The joint platform of CTUs, Independent Sectoral Federations/Associations, whole heartedly congratulate Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM) for steering the Farmers Agitation to a successful conclusion and welcome their decision to suspend the year-long agitation at the borders of Delhi, the capital of India.

The working class movement shares fully their jubilation and pride for success, which arises from the proactive involvement of the working class in consistent and continuous solidarity actions throughout the country with the historic farmers’ struggle.

We pay homage to those 715 martyrs who laid down their lives with a message for generations to come, never to bend before any tyrannical force.

It is in keeping with the maturity shown by the SKM all along that even the celebrations, which are but natural when victory is snatched from the jaws of an all powerful adversary-the pro-corporate Central Government-after such arduous struggle, have been postponed by a day, when the Nation is mourning the tragic death of Defence-force chief and his colleagues owing to helicopter-crash in Tamilnadu.

It is in keeping with the alertness shown by the SKM all along that they have decided only to "suspend" the present phase of agitation and to keep a close watch whether the government keeps the promises made.

We, the trade unions, will stand vigil along with the SKM, while carrying on the agitation for the rights of the toiling people, including the forthcoming all India strike on 23-24 February, 2022 against the complete sell out of our national wealth and the atrocious onslaught on the rights and cruelest exploitation of the working people being carried out by the corporate-servile Govt. at the centre.

As for the slogans for the near future, we will whole heartedly take part in "Mission UP" "Mission Uttarakhand" as an integral part of our Mission India programme to “Save the People, Save the Nation”

We consider Workers-Peasants Unity as the priceless achievement of this epic struggle.

    INTUC                        AITUC                                           HMS                              CITU                                 AIUTUC

               TUCC                        SEWA                                AICCTU                               LPF                             UTUC

                                                      And Independent Sectoral Federations/Associations

Join the SKM to Celebrate the Historic Victory of Farmers Struggle on 11th December 2021

The historic victory of the farmers struggle marks the success of democracy over the corporate driven authoritarian and communal forces that dictate the Modi Government.

This great victory of the peasantry and working class over the corporate and neo-liberal forces will further strengthen democracy, secularism and plural culture of India. This will also strengthen the struggles of various sections of the society against the neoliberal policies.

We appeal to the entire people in our country to join SKM to make the victory celebrations massive on 11th December 2021, across India and also at the Delhi Borders.

Let us celebrate with colours, balloons, musical instruments, flags, road shows, distribution of sweets in every village, town and city.

All sections of the people - farmers, workers, agricultural workers, women, youth and students, teachers, employees, traders, entrepreneurs, lawyers, doctors, journalists, intellectuals, cultural activists etc. are invited to join the celebrations tomorrow.

With greetings,

Tapan Sen    Hannan Mollah      B Venkat      Marium Dhawale    Abhay Mukherjee   Mayukh Biswas
  CITU               AlKS                 AlAWU                AIDWA                 DYFI                      SFI

Issued by,
TAPAN SEN
General Secretary, CITU

The Centre of Indian Trade Unions   denounces the  direly undemocratic act of suspension of 12 opposition MPs in Rajya Sabha on ground of so called alleged unruly behaviour in the house during the last session of Parliament.  Suspended MPs  also include Elamaram Kareem, National Secretary of CITU among others. 

In fact on the concerned day, the legitimate demand of the opposition MPs for structured discussion on General Insurance Amendment Bill, aimed at privatization/disinvestment of public sector General Insurance Companies  as listed in the Business and also the legitimate demand for voting on the Bill were denied in a most undemocratic manner on unfounded pleas.

Suspension of the opposition MPs for the entire winter session on such unfounded pleas tantamount to trampling underfoot the basic democratic norms and  the parliamentary process itself. In the current session of Parliament  the BJP Govt has planned number of destructive legislations like Bank Nationalisation Amendment Bill, Electricity Amendment Bill, PFRDA Amendment Bill etc –all designed to push through its aggressive privatization drive. Suspension of opposition MPs is also aimed at facilitating that process.

CITU condemns such authoritarian onslaught of the Govt on democratic institutions and democratic rights of the people and calls upon the toiling people to raise their voice of protest against such authoritarian and anti-people destructive policies of the Govt through united countrywide struggles of resistance  against the anti-people and anti-democratic policy regime. 

Issued by
(Tapan Sen)
General Secretary

Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU) takes note of the statement made by the Prime Minister of India Shri Narendra Modi through media that his government will withdraw the three farm acts enacted by his government last year. This needs Parliamentary procedure bringing an enactment.

The consistent and continuous struggle by the kisans under the leadership of Samyukta Kisan Morcha with determination with the active support of the working class under the leadership of trade union movement and also supported by all sections of the people has compelled the ruling  dispensation to take one step back and made the PM apologize to the nation. This is a clear message to the Govt that the wealth-producing class, the workers and peasants shall never accept lying down the anti-people policies of ruling dispensation.

At the same time, the statement by the Prime Minister is silent on the issue of withdrawal of proposed Electricity Amendment Bill and the  statutory enactment on Minimum Support Price at the rate of C2+50% for all crops with guaranteed procurement, which are also the major demands of the ongoing farmers’ struggle. These issues are no less important and must be conceded to.

Nearly 700 farmers have sacrificed their lives in this struggle. Mr. Ajay Mishra Teni who is the prime accused in the gruesome murder of four farmers and a journalist in Lakhimpur Kheri still continues to be a Minister in Modi’s cabinet. The murder accused must be brought to book immediately.

While congratulating the struggling farmers for their historic determined united struggle forcing such a retreat by the Govt, we reiterate our resolve to strengthen the worker peasant joint actions and struggles to change the anti worker- anti kisan-anti-people policies of the government. We are sure that the resolve taken at the national convention of workers on 11 November 2021 supported by the leadership of SKM in this direction including two days’ strike during the budget session of Parliament will be carried out vigorously with the heightened confidence on the might of peoples’ struggles in changing the anti national policies inflicting miseries, widespread destitution, hunger, joblessness, demolishing labour-rights and democratic rights etc on the toiling people and also putting the national infrastructures and assets to ransom through aggressive privatization drive and latest infamous National Monetisation Pipeline(NMP) project.

Whatever decisions the SKM will take on the future course of their struggle, the trade union movement will continue with active support which is being extended since the beginning of this historic struggle. We call upon the working class and the peasantry to strengthen the unity and intensify the struggles against the anti people policies of the BJP/NDA government.

Issued by
Tapan Sen
General Secretary

This General Council meeting of CITU, being held in Hyderabad on 16-18 November 2021 noted the historic development since September 2020.

Taking cover of Covid pandemic, when the people have been fighting for the protection of their lives, Modi government passed in the Parliament, without discussion, voting and in absence of the opposition 3 black farm laws and remaining 3 labour codes and having Presidential assent on the black farm laws and labour codes within record 7 days. These were followed by massive privatisation drive including Government departments and NMP; communal division through CAA-NRP; and ban on strike through CDS Act, use of UAPA, British Raj made sedation Act and undermining civil liberties, democratic norms and institutions.

Against these attacks, historic movement also started led by workers peasants unity by the Joint Platform of the Central Trade unions and SKM since 26 November 2020 with the workers general strikes and industrial actions; and farmers struggle lifting at higher plane at organisational, movemental and political levels and building joint workers-peasants-people’ struggle.

On this occasion of this General Council meeting, underling the importance of these development and the historic farmers struggles, calls upon the workers to rise up and extend full support and solidarity action with the farmers struggle and build joint movement with them.

CITU General Council Tier meeting of  All India Coordination Committee of Working Women(CITU) called for building a movement against the mounting attacks on the rights of working people in general and working women in particular by the Modi led NDA government.  This meeting was held  on 15^th November at Sundaraiah Vignan Kendra, Hyderabad . It was presided over by  Mercy Kutty Amma , National Vice-President, CITU and former Kerala Minister.The Convenor of AICCWW  and CITU national Secretary,  A.R.Sindhu has presented the draft report detailing the situation and issues facing working women

The report  critically analised the women’s employment. Women’s employment which was an all time low has declined further in a bigger rate than that of men. In our country, more than 22 million people, most of them daily wage workers, lost their jobs in April and May 2021 during the second wave of Covid 19.  A report by Centre for Sustainable Employment at Azim Premji University found that 47% of women workers who lost their jobs between March and December 2020, before the second wave hit, permanently lost their jobs, compared to 7% of male workers, many of whom were able to return to their old jobs or found self employment. 

The decrease in women's work participation rate in the country shows a shift from paid to unpaid work   of women workers thus bearing a disproportionate share of the burden of the impact of the pandemic. Women workers subsidize a major share of the government's care services including healthcare especially during the pandemic,  the report pointed out.

Moreover, the report added that the  domestic violence has increased in alarming proportions. Violence against women and children as well as socially backward sections is on continuous rise. All retrograde, unscientific and obscurantist practices and ideology is being promoted by the ruling classes. Women General Council members from AP, Haryana, HP, Karnataka,  Kerala,  MP, Maharashtra, Punjab, Tamil Nadu, Telengana and West Bengal  participated in the discussion and enriched the report with their experience in different occupations

Women General Council members from AP, Haryana, HP, Karnataka,  Kerala,  MP, Maharashtra, Punjab, Tamil Nadu, Telengana and West Bengal attended the meeting.

The meeting resolved to study the impact of Covid pandemic and lockdown on women workers in various sectors. It has decided to focusissues of poverty and non availability of food, non availability of work/jobs must be taken up for campaign and mobilisation   and increasing  the  domestic violence and sexual harassment at workplace.

Meeting called upon the working women tp participate  in large numbers in the ensuing  struggles against the anti people policies of the government.

Hemelata, President, CITU, Tapan  Sen General Secretary, ML Malkotia, Treasurer CITU also attended the meeting.

Issued By
Tapan Sen
General Secretary

The General Council of CITU, the highest policy making body of CITU after its triennial National Conference, is meeting in Hyderabad at Sundarayya Vignana Kendram Auditorium from 16^th -18^th November, 2021. The meeting started with the  flag hoisting by the All India President Dr.K.Hemalata followed by paying floral tributes at the martyr’s column. The inaugural session was chaired by Dr.K.Hemalata, President, CITU. Chukka Ramulu, CITU Telangana State President  and Chairman, Reception Committee, has welcomed the Office Bearers and the General Council Members who have assembled there. Around 350 out of 465 General Council Members including 38 National Office Bearers attended the meeting.

Then CITU All India President Dr.K.Hemalata has delivered her presidential address. At the outset she has congratulated and saluted CITU’s all state committees, affiliated unions, all  cadres, activists and supporters who have made commendable efforts in providing relief to the workers, particularly the migrant workers who lost their jobs, income and shelter during the pandemic. In an exemplary display of working class solidarity, they have mobilised all the necessary financial and human resources, way beyond their regular organisational capacity.

The she expressed CITU’s solidarity with the working class of Tripura who have bravely been resisting the barbaric attacks unleashed by the BJP goons with the open support of the BJP government in the state.

In her presidential address Dr.Hemalata, recalled that how pandemic situation has created a new situation where all economic activities abruptly came to halt due to the unplanned lockdown in the first spell and the staggered lockdown imposed in the wake of second wave of coronavires.

In addition to the huge loss of  human lives due to this new disease, crores of people, particularly the poor, lost their only sources of livelihood due to the restrictions and were pushed into destitution and misery.While the poor were subjected to unforeseen hardships, the ruling classes world over, used the pandemic as a ruse to come out of the long drawn global economic crisis by imposing further burdens on the working class and other toiling sections.

This pandemic  has exposed not only the failure of neoliberalism but also the inadequacy of the capitalist system itself in meeting the basic needs of the people especially the basic health needs. It has highlighted the contrast between the profit-driven capitalist system that prioritises corporate greed over people’s lives and livelihoods and the socialist system where people’s welfare are treated as priorities.

So, the global economic crisis that was started before pandemic is still continuing and further worsened the situations. Nevertheless the “Supur Rich” and the mega corporate business house have managed to increase their wealth. The inequity has increased to the new height. The world’s richest 1% increased their wealth by 32%, during the pandemic. In India the richest 1% increased their wealth by 35%. Ordinary people lost jobs and their incomes. Working class has been challenging these attacks.

In our country, the last over one and half years has been a period of immense suffering and hardships for the workers and the people in general. On the one hand, they were victims of the pandemic, its deadly impact compounded by the criminal negligence of the Modi led BJP government in taking measures to save lives by strengthening public health infrastructure. On the other crores of workers and other sections of toiling people lost their jobs, incomes, shelters due to the lockdowns, curfews and restrictions associated with the pandemic. They were pushed into poverty, hunger and destitution. The Modi government refused to take the necessary measures to protect their livelihoods and ensure their food security. It obstinately declined cash transfer to put money in their pockets that would have helped in reviving the economy.

She has exhorted the leaders and activists to create awareness among the working class about the comprehensive project of the BJP government to push its corporate communal agenda. We have to make the working class understand that,to be successful, in its fight against the attacks on its rights and benefits has also to be equally comprehensive, directed against the neoliberal policies as well as communal divisive ideology of the ruling classes. The working class should be made conscious that its struggles on its day to day demands must be integrated with the comprehensive fight against the corporate communal agenda. It is in this context that CITU’s call of ‘unity’ of the working class and all toiling people, and ‘struggle’ – class struggle taking it to higher levels, assumes significance. 

The Inaugural session has ended with passing one important Resolution on extending working class support and solidarity with the heroic year long farmers’ struggle.

The General Council endorsed the two-days General Strike Call of Joint Platform of Central Trade Unions during the Budget Session of Parliament and appealed to the entire working people in general and CITU arffiliates and its members in particular to make the strike call grand success anti-worker, anti-people and anti-national policies of Modi regime.

Then in the plenary session CITU General Secretary Tapan Sen has presented the General Secretary Report in which we proposed to lauch the following movements

1. 26th November 2021: State level massive mobilisations on 26th November preceded by independent campaign for 10 days from 15-25 November.

The campaign to focus on NMP, labour codes, demands of migrant workers, unorganised sector workers, mainly minimum wages, job security, social security, price rise etc

In addition to the demands being raised by the joint trade union platform, CITU may also highlight major state level burning issues of the working class, if possible jointly, or in our independent campaign, like minimum wages etc.

CITU state committees are requested to take effective initiatives to ensure widest possible campaign linking the workers’ issues with the BJP government’s policies and exposing the politics of the ruling classes. We should try to prepare many different types of leaflets/ pamphlets etc each focussing on a specific issue, i.e. impact of NMP in each sector like roadways, railways, electricity, oil and gas pipelines etc, on price rise, on labour codes, etc. Specific targets should be fixed on the number of workers to be approached, sector and district wise, which should be well beyond the membership of CITU in the state

2. Preparations for the 2 days’ country wide joint general strike: In December 2021 and January 2022 we should concentrate on preparing the working class for the 2 days’ general strike during budget session, as decided by the joint national convention of trade unions. All CITU committees/ unions/ cadres up to the lowest level of our organisation should be involved in the preparations. 

The deliberations on the General Secretary will start in the post lunch session.

Issued By

Tapan Sen
General Secretary

CITU expresses its profound grief and condolences on the demise of the Shri. V. Subbaraman, President of Labour Progressive Front (LPF), one of the Central Trade Unions in our country. He was 76.

He hailed from telecom trade union movement as the leader of Telecom Employees Progressive Union (TEPU) since its formation. Later he became the President of LPF. Since then he along with LPF General Secretary Shri.P.Shanmugam, played a very constructive role in all national joint trade union initiates and movements.

The passing away of Shri.Subbaraman at a time when the trade union movement is intensifying its united struggles is a great loss to the Trade Union Movement in general and LPF in particular.

CITU shares the grief of LPF leaders and members and conveys its condolences to bereaved family members of Shri.V.Subbaraman.

Issued by
Tapan Sen
General Secretary

Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU) pays homage to comrade Pramila Pandhe one of the senior most leaders of the trade union movement and pioneers of the women's movement.
She passed away on 31 October 2021 at AIIMS, New Delhi due to post operative complications. She was 94.

Comrade Pramila started her political life in the independence movement in Maharashtra and had been jailed in participating in Quit India movement in 1942. She joined the communist party in 1948.

She was active in trade union movement and was one of the founding leaders of CITU in Delhi and led many struggles. She was the leader of National Seed Corporation Employees Union.

She was one of the founders of the All India Coordination Committee of Working Women.
She was also one of the founders of All India Democratic Women's Association and has been its National Vice President.

She was the life partner of Comrade M. K. Pandhe, one of pioneers of the trade union movement and former General Secretary and President of CITU.

Her contributions to the trade union movement as well as women's movement will always be remembered.  CITU pays homage to the departed leader and conveys its condolences to the family and comrades.

Issued by,
TAPAN SEN
General Secretary

Centre of Indian Trade Unions condemns the destructive exercise of the Govt to transfer the national assets and infrastructures in the hands of private corporate, both domestic and foreign, virtually free. Air India Sale is the most current example.

Now, as the Media reported, the Govt is making a hasty move for amending the Bank Nationalisation related Acts to facilitate privatization of public sector banks in the next Winter Session of Parliament.  Already the PSBs were made to sacrifice several crores of rupees (all public money) loaned out to those private corporates, through so called Insolvency Bankruptcy procedures. And now the move is on to hand over the PSBs to the same community of debt defaulter private corporates virtually free.

Further, it is reported that the Govt has been in the advanced stage of moving amendments to PFRDA Act 2013 to separate the National Pension System (NPS) Trust to liberate the same from all regulatory control and discipline of PFRDA and convert the same into a corporate or charitable entity under Companies Act. Even the pension savings of the people are not being spared from the nefarious project of satisfying lust for minting fortune through unregulated speculations by the private fund managers. Even the Employees’ Provident Fund Trust, which is under some regulatory control, lost a huge money  of workers EPF savings through such limited speculation, courtesy IL&FC and other private fund managers. The fate of the regulation-free NPS under the new project of the Govt can well be guessed in advance.

CITU denounces such nefarious and destructive project of facilitating loot and plunder on national assets, infrastructures and even peoples’ life-time pension savings by the same plunderers’ community in corporate class and calls upon the working people to oppose and resist such atrocious machinations on national economy and the people at large by the Govt at the centre.  

Issued by
Tapan Sen
General Secretary