THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: CPM sees a big challenge in organising new kinds of workers in the changing neo-liberal environment, says its ‘Trade Union’ document presented in the state committee held on Thursday and Friday. The document identifies gig workers who work on a demand basis without any fixed time frame or employer. The gig workers who are employed through mobile apps or Google are estimated to be more than tens of thousands, the document points out.
“They are recruited and employed even through mobile phones,” a CPM state secretariat member told TNIE.“They do not have a chance to meet their employers. There is no valid proof of their employment. On any day, the employer can end their service without giving them any benefits. They will not be able to find their employer and sue them. This is the work life of gig workers,” he said.
The document explains that with the changing work scenario, there are no permanent jobs. The gig workers are recruited as contract, casual and trainee employees. There is no employee-employer relationship that exists in the absence of a definite nature of the job. The fluid nature of job time also gets in the way of organising the workers.
This is the biggest challenge being faced by workers’ unions in the present scenario. The unions cannot organise a trade union in this situation. If the salary is denied, there is no organised set-up for the employees to complain with. The unions are facing a new situation wherein the workers are unable to point out their employer. The document urges party members to study emerging challenges and come up with new ways to fight the injustices.
The document also points out the weakness of the CITU, a feeder organisation of the CPM, in this regard.
“The CITU could organise only half of the workforce in the country. It has been concentrating on the organised sector largely. However, the implementation of neo-liberal policies made the fluctuations in working hours and instability of work a reality,” the document said.