Trade union TUCC demands Rs 3 lakh cr relief package for informal workers, MSMEs

Central trade union TUCC has demanded a Rs 3 lakh crore package from the government to provide relief to informal sector workers and micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) in the county.

The TUCC (Trade Union Co-ordination Centre) has written a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to seek relief for unorganised sector workers who lost their livelihood due to the coronavirus-induced lockdown.

Besides, the union also made a case for a relief package for MSMEs in the country to reboot the economy.

"TUCC demands for granting a stimulus package of Rs 3 lakh crore to ease the strain on informal workers, MSMEs and also to gear up the economy," the TUCC said in the letter.

The union also wrote to Labour Minister Santosh Gangwar to consider the package for overcoming the challenges of the workers. A range of issues including food, shelter and travelling of migrant workers; non-payment of wages of various categories; financial distress of self-employed and unorganised sector workers; livelihood crisis of beedi, Anganwadi, fishing and agricultural workers compelled the union to write to the Prime Minister.

The TUCC also condemned the decisions taken by some states like Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat to relax the labour laws. It said that these decisions by states will bring distress to workers and exploit them as bonded labour.

"We have requested the Prime Minister to direct the states to withdraw the anti-workers' draconian notification immediately," TUCC General Secretary SP Tiwari said in a statement.