Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU) national general secretary and MP Tapan Sen said that the ‘anti-workers’ policies of the Congress-led Central Government had caused deterioration in the condition of workers in the nation.
He said this while speaking at a rally organised by the CITU State committee against the ‘anti-labourers’ policies of the Central and State Governments, rising prices and other issues in Dehradun on Sunday.Addressing the gathering, Sen said that in view of the lok Sabha elections, both the Congress and the BJP were making big claims to misguide the public. “One should be alerted of those like the CM of Gujarat where the development model is not as good as is being claimed,” he said.
Addressing the rally, the CITU State head Satya Prakash lambasted the Central and State governments and said that the Governments at the Centre and State were consistently ignoring the interests of the worker class and drafting policies detrimental to workers. “The CITU will not tolerate this and we will always be ready to struggle to the extent needed to ensure the welfare of the workers,” he said.
The CITU State general secretary Birendra Bhandari said that scheme workers like Aanganwadi workers, Bhojan Matas, ASHA workers and village watchmen among others were being ignored consistently by the Government while workers in private establishments continue to get exploited by the business owners. Such factors have led to deterioration in the condition of workers in the nation, he stressed.
The CITU is demanding a stop on privatisation and disinvestment from State and Central public enterprises, defence institutions, banks and BHEl, stop on MDI in retail trade, registration of trade unions within 45 days and ending the practice of informing managers during registration at the Uttarakhand Registrar of Trade Unions. The CITU leaders stated that registration in the Registrar’s office should be completed in 15 days as in other States apart from which the daily wagers and contract workers should be given the same wages, holidays and other facilities provided for in the labour laws. Contract workers should be appointed directly to the department concerned to do away with the need for paying service tax which will benefit both the workers and the department.
