26th August 2016
Foil the Conspiracy to Distract the Countrywide United Struggle
Centre of Indian Trade Unions denounces the dubious conspiratorial move by the Govt to sabotage the countrywide General Strike on 2nd September 2016 called jointly by almost all the Central Trade Unions in the country alongwith all the independent national federations of the employees of banks, insurance, defence, telecom state and central govt departments against the anti-worker, anti-people policies of the Govt pushing the lives of the working people at large as well as the national economy to the path of disaster.
Despite continued persuasion by all the Central Trade Unions for sorting out the 12 point charter of demands involving demands of not only the workers but the entire common-folk, the Govt of India adopted an arrogant non-responsive attitude while unilaterally taking one after another step towards imposing retrograde changes on the rights and working conditions of the workers, ignoring the oppositions of all the Central Trade Unions and federations including BMS.
Despite announcement for countrywide General Strike on 2nd September 2016 as back as on March 30, 2016 by all the Central Trade Unions and National Federations in the country except BMS, the Group of Ministers formed by the Govt for the purpose did not bother to even call the concerned Central Trade Unions for any discussion. On the other hand, the Govt started confiding on the same issues of the General strike with its non-striking ally, seeking to create an impression as if the Govt is responding to the demands of the workers. This is nothing but a conspiracy to create confusion and foil the forthcoming strike. It must be retorted back effectively.
On so called Labour law reforms which are designed to push overwhelming majority of workers out of the coverage of basic labour laws, introduce “hire and fire”, legitimize contractorisation of regular work and promote work at payment of less than minimum wage, etc, the Govt repeated its stale statement that same will be done through tripartite consultation. In fact does such tripartite consultation make any sense where the unanimous opinion of all the central trade unions including BMS is totally ignored and decision is taken by Govt-employers unholy gang-up? In this process only, Factory(Amendment)Bill was introduced in Parliament, Small Factories Bill has been given Cabinet approval, “fixed term employment” is being introduced through executive order, Provident fund money has been parked at stock market for gambling, ESI Act is being sought be amended for replacing ESI by mediclaim products, Motor Vehicles(Amendment) Bill has been introduced in Parliament to impose atrocious conditions on the road-transport workers enmasse. Side by side, through the BJP-ruled state govts, mass scale retrograde changes in all labour laws have already been put in place in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Haryana, Maharashtra etc. Hence all talks of tripartite consultation is nothing but a fraud and farce.
The entire trade union movement of the country, irrespective of affiliations condemns and denounces such anti-democratic conspiratorial design of the Govt and calls upon the working people of all affiliations to give a fitting reply to such dubious conspiracy of the strike breakers by making the Countrywide General Strike on 2nd September 2016 a massive success.
Issued by
(TAPAN SEN )
General Secretary
