Homebased workers demand social security

BHUBANESWAR: Slum and Homebased workers of the city on Thursday demanded the State Government to provide them social security, recognistion and identity like other unorganised labourers in the State. Attending a workshop organised by the Aim of Our Regional Development (ROAD) here, the home-based workers expressed grave concern over the Government’s apathy.

Experts in the workshop discussed about key problems faced by Homebased workers. These problems were lack of social security, low productivity and poor technology, lack of capitals to improve business, inadequate housing and habitat, lack of proper skills and other livelihood necessities.

Attending the workshop, All India Central Council of Trade Unions (AICCTU) State secretary Mahendra Parida said the Homebased workers have to come forward to raise their voice against Government apathy. All the workers should fight united under a banner to get their rights, he added.

Parida also said that women working in unorganised sector face lot of problems. Though 85 per cent workers are engaged in unorganised sector in the State, our State didn’t realise the necessity of providing the workers social security, he alleged.

ROAD secretary Soshita Nayak said the workshop would highlight the home-based workers’ problems which allow the middlemen and contractors to exploit them. “It is important to reverse these contributing factors to enable Homebased workers to avoid exploitation by empowering them,” he added.

Among others, HomeNet South Asia programme manager Renu Golani, Biranchi Narayan Satpathy of the State MSME department, Bhubaneswar CDPO Usharani and members of different SHG groups were present.