CITU, INTUC, AITUC & other trade unions to go on strike on February 16 against the central govt’s anti-labor, farmers, and employee policies

The Himachal Pradesh unit of the Joint Forum of Central Trade Unions and National Federations organized a state-level meeting at the CITU office in Shimla in connection with the nationwide strike of 16 February. CITU National Secretary Dr. Kashmir Thakur, INTUC State President Baba Hardeep Singh, CITU State President Vijendra Mehra, AITUC State Treasurer Anoop Parashar, INTUC State Vice President Purna Chand, and CITU State Vice President Jagat Ram, etc. were present in the meeting. It was decided in the meeting that to make the strike successful, a state convention of industrial workers of the state would be held in Baddi on 11th February.

While addressing the meeting, the speakers openly criticized the anti-labor, transport, farmers, employees, and anti-people policies of the Central Government. He warned the Central Government that if it did not stop the capitalist policies then the movement would intensify. He has demanded from the Central Government that four anti-worker labor codes should be repealed. Privatization of the public sector should be stopped and the National Monetization Pipeline Scheme should be withdrawn. The minimum wage of laborers should be declared at Rs 26 thousand. Anganwadi, Asha, and Mid Day Meal workers should be declared regular employees. One hundred and twenty days of employment should be given under MNREGA and Rs 375 per day should be implemented. Rampant inflation should be stopped. Outsourcing and contract practices should be banned. A concrete policy should be made for outsourcing. Anti-owner and labor changes in the Motor Vehicle Act should be stopped.

He said that thousands of workers and employees of the state will participate in the strike on February 16. He said that the Modi government at the Center is working in the interest of capitalists and industrial houses and is working against the workers, employees, and the general public. The biggest example of this is the abolition of forty-four labor laws made in the last hundred years and the creation of four anti-labor labor codes. Fifty crore workers are being directly affected by the capitalist policies of the government. The government is trying to turn factory workers into bonded labor by issuing orders for 12-hour work. A conspiracy is being hatched to privatize Anganwadi, Asha, and Mid Day Meal scheme workers. They are not being declared as regular government employees as per the recommendation of the Forty-fifth Indian Labor Conference of the year 2013. The order of equal pay for equal work given by the Honorable Supreme Court on 26 October 2016 is not being implemented for outsourced, contract, daily wage laborers nor is any policy being made for their regularization. Central and state workers are not being given equal wages. The salaries of the workers of Himachal Pradesh are not being linked with inflation and the consumer price index. As per the recommendations of the Seventh Pay Commission and the Fifteenth Indian Labor Conference held in 1957, they are not being given a salary of twenty-one thousand rupees. Due to anti-owner and labor changes in the Motor Vehicle Act, people associated with this sector will be deprived of employment and foreign companies will dominate.

He has demanded that the minimum wage of laborers be declared Rs 26 thousand. Equal salary should be declared for the Center and State. Anganwadi, Mid Day Meal, Asha, and other scheme workers should be declared government employees. 120 days of employment should be given under MNREGA and a minimum daily wage of Rs 375 declared by the state government should be implemented. Registration and financial benefits of MNREGA and construction workers should be restored in the Labor Welfare Board. Regular employment should be given instead of contract, fixed term, outsource, multi-task, and contract system. According to the decision of the Supreme Court, equal pay should be given for equal work. Bank, Insurance, BSNL, Defence, Electricity, Transport, Postal, Railways, NTPS, NHPC, SJVNL Disinvestment and privatization of coal, ports, airports, cement, education, health, and other public enterprises should be stopped. In the Motor Vehicle Act, the sections of jail, punishment, and financial penalty against transport workers and owners should be withdrawn. The decision to create four anti-labor labor codes made by abolishing the Chablis Labor Act should be withdrawn. All laborers should be brought under the ambit of social security like EPF, ESI, gratuity, regular employment, pension, accident benefits, etc. Rampant inflation should be stopped. The prices of petrol, diesel, cooking gas, and food items should be reduced. Street Vendors Act should be strictly implemented for street vendors.