CITU holds dharna against labour welfare board over delayed financial aid to workers

Construction workers’ unions affiliated with the Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU) staged a protest outside the Himachal Pradesh Building and Other Construction Workers Welfare Board (HPBOCWWB) office, demanding the release of Rs 500 crore in financial aid. This assistance, which is meant for over one lakh workers, has been pending for four years.

Hundreds of workers, led by union leaders, blocked the entrance to the venue of the 47th Board meeting, scheduled to be held at the Health Department’s training centre in Kasumpti, Shimla. The protesters presented their demands to Board officials and left after receiving an assurance that their concerns would be addressed within a month.

Union leader Joginder Kumar, also a member of the board, criticised the Board, formed under the current Congress regime, for its inaction in worker welfare. He claimed while the Board had completed two years in operation, little had been done for workers and efforts were made to strip them of their legal rights. Kumar also accused the Board of withholding the financial aid illegally, while misusing funds for officials’ travel allowances and personal expenses.

“The union has consistently raised the demand to release the pending aid; however, despite resolutions passed in previous meetings, the Board Chairman and officials have failed to implement them. In the 46th meeting held last October, a decision was made to release 50 per cent of the pending benefits by December 31; however, no action has been taken so far. Surprisingly, this problem was not even included in the agenda of today’s meeting,” said Kumar.

He said if the financial aid remains unresolved after a month, the unions would begin a continuous protest outside the Board’s office.