Date:01/12/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/12/01/stories/2008120155410600.htm

Andhra Pradesh - Hyderabad

Concern over ‘exploitation’ of unorganised sector workers

HYDERABAD: Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU) secretary and former MP Dipankar Mukherjee on Sunday exhorted workers employed in the organised sector to work for the welfare of their counterparts in unorganised sector.

Expressing concern over the ‘exploitation’ of unorganised sector workers, Mr. Mukherjee said despite several agitations to mount pressure on the government to ensure minimum wages to unorganised sector workers, the government did not enact legislations that would help in alleviating the conditions of the unorganised sector. He was speaking at the two-day seminar on unorganised sector workers organised by the CITU State committee to mark the seventh death anniversary of veteran Communist leader Nanduri Prasada Rao here.

Mr. Mukherjee said a majority of the more than 40 crore workers in the country were in unorganised sector and over 15 crore of them were unemployed most part of the year. There was a steep increase in the number of people opting for jobs in unorganised sector as the unemployed felt that “some job is better than no job”. This was, in turn, leading to their exploitation by the capitalist class, he added.