Budget is against the aspirations of the workers and employees: Mehra

CITU State President Vijendra Mehra and General Secretary Prem Gautam say that the budget of the Himachal government is against the aspirations of the workers and employees. In the budget which talks about the ten main points of self-reliant Himachal, not even talking about laborers and employees indicates the direction of the budget. Laborers are missing from the government’s agenda and in times of high inflation, increasing the daily wages of workers by only Rs 25, not paying minimum wages to MNREGA workers, not implementing gratuity and minimum wage facilities to Anganwadi, Mid Day Meal, Asha workers, water carriers, water protectors, multi-purpose. Increasing the monthly salary of workers, para fitters, pump operators, watchmen, revenue watchmen, and Panchayat Veterinary Assistants by only Rs 300 to Rs 500 and not giving them the minimum wage declared by the government is a cruel joke on them. The nominal increase in the salaries of outsourced workers, tailoring teachers, SMC teachers, IT teachers, and SPOs and the government not making any concrete policy for them is extremely worrying. This budget is silent on a 40 percent wage increase for industrial workers, compliance with labor laws, their SOP, and safety rules. The silence on restoring the OPS of corporations and boards is shocking and is against the government’s promise of ten guarantees. This budget is not a budget to solve the miseries of laborers and employees.