Centre, state govt slammed for pursuing anti-labour policies

Tirupati: Trade unions including Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU) is gearing up for a maha dharna against the Centre and State government anti-labour policies in New Delhi on September 5. Disclosing this at a media conference here on Monday, CITU president P Hemalatha said that as the Centre has failed to fulfil the charter of 12 demands of the unions, forcing them to take to the streets.

The demands include hiking the minimum wage to Rs 18,000 per month, abolition of contract system of employment, stopping privatisation and FDI, comprehensive law for the welfare of agriculture labourers, remunerative price for agriculture etc.

Instead of looking into the 12 demands of the unions for the betterment of employees and workers, the Centre turned more anti-labour, she said, citing the government unwillingness to recognise the ‘Scheme Workers’ like Anganwadi, ASHA Mid-Day meals and others as government employees and trying to privatise the implementation of the schemes affecting the one crore scheme workers. 

The Centre also slashed its share to these schemes to 75 per cent against earlier 90 per cent affecting the beneficiaries including the rural poor, women and children. As the Centre failed to move despite repeated representations and protests by the national unions, the have resolved to intensify the stir, she averred.

As a build up to the maha dharna, series of programmes proposed, she said, informing that the farmers associations of Left parties will organise ‘Jail Bharo’ agitation in all district headquarters on August 9, coinciding with Quit India movement, followed by ‘Samuhik Jagaran’ (Mass Awakening) nationwide on the intervening night of August 14-15 during which the activists rededicate themselves for the intense struggle against the anti-labour policies.

CITU district general secretary K Murali said that the exploitation of the 14,500 contract workers working in the TTD is increased to unbearable level with the authorities unable to rein in the contractors. One of the contractors, Bhaskar Naidu claiming a relative of Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu harassing workers by extracting work for more hours and denying minimum facilities to the workers. 

Later, speaking at a workshop for the leaders of CITU affiliated unions in the district, Hemalatha and CITU state vice-president P Ajaya Kumar have criticised the TTD management for turning a blind eye on the exploitation of its contract workers.

The workshop adopted a resolution to take up an agitation in a phased manner to press TTD management take action on contractor Bhaskar Naidu. The meet also decided to complain against Bhaskar Naidu companies spread in various states to the Central Labour Commissioner for taking action.