The 54th foundation day celebrations of the Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU) were held at the union office here on Thursday, May 30.
CITU district vice president K.M. Kumar Mangalam hoisted the union flag. Later, the members exchanged greetings, cut a cake, and distributed it among themselves.
Addressing the gathering, CITU district general secretary R.K.S.V. Kumar said that CITU was formed on May 30, 1970, in Kolkata to address workers’ issues. It brought different trade unions under a single umbrella and has been waging struggles against successive governments’ anti-worker policies.
Expressing apprehensions that the BJP, if voted to power again, would revoke the existing labour laws, he said that the CITU was keen on the withdrawal of the labour codes, identification of ‘scheme workers’ as government employees, fixation of minimum wage at ₹26,000 and its implementation and mobilising the workforce against the anti-worker, anti-people policies of the government. He said that the CITU has succeeded in uniting different trade unions at the national, State and district levels and called upon the workers to be prepared to bring proletarian rule to the country.
Visakhapatnam district working women committee convener P. Mani said workers created a nation’s wealth. She alleged that some corporate companies were making high profits without doing any work. While workers were toiling hard, the corporate companies were reaping rich benefits without doing anything. She called for educating workers in this regard. The CITU, the last major trade union to be formed, has been striving to achieve this.
CITU district secretary B. Jagan, M. Subba Rao, GVMC Union president and secretary Nookaraju and U. Raju respectively, Mutha union leaders Y. Raju, Pydiraju and Bangarayya, Building Union leader Narasinga Rao, and CITU leaders Chandramouli, Sureedu and Poleswara Rao were among those who participated.
Medical camp
A blood donation camp was organised on Thursday under the joint aegis of the Defence Employees Coordination Committee and Alluri Sitharama Raju Vignana Kendram to mark the centenary of the death of revolutionary freedom fighter Alluri Sitharama Raju and the 54th Foundation Day of CITU.
N.V.N. Durga Prasad Rao, who participated as chief guest, spoke on the importance of blood donation and on the benefits of donation to the donor. The required quantities of blood were available only in West Bengal and Kerala and patients in other States were facing difficulties due to the shortage of blood.
Y. Anjani Rajesh, Nageswar Bhanu, Khasim, Swamy, Jagadish and Nagarjuna were among those who participated in the progrmme.
