Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Nov 9: On the call given by All India Insurance Employees’ Association, Nort-hern Zone Insurance Employees’ Association Srinagar Division represented by LIC employees of the State, held massive demonstrations today in front of LIC offices to oppose the anti- people and anti -workers’ policies of the NDA Govt.
The demonstrations were led by Pawan Gupta, Divisional secretary NZIEA Srinagar Division and AM Tantray Divisional president of NZIEA Srinagar Division. Pawan Gupta said the joint national convention of Central Trade Unions and Industrial Federations, held on August 8, 2017 in Delhi gave a historic call for a massive “Mahapadav” (sit-in dharna) near Parliament from November 9-11, 2017.
The BJP Government’s aggressive implementation of neo-liberal economic policies has created huge income inequalities in the society. It is on record that the richest 1% own nearly 58% of nation’s wealth while nearly 87% of the wage earners earn less than 20, 000 per month. Around 85% of the workers are in the unorganized sector that generates nearly 60% of the GDP. These workers are deprived of welfare schemes. The rising unemployment is a cause of worry for the educated youth. There is a decline of nearly 89% in direct Government jobs.
He alleged that Modi Government promised 2 crore jobs per annum while in the reality there is decline in jobs. Around 25% of the people are still below poverty line with earnings of less than $2 per day. Every single promise of the BJP Government fell flat. The ill-conceived initiatives of demonetization and hurried implementation of GST have wreaked havoc in the lives of the workers, small and medium entrepreneurs and traders. The GST has led to increase in the taxes and rise in the prices of most of the commodities.
The Central Trade Unions gave a 12-point of Charter of demands which included containing price rise through universalization of public distribution system and banning speculative trade in commodities, containing unemployment through concrete measures for employment generation, strict enforcement of labour laws and stringent punishments for violation of Labour Laws, universal social security cover for all workers, minimum wage of Rs 18, 000 per month with provisions of indexation, stoppage of disinvestment and strategic sale in Central/State public sector undertakings, removal of ceiling on PF; bonus; gratuity etc.
In Jammu region, apart from Divisional Committee members- Romesh Chand, Raj Kumar Sharma, Dinesh Sharma Rajesh Kumar and women leaders Neelam Sharma, Sushma Jamwal and Rekha Rani.
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