YCW India demands to increase the daily minimum wage to Rs. 150 and jobs for unemployed young workers…….  

   We, YCW India, have been focussing the campaign for Social Protection for young workers since 1998. The priority demands of our campaign are to increase the daily minimum wage of workers in the informal economy from Rs. 80 to Rs. 150 and to provide jobs for the unemployed. In order to bring these 2 demands again to the local government and to the public, we decided to organise a press meet and a bicycle rally at Dindigul in Tamil Nadu on 29^th March 2010.

YCW Madurai took the responsibility to organise this action with the accompaniment and support from the national team. An action committee was formed including the YCW Madurai district team members and the national team. Preparation meetings were held on 13^th Feb and 23^rd March.

Press Meet

The action started with the press meeting on 29^th March at Dindigul. Reporters from 3 T.V channels and 3 news papers were present in the meeting. Rajesh, the national president explained the objectives of our action and the following demands to the press:

Young Workers Fighting for Social Protection ....

Young workers across the world are becoming more united in their struggles for just work, says the International Young Christian Workers (IYCW) president, Geethani Peries.

‘Young people are making a difference because they are one in their vision of just work for all,’ asserts Ms Peries. The IYCW campaign for Social Protection for all is continuing to attract support right across the world, in both rich and poor communities, in many diverse religious and human rights groups, and among people of goodwill everywhere.

‘We must build this spirit of solidarity if we are to change the conditions of young workers such as Isabel Alvarez Rivas and the young isolated laborers in the Philippines,’ says Ms Peries. Their stories can touch us all.

‘I am a 19-year old girl, and my name is Isabel Álvarez Rivas. I started working when I was 10. I came to Caaguazú in the city of Capiata and I have been working hard in people’s houses. Now I am feeling really depressed because when I look at my job as a domestic worker, I don’t see anything wrong in what I do. But my bosses keep asking me to do the chores more quickly, and to make a greater effort, because they say I don’t produce as much as they expect me to. They ask me to get up at 5 a.m. to save time and do more work. But there isn’t any chance that they will give me a pay raise.’ Isabel Álvarez Rivas, domestic worker, Paraguay.

YCW India is committed to Gender equality and empowerment of young women and men……

National level 2 days formation

    YCW India celebrated the International Women Day on 6^th and 7^th March at Thanjavur, Tamil Nadu, India. We organised two activities. The first activity was 2 days national level training session on 6^th and 7^th March. It was organised at the Pastoral Centre at Thanjavur. The topics of the training were “women’s Rights and strengthening the second line leaders”. 37 YCW members from 9 district movements participated in the program. 11 participants were young women.

Dharna (Protest Street Meeting) by YCW India

We organised a Dharna (Protest meeting) on 7^th March from 3 to 5 pm at the centre of the town at Thanjavur to celebrate the International Women Day and to demand the rights of young women workers. 40 YCW members, 35 supporters of YCW participated in the activity. More than 1000 people paid attention to our demands. Our young leaders assumed the leadership of this activity through leading the activity; giving speeches and raising the demands through slogans. Ms. Tamil Selvi, secretary All India Democratic Women Association (AIDWA) Thanjavur district and Mr. Manoharan, secretary Centre for Indian Trade Union (CITU) addressed the public and supported our demands. We also distributed our demands through the pamphlets to the public who were passing us. We demanded our government to ensure the following: