CHENNAI: Trade Union (TU) leaders from Tamil Na-du and International Labour Organisation (ILO) officials have submitted a memorandum to Union Labour Minister Mallikarjun Kharge, seeking ratification of the core conventions of the ILO on human work rights. About 2.5 lakh signatures seeking government nod for the ILO conventions were also presented. The Tamil Nadu Trade Unions Joint Action Forum (JAF), a common platform for Central trade union organisations — AITUC, BMS, CITU, HMS, INTUC and the LPF — is campaigning for the formal endorsement of the ILO conventions like C 87 (freedom of association), C 98 (right to organise and collective bargaining), C 138 (minimum age to work), and C 182 (elimination of worst forms of child labour) by the Central Government. RPK Murugesan, State Coordinator, JAF, told Express that Kharge had promised to look into the issue. “Though he did not give any assurance, he said steps are being taken.” The ratification of these conventions were imperative to fight for the genuine demands of the ordinary workman, he stressed. “If the Centre approves the convention, then it will enable laws to be brought in to honour the rights enunciated in the conventions,” Murugesan said. Stating that for a long time the unions were fighting for the right to be recognised by the management after forming the union, he said, “Presently, there are laws mandating the managements to recognise unions only in a few States, including Maharashtra and Gujarat. We want a Central legislation binding on all States.”India, despite being a founder member of the ILO, has so far not ratified the important conventions. The nod to the norms by the Centre would be beneficial to workers and would lead to an overall improvement in national labour standards, he added. On November 30, the JAF leaders met State Labour Minister ST Chellapandian and presented a memorandum urging the State to prevail upon the Centre to honour the ILO conventions.
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