A trade union seminar that was organised in connection with the State conference of the Kerala Union of Working Journalists (KUWJ), called upon media persons to join hands with other workers to make the national trade union strike to be held on January 8 a huge success.
“The wage code and the other labour laws, introduced by the Union government, negate all rights of the workers. The anti-labourer rules were passed even without discussion by lifting all the special powers of States,” said trade union leaders who participated in the seminar.
“Labour laws should protect the rights of workers. But the new laws weaken even the basic rights of the workers,” said Elamaram Karim, CITU state general secretary, while inaugurating the seminar here on Sunday.
Media managements had been taking anti-labour stance. The workers had been divided into causal, contract, and daily-wage workers. This would lead to economic discriminations and inequality, he said.
Saji Narayanan , BMS national president; R. Chandrasekharan, INTUC State president; K.P. Rajendran, AITUC State general secretary; Ahmmed Kutty Unnikkulam, STU State president; and lawyer Thampan Thomas spoke at the meet.
KUWJ State general secretary C. Narayanan was the moderator. KUWJ district president K. Prabhat and secretary M.V. Vineetha spoke.
Journalists Venkitesh Ramakrishnan, N.P. Rajendran, V.B. Parameswaran, and media critic Sebastian Paul will speak at a seminar on ‘Media that deviate from their ways’, to be held at Jawahar Balabhavan on Monday.
