#Thread How draft rules Code of Wages Bill affect women workers
Govt of India released draft rules of the Code of wages Bill in July 2020. 1/10 #LabourReforms
Feminist economists and activists say the rules are patriarchal and exclusionary in a consultation by @OxfamIndia. Major points follow 2/10 #LabourReforms
The framing in the Code of Wages Bill is exclusionary of other genders. The definition of worker and workplace is male. This also excludes Transgender persons. The wage slip & Form VI to write the Sex/Gender of the person is missing. 3/10 #LabourReforms
Two most important Acts – Minimum wages and Equal Remuneration Act, 1976 – that protected/promoted women workers’ rights have been repealed w/o incorporating their provisions in the current wage code. 4/10 #LabourReforms
Work done by women is missing in the 600+ skills listed. ‘Skilled workers’ are defined as those with ‘intensive technical or professional training or practical occupational experience’ excluding women who are unlikely to get the opportunities. 5/10 #LabourReforms
Minimum wage is calculated on the basis of flawed idea of a ‘family’- spouse and 2 children. This excludes those having more than 2 children, disabled and elderly and female headed households 6/10 #LabourReforms
Minimum wage is calculated for 26 workdays/ month. This is discriminatory for informal sector workers, mostly women who do piece rate work. Wages need to be calculated with inclusion of 4 paid weekly holidays. 7/10 #LabourReforms
Women’s labour in several sectors is highly invisibilized. The code does not give any clarity for women in the agriculture sector, domestic work or scheme workers i.e Asha & Anganwadi workers who are considered volunteers. 8/10 #LabourReforms
‘Workplace’ definition excludes Private homes and hence excludes women such as Beedi workers, Sumangali workers in textile industries, domestic workers, Home Based Workers. An ‘employer’ is defined in an industry setup and excludes SHG run enterprises etc. 9/10 #LabourReforms
The Code of Wages makes formal written contracts mandatory. Provisions re. Minimum Wages Act and Equal Remuneration Act will not apply to 70% of urban women workforce who dont have written contracts and those in irregular employment like guest faculty. 10/10 #LabourReforms
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Parliament passed 3 new Farm Bills
-The Farmers Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Bill
- Farming Produce, Trade, Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Bill
- Essential Commodities (Amendment) Bill
1/10
'Contract farming' rules with agri businesses w/o the intervention of middlemen hampers women farmers’ collective bargaining power at local mandis to ensure fair prices.
2/10
Cutting out middlemen who also act as 'informal bankers' dries up an important source of credit for women farmers who have limited access to institutional credit. An Oxfam study in UP observed less than 4% women have institutional credit access.
3/10
GoI proposed changes to Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act under section 10 2(c) and 10 2(b) of the, to pave the way for auctioning of around 500 potential leases. A #thread on what this means for women in mining areas. 1/13
Govt's proposed reform, under the Atmanirbhar Bharat Scheme, aims to enhance private investment in the sector.
They also aim to increase mineral production and employment, developing a transparent National Mineral Index and clarifying the definition of illegal mines.
The struggles of single women have increased during the lockdown with lack of basic facilities, loss of employment, and increased mental health issues. Yet, they are not recognised in covid support schemes. 1/10
Single women face violation of basic human rights and lack the support they need as society perpetuates a patriarchal norm. They are neither a homogeneous group, and have several intersections that exacerbate their struggle. 2/10
There was a 39% increase in the number of single women – widows, never married, divorced, abandoned from 5.1 crore women in 2001 to 7.1 crore in 2011, according to census data. widows constitute only 18% of the single women. 3/10
1.Withdraw privatization proposals of basic services- health , nutrition (including ICDS and MDMS)
2.Make the Centrally Sponsored Schemes - ICDS, NHM, MDMS permanenent 3. Regularization of scheme workers as workers
1. 4000 as Covid pay 2. Declaration and status as health workers and permanent staff 3. Govt empanelled hospital facilities for treatment of Asha workers
From #Asha workers protest in Haryana.
Pic courtesy: Asha workers Union, Haryana
Image decrpition: ASHA worker holding a placard that reads ' its not for fun we strike. We strike because it is necessary"
1 year since the unlawful amendment of Article 370 and blockade of communication @KReadingRoom report ‘Disintegration at Guns’ shines the light on political, legal, economic and everyday struggle of the people of Kashmir. [1/7]
The report uncovers international and regional developments, laws and policies and perspectives of frontier regions since August 5, 2019, when the amendment was declared without any consultation with the people of J&K. [2/7]
It looks into the growing anxiety of people of #Kashmir by the deployment troop deployment in the valley, and curbed freedoms, anti-terror legislation, arbitrary detention and physical abuse. [3/7]