The Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU) is all for an ‘investment-friendly’ climate in Kerala while protecting the interests of the working class, its State general secretary Elamaram Kareem has said.
He was addressing the media ahead of the three-day State conference of the organisation scheduled to be held here from December 17.
Mr. Kareem said that the Left Democratic Front government was trying to attract private investment to the State. Efforts were on to modernise traditional industries. Public sector undertakings under the government were also doing well and making profits, he said.
Mr. Kareem, also a Rajya Sabha MP, claimed that the CITU would never endorse anarchy in the trade union movement. There had been complaints about some labourers demanding ‘nokkukooli’, a practice of paying money to let workers unaffiliated to trade unions load and unload their belongings. “We have created awareness about it among our members. The union has been able to minimise the practice now. Even during a meeting of the industrial relation committee, all the trade unions unanimously opposed it,” he said.
Mr. Kareem said that Tapan Sen, national general secretary, CITU, would open the State conference at the Tagore Centenary Hall on Friday morning. Indian National Trade Union Congress State president R. Chandrasekharan and All-India Trade Union Congress leader K.G. Pankajakshan would be present at the inaugural event. Over 600 members belonging to various affiliated unions would attend the three-day event. New State-level functionaries would be chosen on December 19. Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan would address a public meeting at the Kozhikode beach in the evening on the same day.
