Indian National Trade Union Congress (INTUC), as leader of the national-level coordination committee of trade unions comprising all trade unions across the political spectrum, plans to organise an all-trade union protracted action against the “anti-worker” policies of the Narendra Modi-led NDA government.
The decision was taken at the two-day, 295th national working committee meeting of the INTUC here.
INTUC national president G. Sanjeeva Reddy told a press conference here that the policies of the Modi government were anti-worker, and protracted protest action would be initiated to register the opinion of the workers on various issues. Mr. Reddy is the president of the national coordination committee of the trade unions.
Protest by February
The week-long protest action, involving workers of all sectors including the ports, railways and airlines, was being planned by February end or early March.
Various trade unions had protested against the NDA government policies during last year.
These protests were organised by trade unions including the Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh (BMS), and the latter had also expressed its willingness to join the coordination committee of the trade unions.
Unorganised sector
Mr. Reddy also said the INTUC would take steps to to organise workers in the unorganised sector.
There are around 40 crore workers, including those in the agricultural sector and in the unorganised sector.
The INTUC would take steps to organise them. He highlighted that there were 1.60 crore members in the INTUC in Andhra Pradesh.
Mr. Reddy said the Modi government policies had adversely affected the Indian economy including the small- and medium-scale industries, which provided large employment opportunities.
GST impact
Steps like introduction of Goods and Services Tax as well as demonetisation of high-value currency notes had affected the Indian economy badly.
Besides Mr. Reddy, R. Chandrashekharan, national vice-president and State president of the INTUC, and M. Raghavaiah, national vice-president of the INTUC, were among those who participated in the working committee meeting.
