80 detained as workers storm Maharashtra's Jalna in 'jail bharo' protest over labour codes
Workers from the unorganised sector, led by the Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU), have staged a ‘jail bharo’ agitation in Maharashtra's Jalna city, demanding permanent employee status, PF and pension benefits for unorganised workers.
A large number of CITU activists, agricultural labourers and workers' organisation members staged the protest at the Jalna Zilla Parishad office on Monday.
As many as 80 protesters were detained and later let off, a police official said.
CITU leader Anna Sawant said the protest was held as part of a nationwide call by the joint action committee of Central Trade Unions and the Samyukta Kisan Morcha to oppose what they claimed were anti-worker and anti-farmer policies of the central and state governments.
Farmers, agricultural labourers and various unorganised sector workers, including women, participated in the agitation. They raised slogans against rising inflation and unemployment, contractualisation of jobs, and the reduction of social security benefits.
The protesters demanded permanent employee status, along with ESI, PF and pension benefits, for anganwadi workers and helpers, ASHA workers, group facilitators, school mid-day meal workers, gram rozgar sevaks and employees working under the National Health Mission and other government schemes.
They also demanded restoration of the MGNREGA system, 200 days of employment per family and a daily wage of Rs 700. The protesters sought distribution of agricultural land to landless families and regularisation of gairan land (common land set apart by the administration for the free grazing of cattle) already in their possession.
"We demand the immediate repeal of the four labour codes, as they would adversely affect workers' legal rights, job security, wages and social security," Sawant said.
A memorandum addressed to the prime minister was submitted by the protesters to the Zilla Parishad Chief Executive Officer Dr Krishna Kant Kanwaria.
The police detained 80 protesters and later let them off, an official from Kadim Jalna police station said.
