Set up minimum wage board: CPM

Demanding the State government to constitute a 'minimum wages board' for the welfare of the labourers working in the unorganised sector, CPI (M) activists laid siege to the Labour Commissioner's office here on Friday.

Participating in the protest conducted by Hyderabad and Ranga Reddy district units of the party, CPI (M) State secretary B V Raghavulu urged the government to take steps to ensure a minimum wage of Rs 10,000 per month for the labourers.

He said that the government was ignoring the welfare of the labour class, who are awaiting a welfare board for the past seven years. "The labour community is struggling for existence in wake of the escalating prices of essential commodities," he said. "Why is Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy not able to spend at least an hour to look into the demands of the labour class?" he questioned.

Besides setting up a minimum wages board, the government should revive minimum wages to those working in scheduled industries. He also suggested the government to expedite steps to offer dearness allowance and other benefits besides the minimum wage.

Raghavulu expressed concern that the labour community was being victimised and put to loss as no board exists due to negligence of the government. While trying to understand why the government had failed to set up a board, he suggested that the Chief Minister should act swiftly at least now.

"Our party would wage a protracted struggle for the cause of the labour community until their demands are met with," he warned. He called on all political parties to come together and fight against the adamant attitude of the government.