Construction workers up in arms

Our Correspondent

Patiala, October 16

Activists of various unions under the banner of the Joint Punjab Construction Workers Union staged a massive protest in front of the DC office, along with their family members, in the wake of their pending issues. Later, the protesters also submitted a memorandum with the SDM, Patiala. A large number of women took part in the protest.

The protesters alleged that the Building and Other Construction Workers (Regulation of Employment and Conditions of Service) Act, 1996, and the Building and Other Construction Workers Welfare Cess Act, 1996, were both Acts of the Union Government and the Punjab Government was not authorised to amend these Acts. They urged the state government to withdraw all types of amendments, which were made in these Acts.

The protesters claimed that though the government had formed committees at the sub-division level to review the progress of cases of registered beneficiaries of welfare schemes, administrative officials did not pay heed to conduct meetings on a monthly basis in this regard as per instructions.

Vijay Walia, a paralegal volunteer, said the government should also continue the process of offline registration of construction workers, along with the online process, as most of them were illiterate and were not aware of the online system.

He said the government should also make sure that benefits of the welfare schemes should reach the registered construction workers and nobody should left deprived from the same due to lack of awareness.

‘Withdraw amendments to Central Acts’

The protesting workers alleged that the Building and Other Construction Workers (Regulation of Employment and Conditions of Service) Act, 1996, and the Building and Other Construction Workers Welfare Cess Act, 1996, were both Acts of the Union Government and the Punjab Government was not authorised to amend these Acts. They urged the state government to withdraw all types of amendments, which were made in these Acts.