A convention of the joint platform of 10 Central Trade Unions (CTUs) and independent sectoral federations and associations, that will be held here on Monday, may decide to go for “strike action” and other “long-term” protests in various sectors against the policies of the Centre.
The meeting will pass a resolution on the current economic and social status of workers and the unemployed, which will condemn price rise, inequality and problems of gig and platform workers. The issue of retrenchments of workers in major IT companies will also come up for discussion.
AITUC general secretary Amarjeet Kaur said in a statement that the convention will focus on workers’ issues such as the “anti worker” labour codes, privatisation, outsourcing and contractualisation of workforce. She said it will demand proper wages, safety at work, social security and pension to all the workers of formal and informal economy.
“The convention will reiterate the workers’ commitment to secular democratic India, right to freedom of expression, respect to pluralism of religions, languages and cultures,” Ms. Kaur said. It will also chalk out the joint programmes of action for this year. Issues like price rise and declining real wages will also be taken up by the workers for discussion during the convention.
Representatives of workers from organised and unorganised sectors, public and private sectors, services, infrastructure, construction, power sector, scheme jobs, beedi industry, loading and unloading, exploration, extraction and transportation of oil and gas, coal and other mines, fisheries sector and gig, IT and ITes employees will participate in the convention.
Trade union leaders said during the Narendra Modi government, onslaught on the lives and livelihood of the people and their basic rights resulting distress and destitution has increased.
The convention will discuss job and wage loss and the impact of demonetisation on livelihood. It may also demand a white paper on the economic situation of the country citing reports of economic slowdown. Trade union leaders said the recession is leading to further job losses and worsening unemployment, particularly among the youth.
The convention will also demand an immediate frame of social security scheme on health and medical, life and disability. It will ask the Centre and State governments to frame policies for child care, maternity and education for the children of all those 28 crore registered unorganised workers on e-shram portal. The convention is likely to reiterate the demand for scrapping the New Pension Scheme (NPS) and demand the restoration of old pension scheme (OPS).
