Seeks monthly financial aid of Rs.7,000 to all workers for six months

Mysore/Mysuru: Days after lockdown curbs were relaxed and  industries were permitted to re-start manufacturing activities, the CPI-M (Communist Party of India-Marxist) has urged the Government to re-open shut factories and  ensure job security to all those who were employed with them in the pre-lockdown period.

Addressing a press meet at Patrakartara Bhavan here on Wednesday, CPI(M) District Secretary K. Basavaraj said that factories must not terminate employees under the pretext of lockdown. Stating that the Union Government has issued an order asking factories not to cut the salaries of employees, he alleged that some factories have intentionally shutdown citing lockdown. 

Pointing out that hundreds of employees who were serving at Reid & Taylor and Rehans Factories at Nanjangud and at Hotel Southern Star in Mysuru have been left jobless as the establishments were suddenly shutdown, Basavaraj called for the District Administration’s intervention for re-opening them.

Claiming that over 50,000 contract workers in Mysuru district have lost jobs due to COVID-19 lockdown, he urged the District Administration and the Labour Department to ensure that the shutdown factories are re-opened and that all the workers are paid wages in full for the lockdown period.

“City’s Vikrant Factory has 4,250 workers and only 50% salary has been given to them. Also, 1,500 contract workers have been rendered jobless. Including BSNL, many organisations have not paid salaries to contract employees,” he alleged. 

Stating that Mysuru has over 12,000 hotel employees and out of them only 20% are given job now, he accused owners, who have enjoyed profits for years, are claiming lockdown as a reason to deduct salaries.

Maintaining that the Rs. 20 lakh crore stimulus package announced by PM Narendra Modi is unrealistic, he alleged that the package seems to have considered only the supply part while ignoring the demand part. Accusing the Union Government of making moves to privatise even the agriculture sector, Basavaraj urged the Government to announce a package wherein every worker in the country gets a financial aid of Rs. 7,000 per month for six months.

CPI(M) office-bearers L. Jagannath, Jagadish Surya and Shashikumar were present during the press meet.