*Implement Labour Laws, enhance wages: Tarigami
Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Sept 2: As a part of nationwide call for strike by 10 Central Trade Unions, National Industrial Federations and Employees’ Organizations on 12-point charter of demands on the most burning issues confronting the working class, employees and workers from various Public Sector Undertakings and J&K CITU observed one day strike across the State today.
As a part of nation wide strike programme, J&K CITU organized a large rally of workers from various sectors including Public Sector Undertakings, ASHA workers, Nirman Mazdoor Union, Railway Loading and Unloading Workers Union, Industrial workers and unorganized sector workers. Holding CITU flags, banners and placards, shouting slogans in favour of their long pending genuine demands, the rally marched from Press Club Jammu to Indira Chowk through Jewel Chowk, Gummat and Bus Stand and culminated at Indira Chowk.
While addressing the protesting workers, State president of CITU, M Y Tarigami said that the Central Government has been desperately moving ahead for mega strategic sale of huge national assets of PSUs, anti-working class labour reforms, un-relenting rise of prices of all essential commodities, wide-spread contractualization, dismantling existing social security system like EPF and ESI, cuttings in social security coverage, ignoring pension to scheme workers such as ASHAs, Anganwadi, MDM and unorganized workers, non-implementation of Labour laws as well as weakening of law enforcement machinery and non-implementation of minimum wages of Rs18000 per month.
The neo-liberal economic policies being implemented by the Govt have broken the back of the working class and marginalized sections of the society as the same has resulted into price escalations, cut in employment opportunities and social security measures, non adherence to basic Labour laws, he exhorted. This all has created miserable impact on the lives and livelihood of the toiling people, both in the urban as well as rural areas across the country.
Pawan Gupta, Divisional secretary NZIEA, Daleep Koul, general secretary, General Insurance Employees Association opposed the move of the NDA-led Central Government in respect of FDI and disinvestment of insurance sector. Daleep Koul also urged for the merger of four General Insurance Companies into a single corporation alike LIC of India and providing of one more option for pension.
Among others Raj Kumar, co-convenor J&K Nirman Mazdoor Union, Ramesh Chand, secretary Nirman Mazdoor Union, Jammu, Sunita Bagat, state general secretary ASHA Workers Union, Kailash Naik, general secretary, Railway Loading and Unloading Union, HD Bhomick, president Industrial Workers Union, Ashok Kumar, president Hindustan Coca Cola Workers Union also addressed the rally.
Meanwhile, employees and workers of various Government and semi-Government organizations held rallies and protest demonstrations at Panama Chowk Jammu and various other district headquarters in support of strike call given by Central Trade Unions/ AISGEF. Various PSUs under the banner of JKCCTU and EJAC ( R) observed strike in the State on 12 point charter of demands.
In Jammu, a grand rally was held at Udyog Bhawan near Panama Chowk. Noted trade unionists Mohd Maqbool, Bharat Bhudhan Sharma, Babu Hussain Malik, Yash Pal Sharma, Gurmeet Singh, Ashok Singh, Ram Kumar Sharma, Parshotam Sharma, Mohd Sadiq, Seva Ram Rathore, Farida Bano, Kamla Sharma, Jaswant Singh, Meenakshi Sharma and others were leading.
Mohd Maqbool and Babu Hussain while addressing the large gathering highlighted the anti-employee policies of the Government and demanded implementation of 7th Pay Commission report, implementation of Law laws, regularization of temporary/ contractual/ consolidated workers including Anganwadi/ Asha/ Need based workers and Home Guards and removal of pay anomalies of clerical cadre.
On the call given by AIRBEA and AIRBWF, Reserve Bank Jammu employees participated in today’s strike, in support of the demands of the country’s working class, like controlling prices, generation of employment, saving public sector enterprises, minimum wages, universal social security benefits, no contractorisation etc. The employees strongly protested against curbing trade union rights of workers in the name of “ease of doing business”.
Simultaneously, RBI staff drew the nation’s attention to Government’s policies to whittle down the country’s central bank, RBI, by disempowering and dismembering it systematically, reducing it from a staff strength of 40,000 to around 16,500. Many important works of RBI have been outsourced or eliminated. RBI’s powers to decide country’s monetary policy, which was its exclusive preserve since inception is being abrogated by the mechanism of a Monetary Policy Committee where Government will hold the sway.
RBI’s regulations of all capital account transactions have been totally usurped by the Government. The management of public debt of the Central and State Governments which has been the exclusive preserve of RBI and which has been conducted by RBI since 1935 with aplomb is being sought to be shifted to a newly floated agency with enormous negative implications. Despite reservations from former RBI Governors and internationally famous economists Government is hell bent in slivering this sensitive job from RBI.
In the name of recapitalization of banks suffering from huge bad debt to corporates, Government plan to drain out RBI Reserve Fund of Rs 2 lakh crore overriding RBI objections and crippling RBI financially.
The strikers demanded immediate recruitment in RBI in all cadres and expansion of RBI in accordance with States’ needs.
Aman Kumar Adgotra, secretary RBEA, Raj Kumar, chief secretary and . Supen Kumar, president RBWF addressed the gathering.
NHPC Employees Union (INTUC) also held protest at Regional office at Narwal in Jammu today. Bearing black badges the workers held gate meeting/ brief protest in support of their demands. P S Slathia, general secretary of the Union addressed the workers and raised the workers’ issues. He called the employees to continue their protest till the demands are met. Trade unionists Jivan Singh, Manmeet Singh and R S Jamwal also spoke on the occasion.
BSNL Employees Union, Jammu/ Srinagar on the call given by Indian Trade Unions also joined one day general strike across the State today. The strike today in Jammu and other districts offices and also in Kashmir was a grand success and almost all the non-executive employees of BSNL observed strike. The work in all the office remained paralysed in view of the strike on 12-point agenda. Trade unionists Gitten Singh, Circle president NFTE; Sanjay Pandita Distt secretary, Kewal Krishan, Ravi Mukhi, S K Moza, Manjit Singh Reen, M K Koul and Ramesh Chander addressed the protesting workers here.
Meanwhile, Jammu Medical Representatives Association (JMRA) also observed one day strike against anti-Labour policies of the Government and 12-point agenda of the CTUs.
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