Universal Social Security
Many of the NTUI affiliates who had worked closely with the National Centre for Labour had come together with a framework for a comprehensive legislation for regulation of work and social security for workers in the unorganised sector. Over many reiterations within the NTUI among key affiliates like the Sarva Shramik Sangh, TMKTS, PTS and other unions a common position was developed in which the idea of social security was seen as separate from the notion of regulation of work. The NTUI Secretariat responded on each of the several drafts of the Social Security Bill that was proposed by the government. The NTUI also made representation before the Parliamentary Standing Committee for the Social Security Bill.
The key component of the NTUI formulation was that the right to social security should be universal and that there should be a clear definition of a National Minimum Social Security Benefit. The National Minimum should comprise of a pension which is 50% of the minimum wage or last drawn wage and include all single and destitute women and not just widows; a Life and disability cover that includes employment injury benefit, including provision for wages when recovering from employment injury; health benefits must include maternity benefits, hospitalisation charges and all benefits should include their dependents; and Unemployment Insurance benefit for all workers.
A large national level rally of several thousand workers engaged in agriculture, forests and plantations; domestic, housekeeping, janitorial and sanitation services, anganwadi, construction and other service industries and contract workers in manufacturing was organised in Delhi to demand an immediate legislation for Universal Social Security on 27 February 2007 in New Delhi.
The Unorganised Workers’ Social Security Act was passed in 2008. The legislation failed to address the key concerns of most trade unions and other mass organisations. A joint NTUI-NAPM delegation met with the union minister for labour to raise our demands. A joint memorandum was submitted.