Trade unions gear up for mass agitation
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, January 28 2015:
Central trade unions of the country held a joint meeting on December 26 last year followed by another similar meeting on January 10 this year.
The two meetings discussed about the All India Protest Day and resolved to launch mass agitation across the country, conveyed a press release issued by All India Trade Union Congress, Manipur general secretary Sotinkumar.
After the attempt to amend labour laws in favour of corporate houses, the Narendra Modi Government has initiated due process of privatizing coal sector by auctioning coal blocks.
The BJP Government has also passed an ordinance which allows 49 per cent FDI in insurance sector.
This is in addition to another ordinance which allows corporate houses to acquire land including agricultural land for commercial purposes without consent of the people whose livelihood depend on the land set for acquisition, said the statement.
The Government's policy to open railways, defence and many other key sectors to FDI is becoming clearer and clearer by the day.
Meanwhile, the Government has stopped investing in public sector undertakings.
Annual budget allocation for health and other social sectors has been cut down, added Sotinkumar.
Even though Central trade unions of the country have collectively submitted a 10-point charter of demands, the Government is yet to consider these demands.
The Government has been actively promoting engagement/recruitment of employees on contract basis, alleged the statement.
This system authorizes the Government to sack any employee at any time it wishes.
The Government has been sleeping over several key resolutions/recommendations adopted at the 15th Indian Labour Conference.
Minimum wages have not been fixed and the Government has been paying little heed to avoid the system of keeping a minimum ceiling at the time of withdrawing bonus, gratuity and provident fund by labourers.
The two days strike undertaken by coal workers recently was a big moral victory for all labourers of the country.
The decision of Central Government employees including employees of railways and defence to march up to the Parliament in April and declare their course of agitation there is commendable, AITUC Manipur remarked.
The Central trade unions have unanimously agreed to extend full support to sectoral struggles scheduled in the months of January, February and March this year.
They have also agreed to undertake civil disobedience movement on February 26 throughout the country, said the trade union.
It further called upon all labourers' unions and federations to join the civil disobedience movement of February 26 and fight collectively against the NDA Government's anti-people, anti- labourer policies.
Meanwhile, AITUC, Imphal West unit held a meeting at Irabot Bhavan yesterday and decided to join the civil disobedience movement scheduled on February 26 .
The meeting presided by AITUC Manipur vice-president S Yaima and Y Nandakishore nominated A Devnath, S Saratchandra and S Yaima as president, secretary and district-in-charge of AITUC, Imphal West district.