Government only supports businesses, unions say (Representation)
New Delhi:
On Friday, ten central unions, including the National Congress of Indian Trade Unions (INTUC) and the Center of Indian Trade Unions (CITU), called for a national demonstration on July 3 against the government’s alleged anti-workers and anti-popular policies.
“We call on the working class and the unions of all affiliations to make the program of the national protest day on July 3, 2020 a massive success across the country …”, said a joint statement from the ten central unions.
After the celebration of the National Protest Day, a concrete form of non-cooperation and defiance, including a national general strike, will be decided by the joint platform of the central unions and independent federations and associations in due course, a he added.
In addition to INTUC and CITU, the other eight are All India Trade Union Congress (AITUC), Hind Mazdoor Sabha (HMS), All India United Trade Union Center (AIUTUC), Trade Union Co-ordination Center (TUCC), All India Central Council of unions (AICCTU), Association of Independent Women (SEWA), Progressive Federation of Labor (LPF) and United Trade Union Congress (UTUC).
Unions also called on government to immediately hold long-awaited Indian Labor Conference to focus on 12-point demands charter, union and union rights, job loss issues, wages, security employment and migrant worker issues.
The country has 12 central unions.
“We cannot accept to drop plans to impose slavery on workers by completely annulling all labor laws; nor can we remain a spectator of the government’s plan to wholesale privatize our public sector enterprises (PSU) through multi-lane roads, “they said.
The unemployed represent more than 14 crores and if daily bets, contract workers and casual workers are added, the number rises to more than 24 crores who are currently without means of livelihood, they noted.
“The government’s so-called Rs 20 lakh crore bundle of crores is nothing but a hoax and a cruel joke on people who are suffering,” they said.
The unions also alleged that the central government had treated the COVID-19 problem in the most insensitive manner as a public policy problem rather than treating it as a medical emergency for humans and society.
“It has caused immense misery for millions of workers, farmers and other vulnerable segments of society. While the government only supported businesses and big business,” they said.
(With the exception of the title, this story was not edited by GalacticGaming staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
