By Rani HCM

Hyderabad: Although India passed a law to provide social security to unorganized workers eight years ago, its benefits have not reached those in need, concluded a three-day meeting at Hyderabad, capital of Telangana state.

The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India (CBCI) Office for Labour and Telengana–Andhra Pradesh Regional Labour commission jointly organized the February 24-26 workshop on social security for the unorganized workers.

It regretted that the unorganized migrant workers in Hyderabad and surrounding cities continue to remain outside the law’s protection.

Delegates from the archdioceses of Hyderabad and Vishakapattanam and dioceses of Vijayavada and Guntur attended the workshop organized to create awareness among the clergy and the laity so that they can help their laborers.

The interaction among the participants revealed that the worst affected is the coastal area where majority of the uneducated live. “Their social security is only in the advertisements,” the organizers noted.

The Unorganized workers Social Security Act of 2008 offers “nothing concrete for the unorganized workers and whatever schemes the act says is neither functioning nor implemented in all the states,” said Father Jaison Vadassery, secretary, CBCI Office for Labour.

He said the workshop aimed to help the unorganized workers avail government schemes meant for them.

The workshop was part the CBCI office’s efforts to equip regional and diocesan labor commissions to seek ways to help the unorganized migrant workers through Mazdoor Suraksha Yojana (workers’ security scheme) and manage a website created to assist the migrants in various parts of India.

Nirmala Sister Tessy Paul, regional secretary of Telangana and Andhra Bishops’ Council for Labour, said the laity have decided to steps to help the migrant workers in the region. The workshop has created a great awareness to the Church authorities and their people, she added.

The meetings concluded with the assurance of regular follow up and monitoring of the programs which have been decided to be implemented.