Workers belonging to various trade unions staged protest demonstrations in Thanjavur and Tiruvarur districts on Thursday as part of the nationwide agitation to highlight their charter of demands.
In Thanjavur, workers belonging to the Indian National Trade Union Congress, All India Trade Union Congress, Hind Mazdoor Sabha, Centre for Indian Trade Unions, and Labour Progressive Front staged a demonstration on the Abraham Pandither Road here protesting against the Centre’s alleged move to take away the “remaining rights” of the labour force in the garb of reforms, control the rising prices of essentials, prevent futures trading, and commodity gambling, stop direct foreign investment in the public sector, strengthen the public sector and generate jobs, ensure minimum wage of Rs. 15,000 a month for individuals working in any sector, grant pension of Rs. 3,000 a month for all those aged above 60, rescind new pension scheme, end contract worker agreements, and grant regular workers’ salary to even contract workers.
R. Tillaivanam of the AITUC inaugurated the demonstration that was led by K. Xavier of the LPF. Durai Vijayakumar of the INTUC, C. Jayapal of the CITU, K. Rajan of the AICCTU, and N. Ramalingam of the HMS spoke.
In Tiruvarur where the demonstration was organised in front of the Head Post Office, district vice-president of the AITUC V. Vedhaiyan led the protest in the presence of CITU district president T. Murugaiyyan, LPF district president Bala Murugesan, INTUC district secretary S. Pandian, BMS secretary R. Anand, HMS secretary R. Pethaiyyan, CITU district secretary G. Palanivel, and LPF district secretary K.S. Mahadevan.
