15th conference of Himachal CITU commenced at Village Bajrol Solan

The conference was inaugurated by Comrade Tapan Sen, General Secretary of All India CITU and former Rajya Sabha MP. On this occasion, Comrade Jagdish Bhardwaj, State President of CITU, extended his greetings to the conference.

Representatives from fraternal organizations such as the Himachal Kisan Sabha, Janwadi Mahila Samiti, SFI, DYFI, and the Pensioners Association also attended the conference.
On this occasion,Comrade Kuldeep Tanwar, State President of the Kisan Sabha; Comrade Sunny, State Secretary of SFI; Comrade Suresh Sarwal, State Secretary of DYFI; and Comrade Phalma Chauhan, State President of the Janwadi Mahila Samiti, addressed the conference.
All speakers emphasized the need to strengthen worker-farmer-women-youth unity and for united struggles.

In his inaugural speech, Comrade Tapan Sen stated that the country’s policies today are being formulated entirely in the interests of capitalists and big industrialists. He said that through the Labour Codes, workers’ rights are being abolished, permanent jobs are being eliminated, and the contract system is being promoted.

He mentioned Mid-Day Meal workers, ASHA and Anganwadi workers, stating that these sections are deprived of minimum wages despite immense hard work. He said that labour laws are being openly violated in industries and the government is giving capitalists a free hand for open loot.

Comrade Tapan Sen said that in the coming times, workers across the country are preparing for a widespread movement. He stated that the working class, along with the farmer, women, and youth movements, will further strengthen the united struggle against the anti-people policies of the central government.

The conference was also addressed by Comrade Vijendra Mehra, State President of CITU; Comrade Prem Gautam, General Secretary; Comrade Kashmir Singh Thakur, National Secretary; and Comrade K.N. Umesh from the national leadership.

The three-day conference is proceeding with the participation of approximately 300 delegates from across the state.
The conference is holding in-depth discussions on organization,movements, and the current challenges facing the working class, and will finalize a plan for statewide struggles and organizational expansion for the next three years.

Addressing the conference, the speakers stated that CITU in Himachal Pradesh has been continuously fighting against the Modi government’s imposition of slavery and bonded labour on workers through the four anti-worker Labour Codes, and for demands such as a minimum wage of ₹26,000, regularization of scheme workers, outsourced, contract, multi-task, temporary, casual, trainee workers, increase in MGNREGA budget, implementation of minimum wages for MGNREGA workers, and ensuring economic benefits from the Labour Welfare Board.

They said that the implementation of the four Labour Codes by the Modi government will exclude seventy percent of industries and seventy-four percent of workers from the purview of labour laws. Provisions for harsh punishments and fines have been made for workers who go on strike. Instead of permanent employment, contract system and fixed-term employment will be promoted. Increasing working hours from eight to twelve will establish bonded labour. They stated that the struggle continues on issues such as declaring Anganwadi, Mid-Day Meal, and ASHA workers as government employees and implementing gratuity, declaring a minimum wage of ₹26,000 for workers, opposing the four anti-worker Labour Codes, the National Monetisation Pipeline, 100% Foreign Direct Investment in the insurance sector, increasing workers’ working hours from eight to twelve, ensuring job security for contract workers, paying them wages equal to regular workers, restoring the Old Pension Scheme for central and state government board and corporation employees, implementing a minimum pension of ₹9,000, restoring economic benefits and registration facilities from the Labour Welfare Board for MGNREGA and construction workers, declaring Schedule Employment for STP workers, formulating policies for outsourced and hospital staff, giving industrial workers a 40% wage hike, opposing the demolition of Thekedari (a system), providing 200 workdays at a wage of ₹600 per day in MGNREGA along with its expansion in urban areas, registering MGNREGA, construction, and BRO workers with the Labour Welfare Board and restoring their economic benefits, formulating policies for outsourced, 108 and 102 ambulance staff, curbing high inflation, and stopping the privatization of public sector undertakings.