CTUs Call for Nation wide Strike on Feb 20-21
From Chidamabaram N
Around five thousand trade union leaders representing the entire organised and unorganised workers from all over the country assembled at the Talkatora Stadium in the national capital on September 4, 2012 and decided to intensify the working people’s struggle for their rights, to live with dignity and hit back at the anti-people neo-liberal economic policies of the UPA-II government. The trade union leaders through a resolution adopted at the convention appealed to the Indian working class to start preparations from today itself for the three-pronged agitation programme of massive two-day law violation on December 18-19, 2012, March to Parliament on December 29 and Nationwide two-day general strike on February 20-21, 2013.
The trade union leaders expressed their deep concern and anguish at the total non-response of the government to address the burning issues of the working people — containing price-rise, universalisation of social security rights for unorganized sector workers, ensuring proper minimum wages, mass scale contractorisation, rampant violation of labour laws and onslaught on trade union rights, etc despite consistent persuasion by all in united platform of the entire trade union movement in the country through various forms of countrywide programmes and agitations in a democratic manner since last three years. The leaders observed, ‘…Such non-response of the government to the all-in-united activities and persuasion by trade unions is nothing but an affront on the
democratic rights and aspirations of the working people of the country, which the trade union movement cannot accept lying down.’
‘United we win, divided neo-liberalism wins’ is the emphatic message that AITUC general secretary and veteran parliamentarian Gurudas Das Gupta gave to the Indian working class through his address at the historic workers convention. Stating that this is not a political fight but a fight for the very survival of the Indian working class itself, he said, ‘The neo-liberal policy has brought the country to a halt. The GDP growth is as low as 5.3 per cent. Industry, agriculture and even service sector have dipped to rock bottom. Investment has declined by Rs 1 lakh crore in one year. Saving has declined and the tight monetary policy has not brought any relief to the problem of galloping inflation.’
The national convention was jointly organized by 11 central trade unions (CTUs) — AITUC, CITU, INTUC, BMS, AIUTUC, TUCC, AICCTU, HMS, UTUC, LPF, SEWA and independent Federations of Workers and Employees. Today’s convention (on September 4, 2012) was a step forward to the joint struggles of the Indian working class which held a massive demonstration before Parliament on February 23, 2011 and a general strike on February 28, 2012.
Assuring the veteran TU leaders from all over the country, Gurudas said that AITUC would play a pioneering role and strive hard to rally the nation so that the nation gets shaken on the working class fury and stoppage of work. He urged the government to modify its policy and make heavy additional investment, lakhs of crores of of rupees to revive the economy, stimulate the market, build massive social infrastructure, create jobs, provide stable economic empowerment to the people, provide minimum of Rs 10,000 wage to the workers per month, put in place comprehensive social security, ensure PF, bonus and gratuity to all, ensure reasonable pay rise in the organised sector, protect trade unionism and restore collective bargaining.
The convention was addressed by the leaders of all the central trade unions in the country who condemned the government for its inaction and total indifference towards the miserable plights of the working people who keep the wheel of the economy moving. The resolution adopted and later released to the media with the signatures of national leaders of all CTUs strongly opposed the move of the government to curtail the budgeted allocations for pro-people employment and welfare schemes like NREGA and ICDS meant for rural populace and women and child-care respectively. It said, ‘The government is hell bent upon carrying the financial reforms by amending the bank and
insurance laws to allow entry of MNCs and corporates in these vital sectors and also pushing through the privatisation process in phases through disinvestment of shares in blue chip PSUs in the core and strategic sectors of the economy. The government is gifting natural and mineral resources of the country to corporates and MNCs paving the way for their loot.’
While reiterating the five point demands formulated jointly by the CTUs and Fed-
erations for concrete measures to contain price rise, concrete measures for employment generation, strict enforcement of labour laws, universal social security cover for organised and unorganized workers and creation of National Social Security Fund and stoppage of disinvestment in central and state PSUs/Undertakings, the national convention demanded immediate action by the Central government to ensure No contractorisation of work of permanent/perennial nature and payment of wages
and benefits to the contract workers at the same rate as available to the regular workers
of the industry/establishment, amendment of Minimum Wages Act to ensure universal coverage irrespective of the schedules and fixation of statutory minimum wage at not less than Rs 10,000 linked with cost price index, removal all ceilings on payment and eligibility of bonus, PF, hiking the quantum of gratuity, assured pension for all, compulsory registration of trade unions within a period of 45 days and immediate rati-
fication of the ILO Conventions Nos 87 and 98.
Referring to the recent unfortunate incident in Maruti Suzuki Plant in Manesar and its
aftermath including arrest of 150 workers and dismissal of over 500 workers the convention said it is a glaring instance of corporate-government nexus. It said, ‘It appears the govt. is bent upon continuing the same anti-people economic policy even seeking to enact legislations that run contrary to the interest of working people and their social security rights besides generating a severe recessionary impact on the national economy. The growth of economy is as low as 5.2 and index of industrial production declining to less than one per cent with unemployment situation aggravating severely.’
CITU general secretary and Rajya Sabha member Tapan Sen, INTUC president G. Sanjeeva Reddy, BMS general secretary B N Rai and the Self-Employed Women’s Association union leader Manali Shah and H S Sidhu were among the other TU national leaders who addressed the convention.
From Chidamabaram N
Around five thousand trade union leaders representing the entire organised and unorganised workers from all over the country assembled at the Talkatora Stadium in the national capital on September 4, 2012 and decided to intensify the working people’s struggle for their rights, to live with dignity and hit back at the anti-people neo-liberal economic policies of the UPA-II government. The trade union leaders through a resolution adopted at the convention appealed to the Indian working class to start preparations from today itself for the three-pronged agitation programme of massive two-day law violation on December 18-19, 2012, March to Parliament on December 29 and Nationwide two-day general strike on February 20-21, 2013.
The trade union leaders expressed their deep concern and anguish at the total non-response of the government to address the burning issues of the working people — containing price-rise, universalisation of social security rights for unorganized sector workers, ensuring proper minimum wages, mass scale contractorisation, rampant violation of labour laws and onslaught on trade union rights, etc despite consistent persuasion by all in united platform of the entire trade union movement in the country through various forms of countrywide programmes and agitations in a democratic manner since last three years. The leaders observed, ‘…Such non-response of the government to the all-in-united activities and persuasion by trade unions is nothing but an affront on the
democratic rights and aspirations of the working people of the country, which the trade union movement cannot accept lying down.’
‘United we win, divided neo-liberalism wins’ is the emphatic message that AITUC general secretary and veteran parliamentarian Gurudas Das Gupta gave to the Indian working class through his address at the historic workers convention. Stating that this is not a political fight but a fight for the very survival of the Indian working class itself, he said, ‘The neo-liberal policy has brought the country to a halt. The GDP growth is as low as 5.3 per cent. Industry, agriculture and even service sector have dipped to rock bottom. Investment has declined by Rs 1 lakh crore in one year. Saving has declined and the tight monetary policy has not brought any relief to the problem of galloping inflation.’
The national convention was jointly organized by 11 central trade unions (CTUs) — AITUC, CITU, INTUC, BMS, AIUTUC, TUCC, AICCTU, HMS, UTUC, LPF, SEWA and independent Federations of Workers and Employees. Today’s convention (on September 4, 2012) was a step forward to the joint struggles of the Indian working class which held a massive demonstration before Parliament on February 23, 2011 and a general strike on February 28, 2012.
Assuring the veteran TU leaders from all over the country, Gurudas said that AITUC would play a pioneering role and strive hard to rally the nation so that the nation gets shaken on the working class fury and stoppage of work. He urged the government to modify its policy and make heavy additional investment, lakhs of crores of of rupees to revive the economy, stimulate the market, build massive social infrastructure, create jobs, provide stable economic empowerment to the people, provide minimum of Rs 10,000 wage to the workers per month, put in place comprehensive social security, ensure PF, bonus and gratuity to all, ensure reasonable pay rise in the organised sector, protect trade unionism and restore collective bargaining.
The convention was addressed by the leaders of all the central trade unions in the country who condemned the government for its inaction and total indifference towards the miserable plights of the working people who keep the wheel of the economy moving. The resolution adopted and later released to the media with the signatures of national leaders of all CTUs strongly opposed the move of the government to curtail the budgeted allocations for pro-people employment and welfare schemes like NREGA and ICDS meant for rural populace and women and child-care respectively. It said, ‘The government is hell bent upon carrying the financial reforms by amending the bank and
insurance laws to allow entry of MNCs and corporates in these vital sectors and also pushing through the privatisation process in phases through disinvestment of shares in blue chip PSUs in the core and strategic sectors of the economy. The government is gifting natural and mineral resources of the country to corporates and MNCs paving the way for their loot.’
While reiterating the five point demands formulated jointly by the CTUs and Fed-
erations for concrete measures to contain price rise, concrete measures for employment generation, strict enforcement of labour laws, universal social security cover for organised and unorganized workers and creation of National Social Security Fund and stoppage of disinvestment in central and state PSUs/Undertakings, the national convention demanded immediate action by the Central government to ensure No contractorisation of work of permanent/perennial nature and payment of wages
and benefits to the contract workers at the same rate as available to the regular workers
of the industry/establishment, amendment of Minimum Wages Act to ensure universal coverage irrespective of the schedules and fixation of statutory minimum wage at not less than Rs 10,000 linked with cost price index, removal all ceilings on payment and eligibility of bonus, PF, hiking the quantum of gratuity, assured pension for all, compulsory registration of trade unions within a period of 45 days and immediate rati-
fication of the ILO Conventions Nos 87 and 98.
Referring to the recent unfortunate incident in Maruti Suzuki Plant in Manesar and its
aftermath including arrest of 150 workers and dismissal of over 500 workers the convention said it is a glaring instance of corporate-government nexus. It said, ‘It appears the govt. is bent upon continuing the same anti-people economic policy even seeking to enact legislations that run contrary to the interest of working people and their social security rights besides generating a severe recessionary impact on the national economy. The growth of economy is as low as 5.2 and index of industrial production declining to less than one per cent with unemployment situation aggravating severely.’
CITU general secretary and Rajya Sabha member Tapan Sen, INTUC president G. Sanjeeva Reddy, BMS general secretary B N Rai and the Self-Employed Women’s Association union leader Manali Shah and H S Sidhu were among the other TU national leaders who addressed the convention.
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