Congress unions seek benefits for MGNREGS workers

Employees’ unions owing allegiance to the Congress organised a protest in front of the Secretariat on Wednesday accusing the Left Democratic Front government of pushing the welfare of Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme workers to the back burner. 

Leader of the Opposition V.D. Satheesan, who inaugurated the protest, demanded that the government increase the number of working days to a minimum of 200 per year and also bring the workers under the ambit of the social welfare and security net. 

He demanded that the government institute ESI and EPF pensions for the workers, a majority of whom are women from the lowest economic strata in society. INTUC State president R. Chandrasekharan led the march. KPCC president Sunny Joseph, MLA P.C. Vishnunath, and INTUC district president V.R. Pratapan spoke.