BMS Meeting On 27-28 Nov For Demands: Minimum Pension, Variable DA, EPF Ceiling Hike To ₹30,000, Gig Workers On Agenda

(MENAFN- Live Mint) The Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh's (BMS ) national office-bearers plan to meet on 27 and 28 November in Vadodara to discuss pending workers' demands, including issues related to gig workers, PTI reported. They will also decide on future course of action, it added.

An affiliate of the RSS, the trade union's demands include increasing the minimum pension to ₹7,500, raising the Employees' State Insurance ceiling from ₹21,000 to ₹42,000 and the Employee Provident Fund ceiling from ₹15,000 to 30,000"> ₹30,000.

The Union Cabinet in September approved raising the wage ceiling for mandatory EPFO coverage from ₹15,000 to ₹25,000 per month, effective 17 September. Union Minister of Labour and Employment and for Youth Affairs and Sports Mansukh Mandaviya said that with the revised ceiling, more employees will become eligible for mandatory coverage, expanding the reach of formal social security.

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Notably, the wage ceiling had remained unchanged since September 2014 despite considerable increases in wages, minimum wages and living costs.

BMS key demands, explained

Minimum pension to ₹7,500 under EPS-95, and linking it with Variable Dearness Allowance (VDA) and and Ayushman Bharat Yojana. Raise Employees' State Insurance (ESI) ceiling from ₹21,000 to ₹42,000. Raise Employee Provident Fund (EPF ) ceiling from ₹15,000 to ₹30,000. Declare bonus on full wages or salaries as notified by the new labour codes. Make an increase in the bonus calculation limit from ₹7,000. Raise gratuity calculation from 15 days' wages to 30 days' wages without any ceiling.

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Have formula-based minimum wages linked to the increasing cost of living and a higher monthly honorarium for scheme workers. Equal pay for equal work for all types of contract workers. Action against contractors and manpower supply agencies for wage theft. A five-day banking system. Filling vacant posts in government services. An Indian Labour Conference at the earliest. Restoration of the old pension scheme (OPS). The trade union also said it“strongly opposes” the Industrial Relations Code and the Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions Code, alleging that they contain“many anti-worker provisions”.

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Speaking to PTI, BMS national vice president Pawan Kumar said the union was expecting the government to fulfil its pending demands at the earliest and thanked it for raising the wage ceiling for mandatory EPFO coverage.“We have thanked the government over the EPF issue. We are expecting the government to fulfil our other demands at the earliest,” Kumar said.

He added that issues related to gig workers, including the provision of shelters and insurance, would also be discussed at the upcoming meeting.“At the November 27-28 meeting in Vadodara, we will decide our future course of action. Issues related to gig workers, including shelters and insurance, will also be discussed,” he said.

The BMS had held nationwide protests on August 17 to press the Centre to resolve long-pending problems of labourers, including demands for higher pension, increased wage ceilings and benefits for scheme-based workers.

(With inputs from PTI)

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