Coinciding with International Labour Day, the “Shram Shakti Pehchaan” (workers strength identification) campaign was launched at Deputy Commissioner (DC) Dimapur Conference hall here Friday with parliamentary secretary for labour and employment S. Chuba Longkumer as chief guest. The programme was organized by government of Nagaland Directorate of Labour.
Speaking at the launching programme, Longkumer said the SSP programme was purely focused to ensure the welfare and wellbeing of workers in unorganized sector.
Emphasizing on the different schemes implemented by the central government for specific groups of unorganized workers, he said state government was also implementing welfare programmes for certain categories of unorganized sectors.
However, he lamented that there was a huge deficit in coverage of agriculture workers, construction labourers etc. in the matter of labour protection and social security measures. Longkumer said that the workers and their families do not get adequate social security.
Parliamentary secretary pointed out that though people were aware of the programmes implemented by different departments there was no defined common platform through which beneficiaries could avail the benefits without going through complex formalities.
He assured that the department would extend all necessary help to make the programme successful in the shortest possible time.
Further, Longkumer urged NGOs, trade unions and other mass-based organizations to participate and extend their support for greater heights.
DC Dimapur, Kesonyü Yhome, while delivering short speech, said unorganized workers played an important role in India’s economy.
He said as unorganized workers mostly constituted under privileged people the government needed to address the issue.
Besides Labour Commissioner Er. L. Nungshiyanger Aier and Commissioner & secretary Labour & employment and planning Mhonbemo Patton, the programme was attended by officials and staffs from directorate of labour and delegates from various organizations.
Nagaland domestic workers for implementation of Minimum Wages Act
Deprived of decent/fixed wage, domestic workers in the State have been striving to make their appeal heard by policy makers of the state so that their profession was included as scheduled employment.
In order to educate the workers and also to highlight the plight of the domestic workers, one day workshop on the “inclusion of domestic workers in Minimum Wages Act” in commemoration of “May Day or International Workers’ Day” was organised Friday by National Domestic Workers’ Movement (NDWM) Nagaland Region at Development Association of Nagaland (DAN) office, 4th mile Dimapur.
At the programme, Kohima Law College assistant professor Limanochet Jamir gave presentation on his research “domestic workers: a study with special reference to inter and intra state migrants”.
In his presentation on “the debate: minimum wages-domestic workers”, Limanochet Jamir told the workers that their platform of demands should be based on recognition of domestic workers as workers.
Jamir reminded that only after Nagaland State Legislative Assembly recognises domestic workers, the workers can demand for fixed minimum wages.
He said to justify domestic workers as real workers there was a need for legislative protection and regulation of the condition of employment.
Jamir said since domestic workers falls under the purview of state sphere, the state government are the appropriate authority to fix, review, revise and enforce the minimum wages for domestic workers under the Minimum Wages Act, 1948.
City Law College, Dimapur principal P Leonard Aier, giving a presentation on Minimum Wages Act, said “Nagaland is a land of lawlessness” and pointed out that the law was meant to uphold justice in the society and are made for the welfare of the society.
He briefed the gathering on equal wage for men and women workers for same or similar nature of work under Equal Remuneration Act 1976.
Aier said unless the domestic workers come together and demand the State government to bring domestic workers under scheduled employment statue it was not possible for them to claim for minimum wages.
During an interaction, NDWM Nagaland Region, state coordinator Sr. Therese Vanlalhruaii also said State government should recognise domestic workers as schedule employment.
One of the domestic workers, during question hour, claimed that dogs were treated better in some homes than domestic workers.
Stating that even domestic helpers were humans, she questioned if humans cannot understand the misery of humans, why were the privileged occupying the chair?
Wokha observes migrant Labour Day
On the occasion of migrant labourers and factory workers day, Wokha district election department organized a short programme here at DC’s office compound Friday.
Speaking on the occasion, DC and district election officer (DEO) Wokha A. Robin Lotha said that due attention would be given for registration of all eligible migrant labourers in the electoral rolls of their places of ordinary residences if they so desired. He also enlightened the migrant labourers of their rights of registration and entitlements.
Further, Lotha informed the migrant labourers to submit their details like name, name of father, age and full postal address, mobile number, AADHAR number, name and number of assembly constituency, and name of state, etc to the Wokha district election department for further communication and action with the respective authorities outside Nagaland.
Friday, May 1, 2026