BENGALURU: The Karnataka State Construction Workers Central Union on Monday strongly opposed the central government’s decision to cancel the Building and Other Construction Workers Act, 1996, which governs the employment and working conditions of construction workers in India.
Union leaders, including President NA Samy and General Secretary Leelavathi S, demanded the reinstatement of the BOCW Act and urged the government to maintain separate sectoral welfare boards. To further press their demands, the union announced a state-level convention on Thursday, at Town Hall.
The union criticised the transfer of welfare benefits to the e-Shram portal, a database of unorganised workers that was developed by the Ministry of Labour and Employment, warning that this move threatens the livelihood and security of millions of unorganised workers.
KSCWCU, representing over 84,800 workers, said that scrapping welfare boards would stop benefits like pensions and Employees’ State Insurance. They also fear 1.5 lakh crore collected under the BOCW Building and Other Construction Workers (BOCW) Act could be misused, leaving workers uncertain.