TMC MP O’Brien demands legally enforceable basic minimum wage for workers
The TMC member, who raised the issue during Zero Hour in the Assembly, said that one in three young people are not employed and there is no minimum wage flow even for those who have jobs.
He said the national wage flow has effectively stalled at around Rs 176 per day.
Derek emphasized that low wages suppress consumption and push workers into poverty.
“So against this background, the solution I propose is a single, legally enforceable, universal stream of basic minimum wages below which no worker can be paid regardless of sector, contract type and where the person works,” he said.
Derek also said that because the Union government “loves acronyms”, he too came up with an acronym.
“So I thought we should come up with a name for it. Universal, Minimum, Annual National Guarantee – UMANG,” he said. The TMC MP said that some points should be kept in mind in case UMANG comes into play. Declare a binding national wage stream under wage law, index inflation, simplify rates and categories for easy compliance.
“This should go to all types of workers – contract workers, gig workers and, most importantly, where the action is or where solutions are needed, which is the unorganized sector,” he said.
In her Zero Hour speech, Rekha Sharma (BJP) touched upon the issue of institutional memory regarding the functioning of statutory commissions.
He said these commissions play a crucial role in protecting people’s rights, redressing grievances, advising governments and formulating policies.
Meenakshi Jain (nominated) expressed concern over increasing incidents of vandalism at protected heritage sites.
Chowdry Mohammad Ramzan (J&KNC) expressed concern over the threat to Kashmir’s horticulture industry due to import of harmful agrochemicals and apples.
