Free legal helpline workers in Delhi
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To create platform/legal support group through which the aggrieved workers/trade unions etc. can agitate their rights relating to their employment and matters incidental thereto. The emphasis would be to secure protective legislations and implementation thereof and to provide totally free legal services in defence of the workers’ rights.
WHY IT IS REQUIRED? It is required because of the fact that the workers, particularly in the unorganized sector, are subjected to ruthless exploitation. Firstly, we don’t have good labour legislations against economic exploitation, secondly, some of the existing labour legislations are either outdated or not in the tune with the change of the time and the developments. Moreover, the employers with impunity violate all the existing labour legislations. The government authorities are failing to protect the rights of the workers. Furthermore, the Supreme Court of India for the last few years has been, of and on, rendering decisions either nullifying or diluting its earlier decisions that were upholding the rights of the workers. The Social Justice philosophy of the Indian Constitution with regard to the rights of the workers is consciously and systematically being withdrawn and is being replaced by anti-labour laws. The Social Jurist, a civil rights group, has been working on the children’s educational rights for several years. It has been realized that children who are out of school and engaged as child laborers, are the children of the workers engaged in the unorganized sector. The present working conditions of the workers are exploitative and are keeping most of the workers under below poverty line. It has been realized that free market forces are even forcing the workers to withdraw their children from school and to send them to work. This has been noticed in Kurnool District and Mehboob Nagar District of Andhra Pradesh during the recent visit of the Social Jurist team to these areas. Though the poverty is not an absolute factor for existence and growth of the child labour but nonetheless, it is a strong factor responsible for the same. The workers employed in the unorganized sectors are not even paid minimum wages payable under the law. They are also deprived of other lawful dues and benefits. In order to counter this situation, it is very necessary that the standard of living of workers must be improved. In order to improve the standard of living, it is necessary that on the one hand, the awareness of workers rights amongst the workers is increased and on the other hand, a platform/ legal support group should be made available to these workers through which the aggrieved workers may be able to agitate their rights and secure social justice. WHY NOW? The Commonwealth Games are scheduled to take place in Delhi in 2010 and for its success, large-scale constructions have already started. A large number of labour forces would be required and most of them would be migratory labour. The migratory labour which is or may be engaged in the construction projects need to be protected as it is bound to be economically exploited by the employers, contractors etc. It is pertinent to remember that in the last big sports event organized in Delhi, the Asian Games of 1982, there were so many violations of the rights of the unorganized construction workers. That like minded civil rights bodies sought intervention of Hon’ble Supreme Court which passed the historic judgment in case of PUDR vs. UOI (1982) 3 SCC 235 giving several directions to protect the unorganized labour. Likewise, the Social Jurist, which is also a civil rights body has a conscious role to play in preempting and preventing such violations even before they are allowed to occur. ACTIVITIES 1. PIL/ Litigations 2. Seminars/ Workshops 3. Awareness Camps 4. Lobbing with legislators 5. Documentation 6. Site visits and preparation of reports 7. Publication of handbills, monthly bulletins/ magazine/ articles/reports etc. 8. Use of website for sharing the information 9. Research 10. Communication through E-Mails 11. Review meetings 12. Legal Helpline 13. Media advocacy AREA OF WORK Presently Delhi. The emphasis would be on the rights of the workers in unorganised sector. Source: Socail Jurist Labour Rights Group (LRG) 478-479, Western Wing, Tis Hazari Courts, Delhi – 110054 Ph:- 011 – 23910014 Fax:- 011 – 23986541 Email:- socailjurist@socialjurist.com (Mobile) 09891789459 |
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