Workers education board plans digital literacy campaign

The Dattopant Thengadi National Board for Workers Education and Development has taken the responsibility of making workers digitally literate and create awareness about the new labour code.

New Delhi: The National Board for Workers Education and Development, established after Independence with the aim of creating awareness among workers, is celebrating its 63rd Foundation Day Wednesday. In 2016, the name of Dattopant Thengadi, trade union leader and founder of the Swadeshi Jagaran Manch, was added to this board, after which it is came to be known as Dattopant Thengadi National Board for Workers Education and Development (DTNBWED).

Addressing a press conference, Director General Harsh Vaidya said that the board works among the workers of organised and unorganised sectors and in rural areas. The board has been doing the work of training and sensitising people. Today there are branches of the board in every part of the country and people associated with it work among the workers on almost all issues.

With the changing times, the Board has also decided to transform itself and has taken the responsibility of making workers digitally literate in the digital age. Harsh Vaidya further said that he has also given training to his education officers about the new labour code. Whenever new labour laws are implemented, their education officers will go to all the areas and give complete information to the people. In the changing environment, the board is also going to organize mobile app, help desk and e-education camps.

Director General Vaidya said that he will soon sign a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Indira Gandhi National Open University under which courses can be run through correspondence for the workers. With this, the Labor Education Board will be able to reach more people. Board financial literacy, digital literacy and labour code are the new subjects in which the board is going to move ahead.

Giving information about the special program to be organized on the 63rd Foundation Day, DTNBWED Chairman Virjesh Upadhyay said that he is going to restart the whole system with new energy.

“After the COVID-19 epidemic, the way of thinking of people all over the world has changed,” Upadhyay said. “In such a situation, the board is also changing its working methods accordingly and we want to tell everyone that we are fully prepared even in the current circumstances.”

He said that, according to Industry 4.0, with the changing technology, it is not possible to employ anyone with for any one particular skill forever. In view of this problem, the board has taken the initiative of starting a system of education along with work so that a worker can remain employable in his work life. With this, workers will be able to improve their skills in tune with the changing technology.

Upadhyay further said that after Independence, hundreds of schemes were made but it was seen that even their budgetary allocations were not spent.

“It's not that people don't need these schemes but they don't know what the schemes are and how they can take advantage of these,” he said. “Therefore, the board decided that it would also work to connect the needy with the schemes of the government.”

Talking about the new labour code, Upadhyay said that it is for the first time after Independence that such a code has come which covers the workers of the unorganised sector and rural areas as well. The board will also make arrangements for the facilities and rights under this code to reach all workers.

Union Labour and Employment Minister Bhupendra Yadav and senior officials of the Ministry of Labour will also be present in the program being organised in Delhi on the 63rd Foundation Day of the DTNBWED.