Rallies, public meetings marked the May Day celebrations in Salem city and other parts of the district on Tuesday.
Both the CPI and CPI (M) took out a rally from Gandhi Road to Bose Maidan and it was led by Panneerselvam, district president of the CITU.
A large number of members of the CITU, AITUC, Tamil Nadu Government Employees Association (TNGEA), Tamil Nadu Government Employees Union (TNGEU), All India Bank Employees Association (AIBEA), BSNL Employees Union (BSNLEU), National Federation of Telecom Employees (NFTE), Bank Employees Federation of India (BEFI), All India Insurance Employees Association (AIIEA) and other unions participated in the rally and marched through the main thoroughfares raising slogans hailing the unity of working class.
The rally culminated into a public meeting and it was presided over by K. A. Venugopal, district president of the AITUC. Arumugam Nainar, CITU state office-bearer, Padmavathi of AITUC, a former MLA, who addressed the meeting underlined the need for protecting the rights of the working class.
They came down heavily against the Centre for its move to privatise many public sector undertakings, without taking steps to improve their performance.
The members of the Unorganised Sector Workers Union affiliated to AITCU celebrated the May Day at Karungalpatti.
The Salem Steel Plant unit of the CITU hoisted the union flag at the celebrations in the city.
The members of the INTUC celebrated the May Day by hoisting union flag at Kichipalayam. Tirugnanam, district president, presided and Jayaprakash, urban district unit of the Congress hoisted the flag.
The Labour Progressive Front (LPF) affiliated to DMK hoisted the union flag on the premises at its Pallapatti branch transport corporation office.
At Namakka, the BSNL employees celebrated the May Day by hoisting union flag. They raised slogans urging the Centre to protect the public sector undertakings.
The members of the various trade unions took out a rally in Tiruchegode town.
