By Kyrsoibor Pyrtuh
The first day of May is the occasion for workers to come together to celebrate and remind everyone that they are indispensable, but yet the most oppressed section. A worker’s sweat is the lubricant which greases the wheels of the economy and furthers the growth of the State/Nation. A happy worker can always contribute immensely, but unfortunately that is not the case in Meghalaya.
One should not misconstrue that the workers’ movement is a Communists’ affair. The socio-economic movement for living wages, free health care, education and housing is not the monopoly of Communists’ groups. We do not have to be a Marxist to understand the pangs caused by the present socio-economic hardship in the State. In this neo-liberal era, exploitation against workers is intense and people are making their fortunes by breaking the backs of the workers. It becomes vital for the workers in the State to come together as a collective to fight against all forms of oppressions and to push for pro workers policies and laws.
Traditionally, in Europe the first day of May is commemorated as the spring festival. The observance originated in ancient agricultural communities among the Greeks and Romans. However, the May Day as the International Workers’ Day was adopted at the Second International Conference of Workers’ Organizations and Socialists held in Paris in 1889. The International Workers Day is marked by protests and demonstrations and across the globe workers take to the streets to commemorate the past struggles against a host of worker’s rights violations, including lengthy workdays and weeks, poor conditions and child labour.
Today, the condition of workers is getting worse and we have entered into the neo slavery system. In Meghalaya the workers, especially those in private/semi private institutions do not get their basic rights and entitlements like leaves, living wages, eight-hour day and holidays etc. They slog from dawn to dusk and work 12 to 16 hours a day for a meagre income of less than Rs 9000 a month. It is an irony that we have the richest Chief Minister, whereas the monthly salary of sales girls and sales boys range between Rs 2000 to 4000 a month. There is stark poverty, income disparity, job insecurity, low wages, starvations, perennial health issues in the form of stunting, wasting, infant and maternal mortality rates are rising. There is now a huge chasm between the haves and have nots in the State.
Meghalaya is one of the worst performing States as far as the implementation of minimum wages for workers across the spectrum is concerned. The minimum wage in Meghalaya stands at Rs 380 per day and the Official Wage Board is perfunctory and also the enrolment of construction workers as per law is dismal. The regulation and protection of workers’ rights, especially in the unorganized sectors is a non-starter. Not only that the State has failed to regulate and protect workers’ rights, including migrant workers but the workers in general are left at the mercy of contractors/labour contractors who fix the daily wages of their workers at will and many are also found flouting labour laws and regulations.
The two years of pandemic and lockdown was a harrowing experience for the working class in the State. The income support pronounced by the Government under the Chief Minister’s Relief Against Wage Loss (CRAWL) was a damp squib. The Government’s despicable attitude and indifference to the plight of the poor and working class is evident.
A year ago, the streets of Shillong were replete with agitated workers, from the Association of SSA school teachers to Federation of All School Teachers of Meghalaya, who have been clamouring for their basic right to living wages and various entitlements. The teacher-led agitation also reflects the deplorable condition of the education system in the State. Unlike other plump departments, “Education is neither a profitable portfolio nor can one make fast buck from it, so no one seems to take keen interest and thus it has been left to rot”.
On several occasions in the past, the Meghalaya ASHA Workers Union had to cease work and come out into the streets to protest against the delay in payment of incentives, among other pressing issues. The ASHA are trained female health volunteers and on ground they are working full time from dawn to dusk to fulfil their tasks. Therefore, one of their legitimate demands is that the State must upgrade them as full-time health workers and it is a fact that the ASHA volunteers play a vital role in the health care system in the State. On the contrary, they are the most underpaid workers/volunteers and are being exploited to the hilt.
Now in the State there is the emergence of gig workers who also play an important part in the growth of the economy in the State. At the same time, we cannot ignore the fact that majority of workers in the State are working two jobs in order to feed their families. Life is too hard for the workers, especially the un-organized workers in the State. Unfortunately, today we spend more time and energy quarrelling over the reservation policy in the Government sector which barely generates 12 to 15 % of jobs in the job market and that too is catering to a handful of “privileged class” who have access to quality education and are well connected. While the real time issue of workers’ rights, both in organized and un-organized sectors, remains oblivious.
The discrimination and the sin of unfair treatment towards the workers must end. Together the workers must raise a war cry for “Justice, Equality and Dignity” and proclaim their rights for living wages, free health care, education and decent housing. The workers of Meghalaya must reiterate their stand and must be justly and fairly treated in every aspect. Thus, the workers in the State demand (i) to immediately adopt a policy towards providing a living wage to all workers (ii) to immediately implement the equal pay for equal work (iii) to immediately raise the salary of all the teachers in the State as per Law (iv) to constitute a Private School Regulatory body and protect the private school teachers against exploitations (v) safety and better working conditions (vi) a Legislation for the protection of Domestic Workers (vii) to regulate and protect workers’ rights and entitlements, which include migrants labourers, as per law (viii) to upgrade ASHA volunteers as regular health workers (ix) to immediately constitute the Meghalaya Domestic Workers Welfare Board, Meghalaya Gig Workers Welfare Board, Private Transport Workers Welfare Board, Private School Teachers Welfare Board etc. and (x) to constitute the Meghalaya Affirmative Action Commission to look into the implementation of reservation policy in a just and fair manner.