National Secretariat of the CITU, meeting in Delhi on 31st January and 1st February has called upon all its affiliates to conduct countrywide campaigns and agitations on two important issues confronting large number of workers in the country.
The meeting took note of the fact that despite being discussed in the highest level tripartite meetings and consensus based decisions being taken, the Govt. of India has not been refusing to take steps to control the increasing exploitation of workers under the ever growing contractor system. It is also a fact that Public Sector as well as Private Sector are equally responsible for this cruel system of exploitation.
While the Labour Department of Govt. of India had accepted the necessity of amending the Contract Labour (Regulation and Abolition) Act, the governmental machinery has been inactive in taking steps towards implementation of that decision.
Struggles are being conducted in various sectors in different parts of the country by the Contractor Workers. More than 50 to 60 percent of the workers in the organized sector in the country are now under Contractor system, without getting proper wage and also without various statutory benefits.
CITU Secretariat has decided to conduct a weeklong intensive campaign from 15 to 21st February which will converge in statewide demonstration/rallies and mobilizations on 20th or 21st February.
On Scheme Workers
45th Indian Labour Conference in May 2013, had reached a consensus on the demands of more than 1 crore of workers in various schemes of the Govt. of India. In Schemes of various states also such workers are there in large numbers.
Govt. has refused to take follow up actions on the decisions which are for recognizing them as workers, fixation of minimum wages, pension and other Social Security Benefits to all the Scheme Workers.
A weeklong intensive campaign from 10th to 17th February will be conducted through demonstrations and rallies in all States.
In the meanwhile Mid Day Meal Workers will organize a massive demonstration before the Parliament on 13th February, protesting against non implementation of the assurance to increase their wages. Workers from the nearby states will be participating in this demonstration.
On March 8
CITU Secretariat has called upon all the State Committees, Federations and Unions to observe 8th March – the International Women’s Day. CITU has decided to focus on three major issues – ensure equality in all aspects for all working women, ensure safety for all working women and effective measures to curb all kinds of violence against women, pass the women’s reservation Bill immediately.
These issues are to be highlighted among both men and women workers during the observance of the Day.
Greetings to Tamil Nadu Committee
CITU Secretariat greeted and congratulated its Tamil Nadu State Committee for the State wide campaign on the struggle of Maruti Workers and for collecting Solidarity Funds for the workers in the Manesar Plant of Maruti. 147 workers are in Jail for more than 18 months and thousands have been thrown out of job in that plant.
In a function organized by Gurgaon CITU, on 30th January, A. Soundera Rajan, President of Tamilnadu State Committee had handed over Rupees Five lakhs to the Maruti Workers Union. Tapen Sen, General Secretary CITU and leaders of Haryana State CITU were present.
Tamil Nadu CITU has also contributed Rs. 50 thousand to the Haryana State Committee for their struggle fund.
CITU has called upon its committees to emulate Tamil Nadu State Committee in strengthening the Solidarity activities.
Workshop on Working Women
A national workshop on working women was organized by CITU on 29th and 30th January. Attended by members of the All India Working Women’s Co-ordination Committee (CITU) and also the President/General Secretary of the CITU State Committees, the workshop decided on organizational activities among working women. This workshop was a follow up to the decisions of the All India Conference of CITU in April 2013 and the All India Convention of working women in Puri in October 2013.
Secretariat called upon all the State Committees to take necessary organizational decisions to implement the workshop’s recommendations.
On Political Campaigns and Solidarity
Secretariat held discussions on the political situation in the country. It condemned the continuing attacks on the democratic movement in West Bengal by the Goons of the ruling party in the State. Secretariat decided to continue the campaign and struggles upholding the alternate policies to the neo-liberal policies of the ruling classes.
CITU Secretariat welcomed the decisions of Untied Forum of Bank Union (UFBU) to go for a 48 hours of strike on 10th and 11th February and also the 2 day country wide strike of the Central Govt. employees on 12th and 13th of February. This strike has been called by the Confederation of Central Govt. Employees and Workers. CITU also expressed solidarity with the struggle of Defence Production Workers and the indefinite strike from 17th February called by the three national federations. CITU called for solidarity actions for these struggles.
Condolences
CITU Secretariat, prior to taking up other agendas paid homage to leaders of CITU and other democratic organizations, Kali Ghosh, Mrinal Das, Soumen Kundu, Daulat Ram, Shyamali Gupta, Suman Sazgiri, Shanti Shekhar Basu, Abdul Kareem Mia(Assam), Suresh (Plantation Federation), T.S. Rajan (Telecom) who had passed away recently. Meeting also paid homage to Nelson Mandela and Pete Seeger.
CITU Secretariat paid homage to the SFI leader Saifuddin Mollah killed by TMC goons and to other Martyrs and victims of brutality in West Bengal.
A.K. PADMANABHAN
