About 40 trade unions in the unorganised and organised sector, people’s organisations, doctors forums and NGOs from West Bengal have demanded that the blanket lock down be discontinued after the 4t May 2020. They have asked instead for isolating and locking down only in affected pockets, with proper testing to determine such areas, regular surveillance and proper quarantine. They have also asked for immediate arrangements to be made for the return of migrant workers. In addition, these organisations are also demanding protection of workers through programmes like a guaranteed Rs.7000 per month for two months for all working class families , increase in entitlements of free rations in the rationing system, expansion of the 100 days work programme in rural and urban areas, wages for the lock down period and wage subsidy to owners of small and middle scale industry.
These demands are being sent to the PM and CM in anticipation to the meeting between the PM and CMs on 27th April 2020. The organisations also plan to continue a campaign on these issues after 27th April. (Please scroll down for the details. or For attachment Click here)
পশ্চিমবঙ্গে অসংগঠিত ও সংগঠিত ক্ষেত্রের প্রায় 40 ট্রেড ইউনিয়ন, গণসংগঠন, ডক্টর্স ফোরাম ও এনজিও-র দাবি, 4 মে-র 2020 পরে লক ডাউন বন্ধ করা উচিত । শুধু আক্রান্ত পকেটে লক ডাউন লাগিয়ে দেওয়ার অনুরোধ করেছেন তাঁরা ।তাঁরা চান, এই ধরনের এলাকায় সিদ্ধান্ত নিতে সঠিক পরীক্ষা করা হোক ।তারা বলেন, একা লক ডাউন কাজ করবে না, আমাদের পরীক্ষা বৃদ্ধি, নজরদারি এবং সঙ্গনিরোধ প্রয়োজন ।অভিবাসী শ্রমিকদের ফিরিয়ে দেওয়ার জন্য অবিলম্বে ব্যবস্থা নেওয়ার কথাও বলেছে তারা ।পাশাপাশি, সব শ্রমিক শ্রেণির পরিবারের জন্য দু ' মাস ধরে প্রতি মাসে 7০০০ টাকা, রেশন ব্যবস্থায় বিনামূল্যে রেশন দেওয়ারসুবিধা বৃদ্ধি, গ্রামীণ ও শহরাঞ্চলে 100 দিনের কাজের কর্মসূচি সম্প্রসারণ, লক ডাউন পিরিয়ড-এর জন্য মজুরি এবং ক্ষুদ্র ও মধ্যম শিল্পের মালিকদের মজুরি ভর্তুকি দেওয়ার মতো কর্মসূচিগুলির মাধ্যমেও শ্রমিকদের সুরক্ষার দাবি জানাচ্ছে এই সংগঠনগুলি ।
27 এপ্রিল 2020 প্রধানমন্ত্রী ও মুখ্যমন্ত্রীদের মধ্যে বৈঠকে বিবেচনার জন্য পিএম ও সিএম এর কাছে এই দাবিগুলি পাঠানো হচ্ছে । আগামী ২৭শে এপ্রিলের পর এসব বিষয়ে প্রচারও চালিয়ে যাওয়ার পরিকল্পনা করেছে সংগঠনগুলো । (দয়া করে সংযুক্ত ফাইলটি পড়বেন।)
पश्चिम बंगाल के असंगठित और संगठित क्षेत्र में लगभग 40 श्रमिक संगठनों, जन संगठनों, डॉक्टरों के मंचों और गैर सरकारी संगठनों ने मांग की है कि 4 मई 2020 के बाद बंद को खोल किया जाए I उन्होंने इसके बजाय केवल प्रभावित क्षेत्र में अलग-थलग कर पूरा बंद करने के लिए कहा है, ऐसे क्षेत्रों में नियमित निगरानी और उचित परीक्षण के साथ संगरोध (क्वारंटाइन )का निर्धारण करने की बात कही है I उन्होंने प्रवासी कामगारों की वापसी के लिए तत्काल व्यवस्था करने को भी कहा है I इसके अलावा, ये सभी संगठन श्रमिक वर्ग के परिवारों के लिए दो महीने के लिए प्रति माह 7000/ रू. देने के लिए सुनिश्चित (प्रत्याभूति= गारंटीकृत) करे, लाभार्थ्यों के लिए खाद्यान वितरण प्रणाली में मुफ्त राशन की वृद्धि, ग्रामीण और शहरी क्षेत्रों में 100 दिनों के कार्य कार्यक्रम का विस्तार, लॉक डाउन अवधि के लिए मजदूरी और लघु एवं मध्यम उद्योग के मालिकों को मजदूरी में छूट (सब्सिडी) जैसे कार्यक्रमों के माध्यम से कामगारों की सुरक्षा की भी मांग करते हैं ।
27 अप्रैल 2020 को पी.एम और सी.एम के बीच होने वाली बैठक को देखते हुए इन मांगों को लेकर पी.एम और सी.एम को भेजा जा रहा है । 27 अप्रैल के बाद इन मुद्दों पर संगठनों का अभियान जारी रखने की भी योजना है।
In The Interest Of The Working Class, Protect Workers And Lift The Lock Down With Precautions Demands from Trade Unions, People’s Organizations and NGOs in
West Bengal
It has been agreed by experts that large scale transmission in the case of the coronavirus epidemic is inevitable. Complete lockdown can only give us time to prepare for this inevitable eventuality and can also give us some control over the manner in which it spreads geographically. However, the lockdown has come at a huge cost for 93% of our workers and their families who are in the unorganised sector and have neither permanent jobs, nor savings and a social security net to protect them. The conflict now is between livelihoods of the poor, the loss of which is leading to death and suffering by hunger or the loss of lives taken by the coronavirus. Lock down was the time for preparation by Governments and the public health system, and should have been used for data collection on the spread of the disease, surveillance by household visits and preparation of quarantine and treatment facilities. There are conflicting views about how much of this has happened in our state and in the country in general, due to the non- transparency of our Governments. However, there is no doubt that the mass of people in our state can no longer accept blanket lockdown.
The meeting of the PM with the CMs on 27th April 2020 will be discussing these issues and the discussions subsequent to the 27th will also decide the future of the lockdown. In these circumstances, we place the following demands before the PM and our CMs for their consideration in their meeting on the 27th and after that: -
1. Instead of complete blanket lockdown after 3rd May, instead adopt strategies to vigorously identify, trace, test, isolate, treat in places where outbreaks can or have occurred.
2. Lock down is not enough, we need testing and quarantine along with it to reduce the epicenter peak and mortality significantly. In particular, data for local preparedness must be generated by testing in districts with and without reported cases. Decisions on relaxation of lock down should be done with other measures in mind - if local data shows over 40% reduction in areas which were earlier hotspots, only after an assessment of the trend of infection through house to house surveillance should lock down be lifted. Lockdown must be lifted only when there is surveillance preparedness, clinical preparedness and quarantine preparedness.
3. In areas where lockdown is continued, a plan to prepare for continuing care with biweekly contact, ensuring supply of food and essentials for all people and quarantine and identification of symptomatic cases must be done.
4. Wherever lockdown is relaxed or lifted, adherence to sanitary habits maintaining personal distancing in workplace as far as practicable should be ensured. Monitoring of these to be done jointly by the trade union bodies and government approved/ appointed bodies.
5. Universal coverage in PDS of all people residing in India , irrespective of where their original place of residence is and whether they have ration cards or not; providing free rations for all for the next six months of 14 kgs food grains per person per month, 1.5 kgs of pulses and 800 gms of cooking oil , along with easy access to vegetables, milk etc. Special provisions should be made for milk for children. Supply of food supplements to people with special needs through PDS.
6. Immediate help to all migrant workers to return to their home states and villages, with proper screening and testing before they return to their villages/home towns. All cases found positive should be quarantined and treated and for the rest, compulsory isolation for 14-21 days should be there in local schools and empty Government buildings. Crowding to be avoided in such facilities and workers should be given food for these 14-21 days by Government.
7. West Bengal Government has declared a onetime aid for workers of Rs.1000 per worker under the Prochesta. This is highly insufficient and most workers are being kept out of this scheme by the manner in which the benefit is being implemented. Instead, we demand announcement of Rs.7000 per household per month for the months of May and June for 80% of households. Such households would include vulnerable and socially discriminated groups like sex workers. The total amount required for this one-time emergency aid is about Rs.26,880 crores (2.4 % of State GDP). Thus, only 14% of the State Government’s total projected budget for 2020-21 could be used for the benefit of 80% of the state’s population. Calculations are given in the box below.
8. Ensure payment of wages for lockdown period for all workers irrespective of the type of work they do and the type of contract that they have. Provide wage subsidy to small and medium scale industries/enterprises to pay such wages.
9. Immediate and huge increase in NREGA works for people returning to rural areas and a similar scheme for urban areas, with regular and prompt payment of wages; gradual reduction in these as and when workers stop demanding work and shift to other occupations when the economy picks up.
10. Since institutional care facilities are now inaccessible, especially for the poor from rural areas, such provision should be made for all people, and especially for those with special needs by the Government.
Endorsements:
1. AIUTUC
2. Aiyni Sahayata-O-Sramik Krishak Kalyan Kendra
3. Association of Bengal Collaborators for Development
4. Banglar Manabadhikar Suraksha Mancha
5. Basirhat Thana Itbhata Sramik Karmachari Union
6. Durbar Disha Mahila Grihasramik Samanway Sangothon
7. Durbar Mahila Samanwaya Committee
8. Gitaldaha Bikas Samiti
9. Hosiery Worker’s Unity Centre
10. Hridaypur Srija
11. Human Life Development & Research Center
12. Human Rights Law Network
13. Islampur Ramkrishnapally Rural Welfare Society
14. Joint Platform of Health
15. Madhyamgram Nutan Pather Disha
16. Maheswarpur Nabarun Club
17. Malda Sahayogita Samiti
18. Mukto Kantho Mahila Samity
19. Narayan Integrated Development Society
20. Nari o Shishu Kalyan Kendra
21. NTUI
22. Ossonghothitho Khetra Sramik Sangrami Mancha (Struggle Forum for Informal Sector Workers)
23. Pally Samaj Gram Unnayan Samity
24. Paschim Banga Khet Majoor Samity
25. Project Affected People’s Association
26. Sampurna Nari Kalyan Samity
27. Samsia Rural Health and Economic Development Society
28. SEWA Bharat
29. Shripur Mahila-O-Khadi Unnayan Samity
30. South Kolkata Sannidhya
31. Sramajibi Mahila Samity
32. Sramajibi Samanway Committee
33. Sutanutir Sakhya
34. Swayam
35. TUCI
36. Udayani Social Action Forum
37. Uttar Bangal Chai Mazdoor Adhikar Manch
38. Uttar Dinajpur Sangrami Biri Sramik Union
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