CBCI Labour Commission Launches Workers’ Federation

NEW DELHI, May 26, 2010, 16:20 Hrs (CBCI News):

Mr. Rajamoni	Mr. Joseph Jude

Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India (CBCI) Labour Commission has launched a national organization called Workers’ India Federation (WIF) during a three-day workshop at Bangalore, May 20-23. The orgnaisation is created to work for the welfare of the workers, majority of who belong to the unorganized sector. The Commission chairman Bishop Oswald Louis in his inaugural message said, “Workers’ India Federation is a CBCI response to unorganized workers of India”. 460 million of India’s workers, 93% are estimated to belong to the unorganized workers, those who are deprived of legal and social protection announced the first elected office bearers. Mr. Rajamoni from Tamil Nadu , President, Mr. Joseph Jude from Kerala ,General Secretary, Mr. R.Alvin Devas Maharashtra , Treasurer are the main office bearers of WIF.

The Workers India Federation is a federation of all regional and national workers’ organizations of CBCI. WIF has 8 regional and 5 national movements which are spread over 120 districts of India. WIF ‘s affiliated movements are Christian Workers Movement of India (CWM),Young Christian Workers Movement of India (YCWM) Apostolate of Seafarers of India (AOS), Pastoral Care for Nomads of India (PACNI),National Domestic Workers Movement(NDWM),Swanthra Nilmana Trade Union (SNTU) of Construction Workers, Kerala Labour Movement, Karnataka Labour Federation, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh Labour Commission,Western (Gujarat, Goa and Maharashtra ) Region Labour Commission, Agra Region (Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan and Uttarakhand) labour Commission,Northern region (Delhi, Punjab and Jammu Kashmir) Region Labour Commission,Tamilnadu Labour Commission.and Andhra Pradesh (A.P) labour Commission.

It was in the year 1972 that CBCI set up a commission for labour to work for the welfare and right of workers in the country. This vision is being achieved through initiatives like movements, trade unions, forums, NGO’s, co-operative societies, SHGs etc. They are strengthened through awareness, capacity building and advocacy to facilitate the workers to enhance their knowledge about government and non-government schemes for their welfare.

As a result of labour movements efforts and follow up, the Government of India has in the past few years woken up to the concerns of unorganised sector. Yielding to the sustained campaign by these movements, the government has enacted social security act. WIF is also proposing to assist the government by opening facilitation centers for dissemination of important information to the working class with social security schemes and programmes. Early steps in this direction have already been taken by WIF to build up a strong nation with secured workers. WIF is now a registered body. The Labour Department of union Government has approved WIF as an organization for unorganized workers, which may be able to achieve national trade union status for unorganized workers of India in near feature.

Fr.Jose Vattakuzhy
Executive Secretary CBCI Labour Commission & Director WIF
New Delhi 25 th May 2010