (LABOUR ISSUE WATCH) — Fri, 12 Jul 2019 02:56:00 -0700

हर बार की तरह से चमकी बुखार यानि एक्यूट इन्सेफेलाइटिस सिंड्रोम (एईएस) बिहार के कई बड़े शहरों और गावों को अपनी चपेट में लिया | विशेषज्ञों की माने तो तो बुखार बच्चों की मौत का कारण नहीं है है इसकी वजह वे कुपोषण व अधिक तापमान का होना कह रहे हैं इस बार भी इन प्रमुख जिलों में गया, जहानाबाद, औरंगाबाद, नवादा, पटना, वैशाली, मुजफ्फरपुर, पूर्वी और पश्चिमी चंपारण हैं।

इसी भीषण समस्या से लड़ने व दुःख व परेशानी बाँटने के लिए भोर एक नयी सुबह और लेबर इशू वाच दोनों ने मिलकर कुछ दवाइयां बांटी व इस बीमारी से लड़ने के उपाए भी बताये | और लोगो की परेशानियाँ भी सुनी जिसमे में प्रमुख इस समय ये थी की जनता सरकार के प्रवंध से खुश नहीं थी इलाज में असंतोष व्याप्त था |

हमारी टीम जब वहा पहुची तो हमने देखा की सच में हालत बहुत ही बदतर हैं कुपोषण आप अपनी आँखों से महसूस कर सकते हैं |

इसका कारण हमें अशिक्षा, बेरोजगारी, व निराशा जनक जीवन जीने को मजबूर लोग हमें लोगो से बात करके ये पता चला की वे सिर्फ इसलिए नहीं पड़े की वे जब स्कूल जाते थे तो उनसे जातीय भेदभाव किया जाता था उनको स्कूल में लगा बैठने को कहा जाता था तथा स्कूल की साफ़ सफाई का कार्य भी इनसे कराया जाता था | आप विश्वास नहीं करेंगे की हमें एक भी व्यक्ति 10वीं से अधिक पढ़ा लिखा नहीं मिला|

वैशाली के जिस क्षेत्र में हम गए थे वह मुसहर (मांझी) व मल्लाह(साहनी) दो समुदाय रहते हैं और दोनों ही आर्थिक व सामाजिक रूप से काफी पिछड़े थे |

जल्दी ही भविष्य में भोर एक नयी सुबह और लेबर इशु वाच इस समुदाय के साथ इनके सैशिक , आर्थिक व सामाजिक विकाश के लिए कार्य शुरू करेंगे.

अतः आपसे आर्थिक व नैतिक सहयोग की अपेक्षा है |

अधिक जानकारी के लिये CLICK HERE

महिला सशक्तिकरण, आर्थिक आज़ादी, आत्मसम्मान है। स्वयं सहायता समूह (Self Help Group)

umesh4cafi@gmail.com (LABOUR ISSUE WATCH) — Fri, 12 Jul 2019 02:54:00 -0700

महिला सशक्तिकरण, आर्थिक आज़ादी और आत्मसम्मान की लड़ाई लड़ने के लिये हमने कमर कस ली है। इसी प्रयास के लिए हमने बिहार के पूर्णिया जिला में स्वंय सहायता समूह की शुरुआत की है।

इस कार्य को सफल बनाने में लेबर इशू वाच की उपाध्यक्ष व भोर एक नई सुबह की अध्यक्ष लाता शर्मा जी का प्रयास सराहनीय है । इनकी लगन व परिश्रम से ये कार्य संभव हो पा रहा है। लाता जी का स्वास्थ्य पिछले काफी दिनों से अच्छा नही है। फिर भी कार्य करने की कर्मठता। के चलते वे पीछे नही हठ रही हैं। लगातार कार्य कर रही है। लता जी का समाज के विकास के प्रति लगन का नतीजा है कि वे अपने स्वास्थ्य की परवाह किये विना वे लगातार क्रय कर रही हैं ।

इसके साथ ही इस कार्य मे आदिवासी समुदाय की नेता प्रेमलता जी का भी

जबदस्त योगदान है इनके बिना सहयोग के जमीनी स्तर पर कार्य को करना असंभव था। प्रेमलता जी की भी कर्मठता है कि वे और भी अधिक समूह बनाने का जिम्मा स्वंय लिया है।

लेबर इशू वाच और भोर एक नई सुबह ऐसे कर्मठ साथियों का हमेशा आभारी रहेंगे ।

और दोनों संगठन मिलकर समाज के कल्याणकारी कर्यो को रफ्तार से आगे बढ़ाते रहेंगें

आप सभी साथियों से आर्थिक सहयोग की अपेक्षा रहेगी ये कार्य बिना आर्थिक सहयोग के संभव नही है।

Bhor - Ek Nayi Subah और LABOUR ISSUE WATCH का लक्ष्य समाज को आत्मसक्षम बनाना

umesh4cafi@gmail.com (LABOUR ISSUE WATCH) — Fri, 12 Jul 2019 02:53:00 -0700

Bhor - Ek Nayi Subah और LABOUR ISSUE WATCH का लक्ष्य समाज को आत्मसक्षम बनाना है । इसी कार्य को एक नई दिशा देते हुए हम ग्रामीण महिलाओं को हस्तकला में दक्षता प्रदान कर रहे हैं। व उनके द्वार बनाये गए सामान को बाजार तक लाने व उसका उचित दाम का प्रयास कर रहे हैं।

आप सभी से अनुरोध है कि आप इनका समान खरीद कर आर्थिक रूप शशक्त करने में सहायता करें।

जल्दी ही हम इनके समान को आप तक पहुचाने का प्रयास कर रहे हैं।

#rural#women #SDGs, #sustainabledevelopmentgoals #economy

अत्मसक्षम व रोजगार की दिशा में एक कदम

umesh4cafi@gmail.com (LABOUR ISSUE WATCH) — Fri, 12 Jul 2019 02:51:00 -0700

हमें आपको बताते हुये ख़ुशी हो रही है की की भोर-एक नई सुबह चैरिटेबल ट्रस्ट और लेबर इशू वाच के प्रयाशों से गाज़ियाबाद की रहने वाली सोनिया और शांती ने मेकअप का कोर्स पूरा कर लिया है | हम इनके उज्जवल भविष्य की कामना करते है |

जैसा की हमारा प्रयास है की सभी सक्षम बनें और आत्म सम्मान से जीवन यापन कर पायें इसी दिशा ये हमारा ये कदम था |

आगे भी इसी प्रकार के प्रयास जारी है आपका सहयोग आपेक्षित |

Join hands for EDUCATION

umesh4cafi@gmail.com (LABOUR ISSUE WATCH) — Sat, 3 Feb 2018 03:33:00 -0800

Labour Issue Watch, Bhartiye Mahila Kamagar Manch and ILT@NCR have started work as an institution to strengthen education. Under this, we are establishing Nonformal education centers at village level.

In which children

who do not go to school and who go to school but are weak in studies, we are

working to impart education to these students. Children who have not yet got admission in the school due to any reason

We will work with the mainstream by providing basic education to those children

For this, we have established education centers at village level in Uttar Pradesh. We now have education centers in two separate villages, 80 students are being educated. And soon there is a plan to establish 12 more educational centers in the future.

And in the NCR, two educational centers have been established in which 170 students are being provided education.

This work is being done by voluntary workers.

सरकारी शिक्षा भीख जैसा टुकड़ा

umesh4cafi@gmail.com (LABOUR ISSUE WATCH) — Wed, 22 Nov 2017 17:03:00 -0800

शिक्षा किसी भी सरकार की प्राथमिकता में न थी न है। काफी वर्षों से सुरक्षा के नाम पर धन की बर्बादी सरकारों द्वारा की जा रही है। क्योंकि राष्ट्रीय सुरक्षा के नाम पर कोई इसके बारे में नही पूछ पाता है। न ही कोई सूचना लेने का कोई प्रवधान है। सूचना के अधिकार से भी इसे बाहर रखा गया है। ताकि सरकार मनचाहा पैसे की बर्बादी या कहे लूट कर सके । प्रति वर्ष हमारे देश के कुल बजट में सबसे बड़ा हिस्सा सुरक्षा बजट का होता है । अब सबाल ये उठता है। कि हम सुरक्षित हैं, आतंकवाद समाप्त हो गया या या पड़ोसी देशों से घुसपैठ बंद हो गयी। नही ये लगतार हो रहा है। फर्क सिर्फ इतना है कि जब सरकार की मर्जी होती है तो हमे बताती है जब नही होती तब नही बताती । मेरा मानना है कि सिर्फ दो पंच वर्षीय योजना में शिक्षा का बजट सुरक्षा के बजट जितना कर दिया जाए तो हम विश्व मे प्रथम होंगे शिक्षा में ।

जनता हर बार कुछ सकारात्मक बदलाब के लिए वोट देती है पर हर बार जनता को किसी न किसी रूप में ठगा गया है और जनता फिर से अगले चुनाव का इंतजार करती है। परंतु इस देश मे कोई ऐसी व्यवस्था नही है। जब जनता को सरकाता पसन्द न हो तो उसे उसी समय खारिज कर सके ।

इसके लिए जरूरत है कि जो समाज की समस्याओं की समझ रखते हैं और जो बुद्धिजीवी हैं वे आगे आएं और राजनीति में भाग ले वे राज नीति को अछूत न समझे । हमे जरूरत है कि हम लूटेरों से सत्ता अपने हाथों में ले। और देश के भविष्य का निर्माण करें।

और में अपने सभी साथियों से अनुरोध करना चाहूंगा कि वे अपना कुछ समय व धन स्वाम से निकल कर देश की शिक्षा व्यवस्था को सुधारने में योगदान दें। https://youtu.be/zyrW1IpfgeU

नशा पर कार्यशाला (Alcoholism)

umesh4cafi@gmail.com (LABOUR ISSUE WATCH) — Sun, 3 Jul 2016 01:48:00 -0700

आज दिनांक 3 जुलाई 2016 को लेबर इशू वाच ने LIW YOUTH के सदस्यों के साथ नशा जो की एक सामाजिक समस्या है उस कार्यशाला का आयोजन किया|

LIW Youth meeting series 11 & 12 June 2016

umesh4cafi@gmail.com (LABOUR ISSUE WATCH) — Sun, 12 Jun 2016 06:35:00 -0700

Meeting with youth & children

Salute to the Labours - May Day

umesh4cafi@gmail.com (LABOUR ISSUE WATCH) — Sat, 30 Apr 2016 20:07:00 -0700

INTERNATIONAL LABOUR DAY

1^st May 2016

---------------------------------------

“Working Men are the foundation of Society”

According to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR), all human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. Everyone has the right to free choice of employment and to just and favorable conditions of work. All human beings have the right to freedom of movement and all forms of slavery should be prohibited.

Governments should respect, protect and fulfill human rights. Governments must have an obligation to refrain from subjecting individuals to forced labour and to penalize and prosecute any such acts.

Nobody should be forced to work against their will. Any form of forced labour is a grave violation of human

Rights. However, in many parts of the world men, women and children are trapped in jobs that they were force into by coercion or deception

Exposure Visit, Saijna Gautiya, Uttar Pradesh

umesh4cafi@gmail.com (LABOUR ISSUE WATCH) — Thu, 28 Jan 2016 20:13:00 -0800

Labour Issue Watch on 09 January 2016, has conducted an exposure visit to a neighboring village named Goutia sejna which is about 16-17 km by road from Mondanpur, Bareilly and only 2-3 km if we cross a river from Mondanpur. Agricultural activity is the main livelihood of this village. Just by the very sight of the village, we noticed that there is not a single electricity pole in the village. A village of 450 voters who has not been credited with any development as the gram panchyat itself is clubbed with 3 villages. This clearly shows how this village is neglected and has never received any fruits of development even after 60 years of independence. In a country were proposal for smart city, bullet train are initiated and on the other side we can see a village where till date there is no electricity facility. And it is a fact that there are many villages in India similar to Gautia village. The Roads are kacha. Dispensary with no presence of doctors where people admitted that they receive medicine without any medication. Schools are not guideline as per the sarva shiksha abhiyan lacking all the basic amenities and facilities for a child to study in the school. People even stated that they don’t get the complete wages as per the NREGA. There are people who don’t have a ration card. Even old age and widows are deprived from the pension scheme. Due to lack of proper sanitation there is dirt all over in the village. Lack of cleanliness and dirt breeds germs of diseases. Hence, people fall an easy prey to diseases. From this exposure visit it is clear that this village is derived from all aspect of development.

Hence the following issues can be summarized from this exposure visit.

1. Unemployment

2. Sanitation issue

3. No power facility

4. Poor medical facility

5. Issues in school

6. Housing problem

7. No old age and widow pension

8. No facility for handicapped

9. Land issue

10. No ration card

11. No community hall

12. Kacha road

13. No assistance during drought and flood.

14. Lack of awareness and various government schemes.

Hindi Version Click Here

Youth Awareness Program, Bareilly, Uttar Pradesh

umesh4cafi@gmail.com (LABOUR ISSUE WATCH) — Tue, 29 Dec 2015 03:18:00 -0800

It has been recognized that youth populations are the capital for nation building.

However youth of our rural stratum have a different story, a story with increasing difficulties engulfed with poor living standards, unemployment, deteriorating services, social unrest and political instability. A major chunk of the youth population in our country is from the rural stratum. With increasing food shortage, rural to urban migration, Inadequate housing, health care and education; and high rates of unemployment, youth of the rural is now among the most disadvantage group. Often they have limited access to educational programs that are geared to their situation and needs. Many rural youth drop out of school at an early age. School syllabuses are designed toward academic accomplishments and to the urban areas than to learning skills useful to rural life. Rural young women have even greater difficulties than young men as they are often not given the same opportunities in education, training and Involvement in rural development activities. Hence the conditions of the rural youth are now in grim and it is now to uplift them from this disturbing situation and provide them with all the empathy to sustain and grow by themselves . A joint effort to guide them for the nation building approach as the world of the future depends on the youth of today.

As an initiatives and a goal towards rural development LIW has taken the approach towards guiding the rural youth in an approach towards the basics, to motivate and a moral boost which help the youth to enhance there conscience and self decision making approach towards their responsibilities. Improving their capabilities, improving their skills and abilities, developing leadership and the ability to work well with others in group and community situations. This approach will improve their knowledge, skills, attitudes, and behaviour which are of vital importance in the implementation of sustainable agricultural and rural development programmes.

A two day Youth awareness program training was conducted. An objective to train the trainees who will lead and mobilize the youth for a holistic approach towards nation building. Dozens of Youth were mobilized and they attended the training. Topics covered in the training were:

1. Counseling- Rural Villages are filled with lots of misconception and lack of understanding. Counseling is an integral part of social work and youth who are trained for counseling can do wonders and bring a change in themselves and the society itself. With the conscious of the youth of the rural towards urban drift, trainees can counsel the youth towards the available potential of the village resource and bring light to their livelihood. Youth who are lured towards towns in the hope of greater opportunities for employment and better education could be changed and impart a better light for global view. An initiative towards to think locally and act globally.

2. Communication-The rural youth is left without entrepreneurial role model, low skills development opportunities, few job prospects. Many rural youth are not exposed to a variety of self-development possibilities, often lacking diversity and activities that could prepare them for careers or involvement they may not have considered. Communication problems are one of the major reasons for these youth who are left out of the population.

3. Perception-The United Nation describes one of the more significant characteristics of young people is to live under conditions that encourage their imagination, ideals, energy and vision to flourish on the benefit of their societies (United Nation, 2007). They need to be imaginative, energetic and visionary for the benefit of their societies. As information and youth represent two of the largest in country development, it is important to understand the rural youth’s perception towards information sources and usage. They are expected to use the information for several reasons such as to complete a task, to solve a problem as well as to decide.

4. Domestic Violence-In our society, violence is bursting. It is present almost everywhere and more intense right behind the doors of our homes. Behind closed doors of homes all across our country, people are being tortured, beaten and killed. It is happening in rural areas, towns, cities and in metropolitans as well. It is crossing all social classes, genders, racial lines and age groups. It is becoming a legacy being passed on from one generation to another. Hence training the youth towards understanding domestic violence act action plans for tackling Domestic violence in their areas was a must.

It said India is among the 16 countries that have reduced open defecation rates by at least 25 percentage points. The progress termed as "moderate" by the UN report.

umesh4cafi@gmail.com (LABOUR ISSUE WATCH) — Mon, 28 Sep 2015 21:32:00 -0700

It said India is among the 16 countries that have reduced open defecation rates by at least 25 percentage points.

India has made “moderate” progress in reducing open defecation rates among its population and has succeeded in providing access to improved drinking water to more people in urban and rural areas, according to a UN report.

The Joint Monitoring Programme report titled “Progress on Sanitation and Drinking Water: 2015 Update and MDG Assessment” released by the UN Children’s Fund and the World Health Organization said one in every three or 2.4 billion people on the planet are still without sanitation facilities, including 946 million people who defecate in the open.

It said India is among the 16 countries that have reduced open defecation rates by at least 25 percentage points. In India’s case, there has been a reduction by 31 per cent in open defecation, a progress termed as “moderate” by the report.

“The Southern Asia region, where the number of open defecators is highest, has also made significant improvements. Bangladesh, Nepal and Pakistan have all achieved reductions of more than 30 percentage points since 1990,” the report said.

“The 31 per cent reduction in open defecation in India alone represents 394 million people and significantly influences regional and global estimates,” it said.

The report, however, noted that in India, there has been very little change over the last 20 years in reducing open defecation among the poor.

The report further said that India has “met its target” of increasing use of drinking water resources to its population. India was among the nine countries that succeeded in halving the proportion of the population without improved drinking water in both rural and urban areas.

The other countries are Belize, Egypt, Jordan, Mexico, Pakistan, Paraguay, Tunisia and Uganda. From 71 per cent in 1990, India now has 94 per cent of its population with access to drinking water sources, the report said.

The report, however, warned that the lack of progress on sanitation globally threatens to undermine the child survival and health benefits from gains in access to safe drinking water.

“Until everyone has access to adequate sanitation facilities, the quality of water supplies will be undermined and too many people will continue to die from water-borne and water-related diseases,” said Maria Neira, Director of the WHO Department of Public Health, Environmental and Social Determinants of Health. Access to adequate water, sanitation and hygiene is critical in the prevention and care of 16 of the 17 ‘neglected tropical diseases’ (NTDs), including trachoma, soil-transmitted helminths (intestinal worms) and schistosomiasis.

NTDs affect more than 1.5 billion people in 149 countries, causing blindness, disfigurement, permanent disability and death.

The practice of open defecation is linked to a higher risk of stunting –- or chronic malnutrition -– which affects 161 million children worldwide, leaving them with irreversible physical and cognitive damage, according to WHO. Plans for the proposed new sustainable development goals (SDGs) to be set by the UN General Assembly in September 2015 include a target to eliminate open defecation by 2030.

This would require a doubling of current rates of reduction, especially in South Asia and sub-Saharan Africa, WHO and UNICEF say. Sanjay Wijesekera, head of UNICEF’s global water, sanitation and hygiene programmes, said what the data really show is the need to focus on inequalities as the only way to achieve sustainable progress.

“The global model so far has been that the wealthiest move ahead first, and only when they have access do the poorest start catching up. If we are to reach universal access to sanitation by 2030, we need to ensure the poorest start making progress right away,” Wijesekera said.

Access to improved drinking water sources has been a major achievement for countries and the international community.

With some 2.6 billion people having gained access since 1990, 91 per cent of the global population now have improved drinking water -– and the number is still growing.

Although some 2.1 billion people have gained access to improved sanitation since 1990, the world has missed the Millennium Development Goal (MDG) target by nearly 700 million people.

Today, only 68 per cent of the world’s population uses an improved sanitation facility -– 9 percentage points below the MDG target of 77 per cent.

- See more at: http://indianexpress.com/article/india/india-others/india-reduces-open-defecation-by-31-per-cent-un-report.

Source:http://indianexpress.com/article/india/india-others/india-reduces-open-defecation-by-31-per-cent-un-report/

Labour trouble at IOC plant continues

umesh4cafi@gmail.com (LABOUR ISSUE WATCH) — Tue, 1 Jul 2014 03:02:00 -0700

MALAPPURAM: LPG consumers in the district never had it so bad! The long-pending contract labour issue at Indian Oil Corporation's LPG bottling plant at Chelari seems to be never-ending. And the consumers have to bear the brunt of it all.
For the last two years, there has been no high-level intervention for resolving the labour issues at the bottling plant at Chelari.
And the LPG distribution to almost 1 lakh consumers across Malabar is being interrupted frequently.

The indefinite strike launched by cylinder handling and housekeeping workers of the plant on Monday has created a fresh crisis and the move of cylinders from the plant has been completely stopped.
After loading and unloading workers of the plant launched a 'Go-Slow' strike on June 12, there is already a shortage of about 50 lakh cooking gas cylinders in Malabar districts.
The indefinite strike is going to spell trouble for about 1 lakh LPG customers in the region. The district collector K Biju will convene a meeting of IOC officials and labour contractor on Tuesday to discuss the issue.
But the employees' unions are not hopeful that the meeting will be able to reach at any helpful consensus.
The employees are demanding the implementation of wage hike decision taken in previous meetings called by the labour commissioners and district collector at various locations.
The convenor of coordination committee of unions Prince Kumar said that the contractor should be ready to give monthly salary of at least Rs 18,000 for each employee in addition to the risk allowance and other perks.
"We are not hopeful regarding the discussion on Tuesday as the contractor is yet to keep his promise regarding wage hike made in a similar meeting presided by the collector three months ago. We are demanding the intervention of chief minister on this issue," he said.
When labour strike affected the LPG distribution in Kasaragod, Kannur, Kozhikode, Wayanad, Malappuram and Palakkad districts, three months ago the IOC brought LPG to Malabar, from its Coimbatore, Mangalore and Kochi plants to resolve the issue of acute shortage of LPG here.
Normally 50 loads of LPG cylinders are being dispatched from the plant to different local-level LPG dealers on daily basis.
But, on Monday the refilling was completely stopped at the plant and the distribution from local dealers was also blocked. A local level dealer of cooking gas needs 400 to 1,500 LPG cylinders daily for distribution in their areas. The proprietor of Grace Gas Agency in Edavannapara, Malappuram district, P Bhaskaran said the strike will affect the distribution of LPG in the coming days and it will lead to strong protest by customers.

Source:http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/kozhikode/Labour-trouble-at-IOC-plant-continues/articleshow/37103598.cms

More than 500 Indian workers have died in Qatar since 2012, figures show

umesh4cafi@gmail.com (LABOUR ISSUE WATCH) — Tue, 25 Feb 2014 02:34:00 -0800

As Qatar construction boom gathers pace ahead of 2022 World Cup, Indian government confirms scale of death toll

More than 500 Indian migrant workers have died in Qatar since January 2012, revealing for the first time the shocking scale of death toll among those building the infrastructure for the 2022 World Cup.

Official figures confirmed by the Indian embassy in Doha reveal that 237 Indians working in Qatar died in 2012 and 241 in 2013. A further 24 Indians have died in January 2014.

These come after the Guardian revealed last month that 185 Nepalese workers had died in Qatar in 2013, taking the total from that country to at least 382 over two years.

Human rights groups and politicians said the figures meant Fifa could not "look the other way", and should be leading demands for Qatar to improve conditions for the estimated 1.2 million migrant workers fuelling a huge construction boom.

The figures from the Indian embassy show that 233 Indian migrants died in 2010 and 239 in 2011, taking the total over four years to 974. Since the World Cup was awarded to Qatar in December 2010, there have been 717 recorded Indian deaths.

However, the Indian embassy did not provide further details on who those individuals were, their cause of death or where they worked. But analysis of the lists of dead Nepalese workers showed that more than two-thirds died of sudden heart failure or workplace accidents.

Qatar's ministry of labour and social affairs told the Guardian: "With specific regard to these new figures, we were aware that local media had previously reported some of these headline numbers, and we are clarifying them. Clearly any one death in Qatar or anywhere else is one death too many – for the workers, for their families, but also for Qataris who welcome guest workers to our country to perform valuable jobs. We are working to understand the causes of these deaths – as these statistics could include a range of circumstances including natural causes, and road safety incidents, as well as a smaller number of workplace incidents."

Nicholas McGeehan, a Gulf researcher for Human Rights Watch, said: "These figures for Indian deaths are a horrendous confirmation that it isn't just Nepalese workers who are dying in Qatar."

Jim Murphy, the shadow international development secretary, said: "Preparations for the 2022 World Cup cannot go on like this – the trickle of worrying reports from the construction sites of Qatar has become a torrent.

"Some of the practices we know are taking place in Qatar amount to forced labour, and there are widespread concerns that the death toll could reach well into the thousands if nothing is done."

Last week, a hearing at the European parliament heard from human rights groups, Fifa and other interested parties after a resolution was passed last year calling for action on the issue as construction of 2022 World Cup venues begins in earnest.

Despite the Qatar 2022 organising committee implementing a new charter relating to construction on its stadiums and the ministry of labour highlighting an expanded inspection programme, human rights groups and trade unions have repeated their call for structural change in the face of hundreds of deaths.

In November, Amnesty warned in a damning report that workers were enduring 12-hour days in sweltering conditions and living in squalid, overcrowded accommodation.

The International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC) has warned that up to 4,000 workers may die before a ball is kicked in 2022 without meaningful reform of the kafala system, which ties workers to their employers, and stringent control of the myriad construction companies and subcontractors involved.

The ITUC, which has campaigned consistently for better rights for migrant workers across the Gulf, has called the publication of the charter a sham because it does not deal with structural problems created by the kafala system..

Many workers arrive in Qatar already heavily in debt, having paid huge sums to middle men to secure contracts in the fast growing Gulf state.

A senior executive at one of Qatar's largest banks told a conference in Bahrain last month that the Gulf state would spend £123bn on infrastructure projects in the next four years alone. The hosting of the World Cup is an integral part of Qatar's unprecedented 2030 National Vision building project.

There are an estimated 1.2 million migrant workers in Qatar. Those fromIndia make up 22% of the total, with a similar proportion from Pakistan. Around 16% are from Nepal, 13% from Iran, 11% from the Philippines, 8% from Egypt and 8% from Sri Lanka.

The Qatar World Cup organisers believe that by holding their own contractors to higher standards they can create momentum for change and that improved rights for workers could be one legacy benefit of hosting the tournament.

The ministry of foreign affairs has also emphasised that it is stepping up efforts to hold contractors to existing labour laws, sanctioning 2,000 companies in 2013 and a further 500 in January 2014 alone.

The statement from the Qatari ministry of labour and social affairs added: "Where any liability is found to rest with employers, the ministry …and Qatari law authorities will pursue these cases through the relevant legal channels. We have increased the number of trained labour inspectors by 25%, and continue to hire new inspectors, with over 11,500 random spot-checks of workplaces carried out in the past three months.

This, in order to enforce our existing labour laws, with the aim of the prevention of any further workplace incidents."

Law firm DLA Piper has been engaged to prepare a report on all issues surrounding Qatar's use of migrant labour, which is expected to be published next month.

But human rights groups have maintained that Qatar must prove it is serious about reforming its labour laws. Amnesty's James Lynch, who wrote last year's report, called on the Qatari and Indian authorities to provide more detail on the circumstances of the deaths.

"This issue is not restricted to one country of origin," said Lynch. "It is critical that the Qatari government works urgently with the governments of migrant workers' countries of origin to investigate the main causes of migrant workers' deaths and develops a transparent plan to address these, particularly where deaths relate to industrial accidents, work conditions and access to healthcare."

Fifa has asked Qatar to provide evidence of meaningful progress in reforming labour law but the president of world football's governing body, Sepp Blatter, has said its status as hosts is not under threat.

Murphy, who will travel to Nepal and Qatar in the coming weeks, said: "Fifa cannot simply look the other way. Football's governing body should be leading demands for change, not dragging its feet."

Source:http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/feb/18/qatar-world-cup-india-migrant-worker-deaths

Informal labour: Domestic workers to get training, rights education

umesh4cafi@gmail.com (LABOUR ISSUE WATCH) — Tue, 25 Feb 2014 02:28:00 -0800

File photo of child laborers. PHOTO:FILE

LAHORE:

The Women Development Department in collaboration with the International Labour Organisation (ILO) and the All Pakistan Women’s Association (APWA) on February 19 launched Decent Work for Domestic Workers (DW4DW), a skill development initiative to train 1,000 women at the APWA’s premises in Lahore.

Current situation

APWA Chairperson Ruhi Sayyid said, “There is a lack of reliable data…There are approximately 8.5 million domestic workers in Pakistan, most of them women…they also include a large number of boys and girls.”

She said domestic workers were a significant portion of the informal economy. These workers remain unregulated, are not covered by labour laws…are also vulnerable to all kinds of exploitation, she said.

DW4DW

Programme Manager Durre Shahwar told The Express Tribune that the programme aimed to provide high quality training to women in communication, health, safety and security in domestic work environment, personal health and safety, planning, organising and managing their work.

The APWA’s premises will be modified into a training facility and four staff members will be trained as co-facilitators to conduct similar training sessions in the future. She said upon completing training, the participants will be registered with placement service providers.

Shahwar said the women will also be taught basic principles of hygiene and how to clean and maintain bedrooms. She said the programme aimed at training women as certified domestic workers with enhanced capacities to manage household tasks.

She said they also aimed to establish a data bank of trainees and link them to placement service providers, initiate a legislative framework for domestic workers and advocate for the ratification of the ILO convention on domestic workers. “We hope to engage women parliamentarians in this programme,” said Shahwar.

She said at least 90 per cent of the trainees will be able to get jobs that will raise their income levels by 30 to 50 per cent.

She said the women would also be trained in occupational health and safety, personal hygiene and grooming, time management, protection against various types of harassment and communication and negotiation skills, and made aware of their rights and responsibilities.

The APWA will also advocate minimum wage legislation for domestic workers and mandatory written contracts between employees and employers specifying responsibilities, work hours, time of wage payment, benefits and notice periods, she said.

Legislation

Advocate Shamsa Ali, head of legal aid at the APWA, said in 2011 the ILO had adopted the Domestic Workers’ Convention 189. She said the C-189 called for specific protection to domestic workers. The standards specified under it had helped create a momentum for the recognition of domestic workers as employees with salient rights, just like any other worker.

Salient features of the convention include the promotion and protection of human rights for all domestic workers, respect for fundamental principles and rights at work, freedom of association and the right to collective bargaining, protection against all forms of abuse, harassment and violence, fair terms of employment and decent living conditions, reasonable working hours, weekly rest of at least 24 consecutive hours, a limit on in-kind payment and clear information on the terms and conditions of employment.

Ali said if Pakistan ratified the C-189, the status of domestic workers could be enhanced. It would also reflect well on the government showing its commitment to human and workers’ rights and women’s empowerment.

She said several countries had started changing policies and laws on domestic workers. In Pakistan, a bill has been drafted and recently submitted to the Senate. Ali said the bill carried elaborate provisions on age, contract signing, minimum wage, social security and formation of associations or trade unions. “This is a welcome step, but if we really want to make a difference, we need a profound change in attitude towards the profession,” she said.

Source:http://tribune.com.pk/story/675719/informal-labour-domestic-workers-to-get-training-rights-education/

India needs to relax labour laws to push growth: OECD

umesh4cafi@gmail.com (LABOUR ISSUE WATCH) — Tue, 25 Feb 2014 02:25:00 -0800

NEW DELHI: India needs to reconsider its overly stringent labour regulations to return to higher growth trajectory while globally the world needs to boost productivity and lower trade barriers to avoid a new era of slow growth and stubbornly high unemployment, the Organisation of Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) warned on Friday.

In its 2014 study on "Going for Growth", OECD said momentum on reforms had slowed in the aftermath of the global financial crisis, with much of it now piecemeal and incremental.

"The widespread deceleration in productivity since the crisis could presage the beginning of a new low-growth era," warned Pier Carlo Padoan, deputy secretary-general and chief economist at the Paris-based OECD.

"These concerns, already prevalent among advanced OECD countries for some time, now encompass emerging-market economies and are fuelled also by high unemployment and falling labour force participation in many countries." Commenting on India, the report said India needs to address its infrastructure shortfalls, pervasive state control in business activities and unequal access to quality education.

"India is experiencing a slowdown in economic growth since 2012. In order to maintain robust growth, it needs to reconsider overly stringent labour regulations which hinder job creation in the formal sector and leave most workers with no formal labour contract and social coverage," it said.

According to OECD, a more inclusive education system would help reducing severe poverty and inequality, while labour market reform would help reduce informality in India. India's GDP growth stood at 9% in the 11th plan (2007-12). It fell to 4.5% in 2012-13 and is estimated to be only slightly better in the current fiscal at 4.9%.

However, the target for the entire 12th five year plan period (2012-17) is 8%. OECD has been recommending India on issues related to sectors like education, labour, trade infrastructure and finance.

Some of these include, increasing the efficiency of education services, increase formal employment in labour market, reducing barriers to foreign trade and investment, promoting more effective infrastructure-related regulation and undertaking wide-ranging financial sector reforms such as easing bank portfolio restriction and allowing greater participation of foreign investors in financial services sector.

"However, the notable reforms in the country in the past two years include addressing the infrastructure bottlenecks, the reform of the land acquisition law and the relaxation of FDI restrictions in various sectors, including in multi-brand retail and civil aviation," it said.

Source: http://articles.economictimes.indiatimes.com/2014-02-22/news/47581783_1_oecd-pier-carlo-padoan-labour

60 bonded labour rescued

umesh4cafi@gmail.com (LABOUR ISSUE WATCH) — Mon, 20 Jan 2014 02:37:00 -0800

MEDAK: Human and civil rights activists have rescued a group of 60 alleged bonded labour from a brick kiln in Medak district. The workers including women and children were shifted to temporary shelter at Old Boys Hostel in Yeldurthi here under police protection.

According to Tathagata Sengupta of Solidarity Committee for Brickkiln Workers' Union, the rescue efforts were initiated jointly by Brickkiln Workers' Union of Ranga Reddy district and Solidarity Committee for Brick-kiln Workers of Andhra Pradesh. Sengupta alleged that about 60 people were illegally engaged as bonded labour at a brick kiln near Koppulapally village of Yeldurthi mandal. He alleged that the workers were regularly beaten up by the management.

A fact-finding team visited the kiln on January 17. The team comprised human rights and civil liberties activists . The workers told the team about regular use of violence on them. They were brought to Koppulapally from Nuapada, Bargar, and Balangir in Odisha in October after payment of Rs 10,000 to 15,000 per worker.

"Once they reached the area, some of them were employed for harvesting crops on the owner's fields, and later in preparing the kiln. They are not supposed to do either of the works. Now they are employed in the brick-making work. Even the sick were not spared as a pregnant woman was made to work. Those who protested against such practices are attacked ," said Sengupta. He said the worst incidence of crude violence occurred five days ago when Muni Ram, one of the workers, was brutally beaten up and taken away by the management. The whereabouts of Muni Ram are not known. A number of children in the age group of 6 to 14 are also employed at the kiln.

Source:http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/hyderabad/60-bonded-labour-rescued/articleshow/29085163.cms

Over 5 lakh Indian workers to benefit from Saudi labour law

umesh4cafi@gmail.com (LABOUR ISSUE WATCH) — Wed, 15 Jan 2014 01:47:00 -0800

CHENNAI: More than five lakh Indian workers, employed as drivers, house boys, cleaners, house managers in Saudi Arabia, will soon be governed by a new Saudi labour law and will enjoy the privileges and rights granted under the local regulations.

The recent signing of a labour agreement between minister for overseas Indian affairs Vayalar Ravi and Saudi labour minister Adel Fakieh will streamline the labour market and keep touts and unscrupulous travel agents, who cheat innocent labourers, at bay.
Sibi George, deputy chief of mission at the Indian embassy in Riyadh, told TOI on Friday that presently the mission had given food and accommodation to 130 Indian nationals who have legal cases against them and want to fly back to India.

The diplomat said around 1.4 million Indians had corrected their residency and legal status and 1,41,000 left Saudi Arabia since April, taking advantage of the concessions.

Source: http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2014-01-10/india/46065857_1_saudi-labour-law-adel-fakieh-sibi-george

umesh4cafi@gmail.com (LABOUR ISSUE WATCH) — Tue, 14 Jan 2014 19:59:00 -0800

Woes of migrant labour

umesh4cafi@gmail.com (LABOUR ISSUE WATCH) — Tue, 10 Dec 2013 19:51:00 -0800

The widespread exploitation of migrant labourers in Qatar threatens to undermine whatever prestige the country may have earned by winning the right to host the 2022 FIFA World Cup. In September this year, the Guardian had shone light on the deplorable treatment of contract labourers — mostly from the Indian subcontinent — engaged in World Cup-related construction projects. Since then, Amnesty International has meticulously documented serial violations of Qatar’s labour laws by private contractors. Migrant workers from Nepal, India, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka are at the mercy of their Qatari employers, thanks to the harsh systems in place to check illegal immigration. Qatar’s “sponsorship” law designates private contractors as the custodians of their employees’ travel documents until they are issued a valid residence permit. Many migrant labourers are yet to receive their passports back. What is more, Qatari law requires the “sponsor” to issue supporting documents for an “exit visa”. Without workers’ unions to represent their case, access to justice for foreign labourers remains elusive. Amnesty’s report suggested many of them were yet to receive their salaries. While the Qatar 2022 Supreme Committee, the nodal agency for World Cup affairs, has acknowledged these reports, the country needs to ensure that its economic growth does not ride on the inhuman treatment of migrants.

New Delhi would do well to express its concerns to Qatari officials about the plight of Indian labourers. For the most part, India has been restrained in its diplomatic overtures on labour-related issues in West Asia; this is not surprising since remittances from migrant labourers are the main source of income for hundreds of thousands of families back home. That New Delhi and Riyadh could coordinate their actions and successfully regularise the stay of most Indian labourers in Saudi Arabia ahead of the ‘Nitaqat’ deadline, however, suggests that such issues are eminently resolvable. India should consider its migrant workforce in West Asia as an asset rather than as a vulnerable constituency. Countries like Qatar and Saudi Arabia have sought to raise their profile by positioning themselves as global commercial hubs. In pursuit of this aim, they have invested considerably in infrastructure projects. Hosting the 2022 FIFA World Cup figures prominently in Qatar’s efforts to boost its marketability. Needless to say, Indian labour is very much in demand for the successful completion of these projects. The reports from the Guardian and Amnesty International serve as a reminder to West Asia that it cannot take migrant labour for granted. South Asian countries must insist their citizens are granted their rights and benefits as per international obligations.

Source: http://www.thehindu.com/opinion/editorial/woes-of-migrant-labour/article5444758.ece

I Want To Know What Are My Legal Rights

umesh4cafi@gmail.com (LABOUR ISSUE WATCH) — Tue, 19 Nov 2013 18:26:00 -0800

I am an Indian worker and have been working as a waiter in a restaurant for the last 4 years (since February 2009). My company does not follow the labour law, so there is no notice period, no service, no indemnity, no paid leave, no weekly off … practically nothing. I am getting only my salary without any other benefits. I was hired directly from India on a commercial visit visa and then within three months I was transferred to a company visa. I am not happy with my current job.

So I have been trying to find a better job in another company. But the problem is that I can’t get a release from my company because they do not release their employees, and also I don’t know about my contract as our company did not give us a copy. I want to know what are my legal rights and how can I get a release from my company without any trouble as also they are said to have a very big wasta in the Kuwaiti government.

Name withheld

Answer: The company can’t stop you from resigning because you have already spent more than the required three years for such a transfer if you are hired from abroad. That is the law. If the company refuses to release you, file a case immediately with the Ministry of Social Affairs and Labour, through the Labour Office in your area. If you feel that your sponsor is using wasta (influence) to obstruct the proceedings, you can also file a case in court against your firm. While filing the case with the Labour Office, don’t forget to claim all your rights—money for all the days off, weekends, overtime etc for which you were not paid.

Source: http://www.arabtimesonline.com/NewsDetails/tabid/96/smid/414/ArticleID/201411/reftab/36/t/-I-want-to-know-what-are-my-legal-rights-/Default.aspx

Raids, rallies mark Child Rights week

umesh4cafi@gmail.com (LABOUR ISSUE WATCH) — Mon, 18 Nov 2013 18:57:00 -0800

VISAKHAPATNAM: City-based NGOs and government departments have stepped up activities like raids and rallies to curb child labour in the run up to Children's Day and Child Rights Week, which will be celebrated from November 14-21.
After rescuing over 100 child labourers in the last two months, the woman and child welfare department along with police, labour department and NGO Childline, is planning to conduct raids in city and outskirts this month, while NGO Nature and Bala Vikas Foundation have been busy organising various programmes, workshops and rallies propagating child rights.

NGO Nature, in their weeklong campaign for child rights in all mandal headquarters between November 14-20, is propagating Child Protection Act, distributing education material and organising 1,200 village level rallies in collaboration with organisations such as Unicef, Save the Children, AP chapter of RTE Forum, and others. "Three workshops on 'Stop violence against children', child rights violation and dissemination of information on child rights are in the offing during the week," stated S Balaraju, director, Nature NGO.

Meanwhile, to commemorate the 125th birth anniversary of Moulana Abul Kalam Azad,, who was the first education minster of free India,National Education Day was observed at Child Labour School run by Bala Vikas Foundation in the city on Monday. P Satya Prasad, district sainik welfare officer was the chief guest at the programme, where Narava Prakasa Rao, founder and honorary secretary of BVF, spoke to the children about Maulana Azad and asked them to study his biography. Books and study material were distributed among the children.

Source: http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2013-11-12/visakhapatnam/43978914_1_child-rights-child-labour-school-labour-department