Trade Unions seek Rs 7,500 cash support from centre

The central trade unions have sought cash support amounting to Rs 7500 from the central government for all the vulnerable households. 

Ten central trade unions, barring RSS-affiliate Bhartiya Mazdoor Sangh, have jointly written a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi urging him to grant cash support worth Rs 7500 per month to every non-income tax paying household for a period of three months. 

The trade unions have sought this cash support to help the needy households get through the economic crisis brought on by the coronavirus pandemic, which has left many jobless.

Key Highlights 

• Ten central trade unions have sought cash support worth Rs 7500 for each poor family and have also urged PM Narendra Modi to arrange cost-free travel for the stranded workers during the lockdown.

• The trade unions wrote to the Prime Minister saying that there is an urgent need for cash support for the working people for their survival-related requirements.

• They have urged the centre to transfer Rs 7500 per month to all the needy, non-income tax paying, households for a period of three months at least.

• They also urged PM Modi to appropriately intervene and ensure that their workers return home without charging any fares from them in trains and the public transport in roadways.

• The letter further stated that all the workers working in different states or in far off districts and locations within the state but far from their villages are now exhausted mentally and financially with no cash and nothing at all in their hands wherever they are stranded. 

• To make them pay for their rail fare to travel back home in such a situation is the height of insensitivity to their plight, the letter added. It continued by saying that the workers are already in distress and they should not be pushed into further miseries.

• The trade unions are INTUC, AITUC, HMS, CITU, AIUTUC, TUCC, SEWA, AICCTU, LPF and UTUC.

Background

The central government had announced a national lockdown on March 25 to control the rapid spread of COVID-19 virus across the nation. The lockdown was extended till May 3rd at first and then till May 17th, as the coronavirus cases continue to rise in the nation.