CITU complains to ILO on anganwadi layoffs

CITU complains to ILO on anganwadi layoffs

The Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU) has approached the International Labour Organisation (ILO) against the Haryana and Delhi governments for retrenching 975 and 991 anganwadi workers, respectively, for striking work demanding an increase in honorarium that the retrenchments were a gross violation of several principles of fundamental rights of the workers as enshrined in ILO Conventions, ILO recommendations and declarations.

Anganwadi:

• Anganwadi is a centrally sponsored scheme implemented by the States / UTs which serves as a rural child and maternal care centre in India.
• It was started by the Government of India In 1975 as part of the Integrated Child Development Services program to combat child hunger and malnutrition.
• Anganwadi centres provide a package of six services: supplementary nutrition, pre-school non-formal education, immunisation, health check-up, nutrition and health education, and referral services.
• The beneficiaries under the Anganwadi Services Scheme are identified on the basis of Aadhaar.

ILO Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work

Adopted in 1998, the Declaration commits Member States to respect and promote principles and rights in four categories, whether or not they have ratified the relevant Conventions.

These categories are:

• freedom of association and the effective recognition of the right to collective bargaining,
• the elimination of forced or compulsory labour,
• the abolition of child labour
• the elimination of discrimination in respect of employment and occupation.
• The ILO was created in 1919 by the Versailles Peace Treaty.
• After the demise of the League of Nations, it became the first specialized agency associated with the UN.
• Its secretariat is in Geneva, Switzerland.
• It has 187 of the 193 UN member states plus the Cook Islands.
• It is responsible for drawing up and over seeing international labour standards.
• It has a tripartite governing structure – representing governments, employers, and workers.
• It publishes Global Wage report.

Eight Core Conventions of the ILO

• Forced Labour Convention (No. 29)
• Abolition of Forced Labour Convention (No.105)
• Equal Remuneration Convention (No.100)
• Discrimination (Employment Occupation) Convention (No.111)
• Minimum Age Convention (No.138)
• Worst forms of Child Labour Convention (No.182)
• Freedom of Association and Protection of Right to Organised Convention (No.87)
• Right to Organise and Collective Bargaining Convention (No.98)

Note: India has not ratified Convention No 98 and 87.