In India, three categories of workers are the most neglected from the society. Christian Workers Movement of India focusing their overall development by the way of providing awareness progamme, skill training, forming Self Help Group and Leadership formation. The following are the classified categories of workers.

1) Unorganized workers.

      Introduction

The unorganized workers are that vast majority of employed, employable unemployed and self employed work force of 390 million which encompass contract labour, casuals, temporaries, home workers, domestic servants, time rated or piece rated, casuals, part time workers, own account workers, agriculture workers, share-croppers, marginal farmers, contractual workers and include women, child labour and old aged workers. Their wages and earnings are generally at subsistence level. They do not get protection of labour laws due to ignorance and very loose enforcement. The unorganised workers are generally denied social security, welfare and health cover. They are not organised in any form of trade unions or associations and generally face inhuman or hostile social environment. They are engaged in unorganized economic activities which encompasses small scale industries, cottage industries, micro units of production, construction, in large manufacturing units, textile and garment, horticulture, agriculture, rural occupations, forest based employment’s, fisheries, sweeping-cleaning, loading-unloading, mining, forestry, service sector, entertainment and thousands of many more occupations or avocations. The globalisation-influenced policies of the government have led to increased contractualisation, outsourcing, informalisation, closure of small-scale industries and the size of unorganised sector workers is growing at a faster rate. A rough estimate would suggest 94 percent of approximately 405 million are in unorganised or informal sector. These workers contribute to more than 50 per cent to the GDP growth.

Social Security

Legislation for Unorganized Workers

The central trade unions and many trade unions of unorganised sector workers have been raising demands for a comprehensive legislation for unorganised workers including employment protection and social security for all categories of unorganised workers. There has been demand of social-assistance-based social security system for unorganised workers considering the low income levels of these workers and their inability to contribute in long run, like organised sector workers. Trade unions have opposed insurance based or contributory social security. Trade unions also demanded for employment security, employment regulation, livelihood protection, and price support system so that unorganised workers get real protection. It has been pointed out that policy of labour market flexibility would make these workers more and more un-secured and they must be protected.

The efforts of the government, that too half hearted, to cover unorganised workers under some kind of social security system could not crystallize so far. The issue of an Umbrella Legislation for Unorganised Sector Workers was referred to second National Commission on Labour in the year 1999 which submitted its report in the year 2002 recommending for a comprehensive social security cover with regulation of employment and dispute resolution system. The government, however, circulated different versions of unorganised sector bills proposing only enabling provisions, and ultimately introduced a scheme for social security of unorganised workers in early 2004. Subsequently Labour Ministry floated one more draft bill (2004) and now the latest bill (2006) of National Commission for Enterprises in the Unorganised Sector is being debated. There are two other bills, namely Unorganised Sector Workers Social Security Bill, 2005 by National Advisory Council of UPA and Unorganised Sector Workers Bill, 2005 by NationalCentre for Labour. The NCC-USW also suggested a draft bill. Besides, Central Trade Unions also submitted their joint comments on the draft bill of the government. The intention of the government is in question because they have been delaying the legislation and denying social security umbrella to unorganised workers since last many years. The cost of social security, the share of central and state governments under the contributory system, deter them from enacting the law. The government is under pressure from World Bank and other international pressure groups to withdraw from public social security provisions. The central government would not be willing to part with Rs 25000 crores and each state Rs 500 crores every year for unorganised sector workers especially in the absence of any strong movement or struggle for such a social security coverage.

The NGOs are social sector institutions engaged in various social support programmes, education, awareness generation, mobilization, capacity building, advocacy, action-oriented research etc. Many NGOs are working in unorganised sector and many others associate with people’s movements. They create network and collaborate with other NGOs, trade unions as also with similar other institutions. These ramifications necessitate that NGOs address the issues of social security which affect almost entire unorganised workers. NGOs should debate on legislative proposals and intentions of successive governments in the larger context of political economy. Technical details such as the component of social security, financing of social security, legislative prescriptions and procedural issues are matters of concern. Other key concerns are relationship with trade unions and importance of organisation of working class and solidarity at regional, national and international levels. NGOs could play a role of facilitator for ensuring social security, protection of rights of working class in unorganised sector and in building up socio-economic protective unity which would lead to stronger organisations of workers in unorganised sector.

The role of NGOs working among unorganised and informal sector workers would develop in desirable and progressive direction when they enter in to continuous dialogue with trade unions and organisations of people’s movements. The process would get momentum if we come closer more frequently.

Convention on Social Security

unorganised sector workers but these are not given consideration in any government scheme or proposal. Social security is the protection against various contingencies like accidents, loss of income, loss of employment or livelihood, old age situations etc to working class, which the society provides through state and legislative measures. In context to circumstances in India, protection of child-rights and education to children are also essentially linked to their social security. The provision of social security is the primary responsibility of both Central and state governments. The conventional social security legislation generally covers the organised sector of the economy while the unorganised sector is covered by varied government-sponsored schemes with specific time-bound objective and targeted population groups. These workers are denied health security, accident insurance, maternity benefits, employment/livelihood security, old age income security and human dignity etc.

 The unorganised sector workers are denied protection of Minimum wages act, Equal Remuneration Act and Workmen Compensation Act due to poor enforcement. Even the deductions from their wages under Provident Fund Law do not actually provide social security coverage to them due to poor enforcement and lack of awareness. The insecurities of livelihood to self- employed workers, hawkers, venders, marginal farmers, land-less labour, adivasis, dalits, displaced persons, safai-karmcharis, fish-workers, domestic workers, construction workers, informal workers in organised sector etc. are growing. New kinds of labour bondage are prevailing in various sectors. The all-round absence of any employment regulation and social security system for vast majority of unorganised workers need a serious consideration.

2) Women workers

Dowry

  Dowry is the payment in cash or/and kind by the bride's family to the bridegroom’s family along with the giving away of the bride (called Kanyadaan) in Indian marriage.  Kanyadaan is an important part of Hindu marriagesl. Though prohibited by law in 1961, the extraction of DOWRY from the bride's family prior to marriage still occurs. When the dowry amount is not considered sufficient, the bride is often harassed, abused and her life made miserable. This abuse can escalate to the point where the husband or his family burn the bride, often by pouring kerosene on her and lighting it, usually killing her. The official records of these incidents are low because they are often reported as accidents or suicides by the family. In Delhi, a woman is burned to death almost every twelve hours. The numbers of dowry murders are increasing. In 1988, 2,209 women were killed in dowry related incidents and in 1990, 4,835 were killed. It is important to reiterate that these are official records, which are immensely under reported. The lack of official registration of this crime is apparent in Delhi, where ninety percent of cases of women burnt were recorded as accidents, five percent as suicide and only the remaining five percent were shown as murder. According to Government figures there were a total of 5,377 dowry deaths in 1993, an increase of 12% from 1992. Despite the existence of rigorous laws to prevent dowry-deaths under a 1986 amendment to the Indian Penal Code (IPC), convictions are rare, and judges (usually men) are often uninterested and susceptible to bribery. Recent newspaper reports have focused on the alarming rate of deaths of married women in Hamirpur, Mandi and Bilaspur districts in the state of Himachal Pradesh.

Prostitution

Article 6 of Indian Constitution states, “Parties shall take all appropriate measures, including legislation, to suppress all forms of traffic in women and exploitation of prostitution of women in India.” According to a 1994 report in Asian Age there are at least 70,000 women sex workers in Delhi, Madras, Calcutta, Bangalore and Hyderabad. 30% of these women are under 20 years of age. 40% are 20-30 years of age, and approximately 15% of them became prostitutes as children under the age of 12. Many times, these girls are forced into prostitution due to abject poverty, to supplement their family income

Domestic violence

Domestic Violence isn't just hitting, or fighting, or an occasional argument.  It's an abuse of power.  The abuser tortures and controls the victim by calculated threats, intimidation, and physical violence. . Although both men and women can be abused, in most cases, the victims are women. Children in homes where there is domestic violence are also abused or neglected. Although the woman is usually the primary target, violence is sometimes directed toward children, and sometimes toward family members and friends. Many women in India are the victims of domestic abuse. Domestic violence is a CRIME.

Abortion, Female Infanticide, Foeticide etc.

 According to a recent report by the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) up to 50 million girls and women are missing from India’s population as a result of systematic gender discrimination in India. In most countries in the world, there are approximately 105 female births for every 100 males. In India, there are less than 93 women for every 100 men in the population. The accepted reason for such a disparity is the practice of female infanticide in India, prompted by the existence of a dowry system which requires the family to pay out a great deal of money when a female child is married. For a poor family, the birth of a girl child can signal the beginning of financial ruin and extreme hardship.
There are Diagnostic teams with ultrasound scanners which detect the sex of a child who advertise with catch lines such as” spend 600 rupees now and save 50,000 rupees later.”

3) Migration

Migration within and from Asia is not a recent social phenomenon. The current trends and characteristics of migration in the region, however, have been shaped by the development directions of societies and economies in recent decades. Around 400,000 Asians resettle every year in North America and Oceania, contributing to sustain established communities in those countries. After the conclusion of the Indochinese crisis, refugees still remain, particularly as a result of the Afghan conflict and strifes in Cambodia and Myanmar. Highly skilled workers are increasingly in demand and move through the region, or return from previous migrations, to respond to the needs of international capital. However, it is labor migration that has emerged in the past three decades as the most significant aspect of human mobility. More than six million migrants are working in East and Southeast Asia, one third of whom are in an irregular situation. In fact, in addition to the temporary nature of this labor movement, determined by the short duration of labor contracts and the non-availability of long-term integration, and the increasing presence of migrant women, employed as nurses, domestic workers and entertainers, the widespread irregularity in the migration movement appears the most distinguished and troublesome feature of labor migration in Asia. Irregular migration often takes the form of trafficking, with migrants, particularly women, kept in bondage or forced into prostitution. In Middle East the migrant workers are suffering most tedious difficulties. They have no right to get their wages, long hours of work hazardous situation etc are the common phenomena. The workers are in Middle East like slaves.

Statistics of our Country

Today the present realities of our country are very shocking and pathetic. Before analyzing the realities of the working class we can have a glance of the statistics of India.

1. Title of the Project                                           :    Decent work for decent living.

2. Name & Address of the applicant               :     Jomon Cherussery
                                                                                     National President
                                                                                    16/113 Ollukkara
                                                                                    Trichur- Kerala – India 
3. Legal Holder of the
    Project                                                             :      Same as above 
                                                            
                                                                   
4. Area                                                                 :      All over India

5. Amount Requested                                       :     1) Year 2008 Rs.   15, 60,600
                                                                                    2)  Year 2009 Rs.  14, 96,600
                                                                                    3) Year 2010  Rs.  15, 37,160
                                                                                    4) Year 2011  Rs.   16,90,876
                                                                                    5) Year 2012  Rs.   16,90,876
                                                                                    6)  Year 2013 Rs.   16,90,876

6. Name of the Bank & Account No                 :    Canara Bank A/C No.13399
                                                                                    Ayanavarm-Chennai-India

7 .FCR Account Number                                    : II/21022/67/(445)/85-FCRAIII 

8 Results expected                                             : Militant leaders, self sustainable workers &
                                                                                  eradication of poverty, unemployment etc.  

9. Monitoring                                                        : CWM India National Executive Committee
                                                                                  CBCI labour commission

10. Accountability                                                : Audited statement from chartered accountant 

PROPOSED PROJECT
2008

             Total Expenditure                                              Rs. 18, 97,000                                                               
             Less local contribution                                       Rs.   3, 36,400

            Amount requested from foreign contribution   Rs.15, 60,600        
                                                    
                                                                 In dollar @ Rs.40=      39,015                                                                                                                         
                                                                 In Euro   @ Rs.53=     29,445

Jomon Cherussery                                    M.Rajamani                                                  Rocky Green
    President                                               Gen.Secretary                                                    Treasurer

PROPOSED PROJECT 2009

Total Expenditure                                              Rs. 18, 17,000                   
             Less local contribution                                       Rs.   3, 20,400

            Amount requested from foreign contribution   Rs. 14,96,600
                                                   
                                                                 In dollar @ Rs.40=      37,415         
                                                                 In Euro   @ Rs.53=     28,238

Jomon Cherussery                                    M.Rajamani                                                  Rocky Green