Rallies and administration of pledge to fight for rights in unison by the workers marked May Day celebrations here on Tuesday.
The CITU, AITUC, INTUC, BMS, HMS, TNTUC and YSR Congress Union hoisted flags at their respective union offices at various industrial establishments in the morning, braving heavy rain. Waving placards and banners, AITUC activists took out a rally from Alluri Sitarama Raju statue at Sithammadhara to GVMC Gandhi statue where CPI State secretary K. Ramaramakrishna addressed a huge gathering.
Mr. Ramakrishna asked the working class to stay united and fight for their rights. He accused the BJP-led NDA Government of trying to dilute the labour laws and dismantle public sector units. YSR Congress Party general secretary and MP V. Vijaya Sai Reddy participated in the meeting at Sithammadhara.
AITUC national vice-presidents V.V. Rama Rao and D. Adinarayana addressed a meeting at GVMC statue.
They pointed out how the unprovoked police firing during a peaceful demonstration by thousands of immigrant workers at Haymarket Square, Chicago in 1888 seeking minimum wages and eight-hour working shift led to observing of May 1 as International Day of Workers.
CITU organised an impressive rally in Gajuwaka. CITU State president C. Narsinga Rao, along with Steel Plant Employees’ Union leaders J. Ayodhyaram, N. Rama Rao and others addressed a large number of employees of Visakhapatnam Steel Plant and various industries in Gajuwaka and cautioned them against ‘anti-labour’ policies of the BJP and the TDP.
Privatisation of PSUs
Mr. Narsinga Rao said the BJP was trying to sell away public sector units such as Dredging Corporation of India and Rashtriya Ispat Nigam Limited at a throwaway price to the corporates. At another meeting at Old Jail Road Junction, CITU city general secretary M. Jaggu Naidu said the managements were resorting to ‘hire and fire’ approach. Aganwadi and ASHA workers were being denied decent wages.
Social security was not provided to contract workers, he said.
