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In
Gujarati, this is known as the Gujarat Khet Kamdar Union, and was the
second issue-based group set up by Disha. It was formed in 1988 to address
issues of employment, backwardness, and overall development of the communities
in which they lived. This trade union was started in the Sabarkhanta district,
where its main office is now located, and has expanded to cover most of
Gujarat. This union is comprised primarily of Scheduled castes, other
backwards classes (OBC) and tribals. This union takes up claims of non
or lesspayment of wages, under share-cropping, harassment against the
workers by their employers, awareness building about mechanisms through
which their labor is exploited, education about laws protecting their
rights, and education on how to obtain government benefits from schemes
designed to help them. In 1997, the Gujarat Agricultural Laborers Union
won a campaign for the provision of multi-purpose identity cards which
served as proof that an individual was indeed an agricultural laborers,
and thus availed farmers to receive the benefits of government welfare
schemes. They have been lobbying for policy changes (submitting memos,
demonstrations and rallies), and have been working on their health care
and education. Total annual Membership of Agriculture Labour Union is 85,000. |
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DISHA
successfully campaigned for multi-purpose identification cards that verify
individuals to be agricultural labourers used in order to confirm that
services and programs designated for agricultural labour are administered
to the right people; an estimated 40 lakh labourers will eventually benefit. |
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A
poster made by a forest dwaller depicting tribals protest against illegal
felling of trees and taking away the wood |
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Until
1996, the agricultural labour minimum wage was a pitiful Rs. 15 per day.
Our lobbying led to a daily wage of Rs 34 in 1996, and the state has made
an informal announcement to raise that to Rs. 53. We are fighting an ongoing
campaign to raise the daily minimum to Rs. 73, the amount necessary for
a family of four to survive. |
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| Best
viewed in 800 x 600. Copyrights © 2005 Disha - Gujarat, India. |