Hon'ble Chief Minister Uddhavji Thackeray,
State of Maharashtra, Mumbai.

Hon'ble Labour Minister Shri Hassan Mushrif ji,
State of Maharashtra, Mumbai.

We are all facing the challenges of the Corona pandemic and the accompanying lockdown. In these difficult times, the lockdown has once again brought to the forefront the unemployment crisis, harshly impacting the unorganized working class.

We demand that unorganised workers are given the same benefits and facilities, of lock-down and otherwise, which organised sector workers are provided. We demand the registration of each and every labour should be done immediately so that they may receive all the benefits, for example lockdown subsidy, ration, travel expenses etc., in order to make their lives easier during this lockdown and pandemic.

Workers, all those who are "unorganized" and kept “unprotected”, include farmers, farm labourers, those working in forests, fisheries or rearing livestock, industrial workers, contract workers, domestic workers, front line workers or the millions who work in the service industry. There are countless artisans like tailors, carpenters, street vendors, drivers or our agricultural workers, who are all “unprotected workers”. Neither do they receive pensions nor a provident fund. Where is the “social security” when they cannot retire, nor do they have sufficient money for basic needs in their old age? When will the women who work, day and night in the field of “unorganised labour” acquire complete social security and justice, apart from an acknowledgement of the value of their work?

We demand that unorganised workers are given the same benefits and facilities, of lock-down and otherwise, which organised sector workers are provided. We demand the registration of each and every labour under the below protective labour laws:
● Inter-State Migrant Labour Act, 1979
● Building and Other Construction Workers Act, 1996
● Unorganized Workers Social Security Act, 2008
● Maharashtra Domestic Workers Welfare Board Act, 2008

If only registered workers receive the benefits of lockdown subsidy, then millions of unregistered unorganized workers, domestic workers will be deprived of it. The grant of Rs. 1,500 to Rs. 2,000 is already insufficient. However, if only registered workers are to receive it, then all workers should immediately be registered through a very easy, straightforward, online and offline form for all categories of workers and this should be available in every government office like ward office, post office, panchayat office, agricultural produce market committee office etc. A receipt should be issued and this way, a large number of workers will be registered and they will be able to get a living wage. Additionally, the registration of migrant workers and registration of employers should be done under the Inter-State Migrant Labor Act and they should pay the travel expenses of the workers. Please heed this request immediately.

Maharashtra must take the lead in enacting a state level Urban Employment Guarantee Act. In rural areas, if the farming activities are going on even in lockdown, then work like digging pits for tree planting, construction of field dams needs to be completed before the monsoon. Panchayats should be ordered to continue these jobs under MGNREGA. Raising the minimum wage to Rs. 600 per day will stop migration and reduce stress on cities.

We urge you to act immediately on these issues and register all unregistered workers. We request that you make decisions to make the lives of the working class easier during these difficult times. All these measures would be in keeping with the statutory and constitutional rights of workers. This is the bare minimum the Govt. owes to the toiling workers as we mark 'May Day's and we expect your Govt. to do the needful at the earliest.