Report of the Western Region Labour Commission Meet

Two days meeting of Western Region Labour Commission held at Atmadharshan,Gyan Ashram, Anderi East, Mumbai on 9 & 10, July 2018. 32 participants from the diocesan labour commission

of the region and members of domestic workers’ fraternity attended the meeting and discussed the issues of the domestic workers and the overseas migration specifically to GCC Countries with ECR notification. Bishop Jose Chittuparambil, Bishop of Rajkot and Vice Chairperson CBCI Office for Labour and Chairman Western Region Labour Commission inaugurated the meeting. He expressed his happiness of the progress the Western Region Labour Commission achieved over the years with more enthusiastic participation from the members of the dioceses and the religious congregations. He highlighted the need to focus more attention on migrants, displaced people, traditional workers and the most vulnerable sections of workers like domestic and other women labourers. Dr. Christine Nathan, a consultant to ILO and ICMC from Mumbai delivered the keynote address where she emphasised that the activities of the Church for the workers and the poor need to be more visible and professionally articulated. She said, “The false propaganda of the capitalists and media can be overthrown through the good work of the Church”. The countries like India keep unemployment to some level as a strategy for the rich to exploit the cheap labour of the poor which is surplus in the market. Why India should take pride in sending the labour to other countries instead it should create jobs for her citizen within. Followed by that Sr. Rani HCM, Program Manager, CBCI Office for Labour elaborated on the issues of the overseas migrants to GCC Countries. She said pre departure training should be an appropriate strategy to safeguard the unskilled workers of the country from exploitation and danger in view of their migration for job abroad. Fr. Jaison, Secretary CBCI Office for Labour explained about the functioning of CBCI Office for Labour and International Catholic Migration Commission (ICMC) of which he has been elected recently as the secretary. The labour commission secretaries and the sisters working with domestic workers explained their perspectives on the issues of the unorganised workers and the economic migration to abroad. He said, the need to organise the unorganised to claim their rights is the need of the hour. He reiterated the words of Pope Leo XIII on ‘Rerum Novarum’ - Conditions of Labour. The vision expounded by the encyclical emphasizes the duties and obligations that bind the employers and workers to each other particularly on their wages. Social Teachings of the Church directs the employer to pay just wage to their worker be it skilled or unskilled.

Participants appreciated the well organised seminar and Fr. Thomas took leadership for the meticulous arrangement of the meeting. The meeting conclude the with the following action plan.

Appoint LR Secretaries in all the Dioceses

Minimum wages to all the employees including Priests and Religious

Conduct training in Diocesan level

Reporting to the Bishops after the meeting

Implementation of H. R. Guidelines I every Diocese

Regional Meeting Yearly

Join peoples movements

Network the dioceses

Care for migrants

Pre departure training

Ad hoc committee

Sr. Natty – Konkan

Fr. Manuel  - Marathy

Sr. Binu -Vidharbha

Fr. Jagdish - Gujrat

CBCI Office for Labour

CBCI Centre New Delhi

Western Regional Labour Commission meeting