AITUC bats for highway protection force
Source: Chronicle News Service
Imphal, April 28 2024:
All India Trade Union Congress (AITUC), Manipur State Committee secretary L Sotinkumar has said that the union will continue to fight for rights of the workers and launch agitations with the approach of May Day to be observed throughout the globe on May 1.Addressing media persons at Irawat Bhavan on Sunday, Sotinkumar said that in continuation with May Day observed for the first time in Manipur in 1939 under the aegis of revolutionary leader Hijam Irawat, the Union and various organisations would commemorate the same this year as well on May 1 .
He said that AITUC could not pay much attention to ensuring rights of the peasant class due to the ethnic clash which broke out on May 3, 2023 due to prioritising wellbeing of people displaced by the violence, protecting integrity of Manipur and finding solution to the humanitarian Crisis to bring back peace and normalcy.
However, hardships endured by workers in Manipur cannot be overlooked amidst the current situation, he added.
Expressing concern over the conflict lingering for over 11 months, Sotinkumar also denounced the government's failure to ensure safety of drivers operating along the national highways particularly the Imphal-Dimapur and Imphal-Jiribam sectors.
Many drivers have lost their lives along these highways with the government unable to set up highway protection force till date even though drivers have long been raising this demand, Sotinkumar noted, adding that the union will launch intense forms of agitation for materialisation of the people's demand to establish and deploy highway protection force.