Hundreds of workers and activists participated in the May Day rally held here on Sunday and resolved to protect their collective interests. The rally commenced from the Town Hall and passed through the main thoroughfares of the city and was led by trade unions, including the AITUC, the CITU, and the AIUTUC.
The Union government came under flak for pursuing, what the activists termed, ‘anti-labour’ policies and the activists also expressed concern over the emphasis on Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in various sectors of the economy. In the wake of growing business-friendly policies being pursued by the government it was imperative for workers and trade unions to maintain a vigil to protect their interests, they said. The dilution in labour laws to protect the interest of the industrialists continued unabated and the government is functioning as an agent of the capitalists instead of the workers and the farmers, according to CITU and AITUC.
Jayaram and Balaji of CITU, Raju and Ramakrishna of AITUC, Yashodhara of AIUTUC, Seshadri of CPI and others were present.
Mr. Jayaram said it was resolved to wage a protracted struggle to secure minimum wages of Rs.18,000, abolition of the practice of contract labour, enhancement of gratuity, increasing the pension to a minimum of Rs. 6,500 per month, abolition of the New Pension System (NPS) etc.
Leaders addressing the rally also called upon workers to prepare for a nationwide strike to be held on September 2 against various policies.
