As part of a nation-wide agitation, trade unions affiliated to the Congress, Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam and Left parties joined together to stage a demonstration near the Head Post Office here on Scott Road on Friday, condemning the Union government for its “anti-labour policies”.
The speakers said that under the pretext of simplifying labour laws, Industrial Disputes Act, Factories Act among others, the Bharatiya Janata Party government had amended them for the benefit of business houses. Voluntary assessment and self-certification by employers would obviate the need for Inspectors of Factories to visit industries. Such a situation would pave way for harsh treatment for the workers. The government was keen to please industrial enterprises detrimental to the workers. The anti-labour policies should be opposed tooth and nail, they added.
R. Karumalayan of the CITU, K.S.G. Kumar of the INTUC, P. Kesavan of the HMS, M. Nanda Singh of the AITUC, Alphonse Raj of the LPF and S. Sampath from the TNSTC Staff Federation addressed the agitators.
