Gadwal: The Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU) has demanded that the government provide insurance facilities to hamalis (head load workers) working at marketplaces and godowns. CITU district president A. Venkataswamy made this demand while attending the general body meeting of hamali workers at the CITU district office on Sunday as the chief guest.

Speaking on the occasion, Venkataswamy emphasized that hamalis, who are responsible for supplying essential goods and services to the public, are constantly exposed to workplace accidents. These unfortunate incidents force them to spend their entire earnings on medical expenses. He strongly urged the government to introduce and implement an insurance law specifically for these workers.

He also reminded that the Congress party, during elections, had promised the establishment of a dedicated welfare board for hamalis, similar to the one for construction workers. He highlighted that over 90% of the country’s workforce is employed in the unorganized sector and contributes more than 95% of the central government’s income, yet no concrete steps have been taken by the government for their welfare.

Venkataswamy criticized the central government’s e-Shram card initiative, stating that it has served only as an identification document and has not provided any real benefits. He pointed out that even workers registered under e-Shram have not received compensation in cases of accidents or death.

He demanded that compensation be directly credited into the workers’ accounts without delay and urged business owners to adopt a humanitarian approach and support workers during times of accidents. He called for the formation of a special welfare board dedicated to hamali workers, the enactment of an insurance law, establishment of exclusive zones for their operations, and prioritization of hamalis in all government welfare schemes.

The meeting was attended by CITU district vice president Upper Narasimha, Hamali Union president and secretary Ranganna and Balakrishna, along with leaders Majjiga Anjaneyulu, Venkatesh, Naresh, Kalyan, Parashuram, Ramakrishna, Gajendra, Tirupatamma, Narasimha, and others.