THE Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU) has decided to observe March 8, 2022, as “Working Women’s Action Day”.

The condition of people and particularly women have worsened since the Modi government took over. This government is advancing with disastrous policies detrimental to the basic democratic and secular fabric of our country. The resistance movement is also advancing as we could witness in the historic farmers’ movement, developing the unity of the working class and peasantry. It is of utmost importance that the issues and rights of women as workers and peasants should be taken up with due importance.

At present, the country is witnessing a wave of struggles of the scheme workers, especially the anganwadi and ASHA workers in various states. The continuing struggle of the anganwadi workers and helpers in Haryana is inspiring the movement throughout the country. The working women’s action day will help to develop a strong movement of the working women on basic class issues in the coming days. 

The issues of the women workers, who are taking a disproportionate burden of the world economic crisis and the Covid pandemic, will be taken to as many women workers as possible through massive campaigns. This will be helpful in bringing the vast section of highly exploited women workers into the fold of trade unions and the maximum participation of working women in the countrywide General Strike on March 28-29, 2022.

Demands of the campaign:

·        Immediate measures for addressing unemployment; special employment scheme for women.

·        Immediate increase in budget allocation for MGNREGA. Ensure 200 days’ work in MGNREGA with a daily allowance of Rs 600 per day; extend employment guarantee scheme to urban areas. Clear all arrears of wages of MGNREGA workers.

·        Immediately increase budget allocation for social (scheme)services. Regularise scheme workers – anganwadi, ASHA, mid-day meal workers and other scheme workers.

·         Arrest price rise. Withdraw the increase in the prices of cooking gas and other petroleum products. Ensure free ration including all essential items to all, and income support of Rs 7,500 per month to all non-taxpaying families.

·        Recognise women’s work as workers and farmers; include women’s unpaid and underpaid work in the GDP. Take specific measures to reduce women’s unpaid work such as provisions for adequate water to each household, subsidised cooking gas, arrangement for childcare (crèches) and elderly care etc.  

·        Ensure equal wages for equal work for women in all sectors; ensure maternity leave and benefits to all working women.

·        Legal measures to promulgate amendments in all laws for joint pattas, including under Forest Rights Act to ensure women’s land rights. Special priority to single women-headed households including widows abandoned and deserted women. Women farmers must be included in all government schemes.

·        Strict implementation of POSH Act at all workplaces.

·        Take effective measures to prevent violence against women; implement Justice Verma Committee recommendations.

·        Provide 33 per cent reservation for women in all legislative bodies at the earliest.

·        Withdraw the four labour codes

·        Stop Privatisation of PSEs and services; Scrap NMP.

·        Ensure quality public health services to all.

WOMEN FACE GREATER BRUNT

Unemployment and underemployment aggravated during the Covid pandemic and resulted in huge job losses and wage cuts, loss of income and an increase in poverty. This has affected the women most. Women’s employment which was at an all-time low even before the pandemic has declined further.  A report by the Centre for Sustainable Employment at Azim Premji University found that 47 per cent of women workers who lost their jobs between March and December 2020, permanently lost them, compared to 7 per cent of male workers.

India has fallen further 28 points in 2021 in the Global Gender Gap Index ranking 140 among 156 countries. This is mainly due to the very low work participation and the huge wage gap.

At a time, when employment is the most essential requirement in the country, the Modi government has again made drastic cuts in the budget for MGNREGA from Rs 98,000 crore to Rs 73,000 crore. Last year also the budget was slashed by 40 per cent from the previous year. Even the wages of the work done is pending for more than six months in many states.

Covid pandemic showed the importance of the work of mid-day meal workers, anganwadi and ASHA workers in delivering the essential services. Instead of strengthening the schemes and recognising their work, the government made drastic cuts in the budget allocations for food security and health as well as for the schemes like ICDS, MDMS and NHM.

There are certain sectors where mostly women are working; these sectors faced serious problems in this period. It is estimated that over 98 per cent of domestic workers suffered from job losses, and 15 months later, almost 72 per cent have lost their earlier employment on a permanent basis. This is a shift from paid to unpaid labour adding to the women’s unpaid labour at home. Various studies show a 35-55 per cent wage gap between male and female workers/employees.

INCREASING POVERTY AND PRICE RISE

Poverty in India was already alarmingly high. NSSO data shows that 58 per cent in rural and 57 per cent in urban India in 1993-94 were below this poverty line.  In 2011-12 the percentages were 68 and 65 respectively.

During pandemic households on average lost 12 per cent income during the last year. The loss for poor and middle-class households will be even more. According to some estimates, this means that 218 million more people (168 million rural and 50 million urban) would have been pushed into poverty last year and an additional 150-199 million people will fall into poverty this year. That means an overall increase in poverty by 15-20 per cent; around half of the country’s population will become poor.

The unprecedented price rise fuelled by the petro price hike, the increase in healthcare expenditures due to non-availability of quality public healthcare and the closure of schools, digitalisation of the education system during the pandemic, together is creating a situation where the vast majority of our people are deprived of their right to food, health and education. Here also, the government has made drastic cuts in the food subsidy.