Representatives of central trade unions have called upon the people to make success the nationwide industrial strike and rural bandh organised jointly by the trade unions and the Samyukt Kisan Morcha on February 16 to oppose the ‘anti-labour’ and ‘anti-people’ policies of the Modi government.
The all-party trade union leaders held a meeting at the CITU Office at Jagadamba Junction here on January 31 (Wednesday). The participants said that the BJP-led government at the Centre has failed to fulfil the promises it made ahead of the last elections. They also alleged that the mineral wealth of the nation, agriculture and industries were being handed over to corporate groups like Ambani and Adani and that the laws were being amended to suit the requirements of these corporate groups.
They alleged that those who were questioning the actions of the government were being harassed with police cases and that the democratic rights of individuals and the States were being infringed upon. They alleged that while the Ambanis and Adanis had made it to the list of richest persons in the world during the Modi rule, the poor farmers, agricultural labourers and workers in the unorganised sector were pushed into a debt trap, and about 1.5 lakh persons had committed suicide during the last 10 years. The number of suicides had increased by 26% after the BJP-led government had formed the government for the second consecutive term, they said.
The main demands of the trade unions include the withdrawal of the proposal for privatisation of Visakhapatnam Steel Plant (VSP) and other Public Sector Enterprises, the withdrawal of the four labour codes, which are detrimental to the interests of the workers, fixing the minimum wage for workers in the unorganised sector at ₹26,000, payment of minimum support price for the produce of farmers, withdrawal of the amendment to the Electricity Act, stopping the installation of smart meters, stopping the amendments to the Tribal Rights Act and protection of the rights of tribal people and strengthening food security Act.
CITU general secretary R.K.S.V. Kumar, AITUC president M. Manmadha Rao, INTUC president K. Eswara Rao and K. Mallanna (IFTU), N. Kanaka Rao (CFTUI), K. Deva (APFTU), M. Ramachandra Raju (AICTU), P. Pydiraju (TNTUC), and SKM leader G. Nayanababu were among those who attended.
