CLL, NLIU Launches Legal Aid Wing For Assistance To Migrant Workeres

The Covid-19 crisis has wreaked havoc on the livelihoods of many people and the ones that are most affected by it are the migrant labourers who have no fixed wages and who have had to travel back home, many a times on foot due to absence of work for them. As places of employment have gradually begun to reopen, these migrant labourers have started returning back to their cities of work. However, many have been facing legal issues at work, like the employer refusing employment or a decrease in salaries, etc.

The Centre for Labour Laws (CLL), National Law Institute University, Bhopal decided to launch CLL Legal Aid Wing (CLL LAW) which will provide free legal aid to these migrant labourers with assistance from the District and State Legal Services Authority (DLSA and SLSA). Prasun Tiwari & Harshdeep Singh, co-ordinators for LAW initiative mention that such legal assistance will include not only those issues that need to be resolved by statutory mechanisms but also those issues which would require alternate means of dispute resolution like mediation.

As informed by Pallavi Modi, secretary, CLL, previously the Centre has helped hundreds of labours facilitating their travel from one city to another, with the aid of State Government authorities and NGOs and by providing all the information at one stop centre website www.mazdoormitra.info. This was a one of its kind initiatives, with other law colleges in India following CLL's lead. With the help of Mr. Ankur Rajput (Faculty, NLIU), the Centre is now extending the website to address the legal grievances faced by the labourers by preparing answers to general problems being faced by the labourers, and by posting videos to spread awareness about their rights as well.

Amar Tandon, convenor of the Centre, told that under the guidance of Prof. (Dr.) V. Vijayakumar, Vice-Chancellor, NLIU & Mr. Mahendra Soni, Chairperson of the Centre, in addition to free legal aid, CLL LAW will also run a legal awareness programme which will inform these migrant labourers about the various schemes being floated by the Central and state governments for their benefit which will help them in getting employment post lockdown.

For the legal assistance, the following numbers can be contacted: 9872450314, 9340771795, 9479950249, 9473732626, 6265745319.

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