Gurudas Das Gupta, MP and General Secretary, All Indian Trade Union Congress (AITUC) addressing the media persons at Ludhiana on Saturday.
Ludhiana, November 23, 2013: The workers in country have to meet dual challenge of saving the social fabric of the society by fighting against the communal & divisive forcers as well as to save the country from economic onslaught by the multinational corporations, said Gurudas Das Gupta, MP and General Secretary, All Indian Trade Union Congress (AITUC) while addressing a convention here at Punjabi Bhawan today.
He added the UPA-II government is increasingly working in the interest of big corporate business houses of India and the international cartels undermining the national interest. Latest decisions of the government are enough indicators of the rightist shift in the policies detrimental to Indian growth and progress based on justice and equality. These are against the basic spirit of the Indian constitution which speaks of justice and equality as its mainstay. The government is more inclined to respond to the demands of the international finance capital and the MNCs while hitting the common man hard, even denying them basic amenities like food, shelter, health and education. Therefore there is an urgent need for the working people to unite in strength to lead the struggle against these policies so as to meet the goal of sustainable development in the interest of all the people of the country, he said. On that score, the job insecurity and the job losses on the one hand and increased trends of contractorisation and outsourcing, contractualisation and casualisation of labour is norm of the day. There is attack on unionisation itself and pressure on existing unions to suppress and intimidate them to contain their activities.
He added bringing in FDI in retail trade will be big blow to more than Rs.4 crore small traders, shopkeepers, marginal and poor farmers, other small producers of goods in home based and small scale industries etc. The government has been responsible for unprecedented rise in corruption at higher places with loss to national revenue and denial of rightful share of common people in the wealth being produced in the country.
He further deplored that accumulation of wealth in the hands of few, whereas the vast majority is suffering under acute poverty and unemployment. The latest reports have indicated that 100 top rich families own assets to the tune of 16 lakh crores of rupees whereas 70% Indians are forced to live on meager spending of Rs.16.60 paise per day. With the policies being pursued will further hasten these gaps.
He said, the government continues to act in ruthless manner against the common people and the response to people’s agitations by the Prime minister and some of his ministers are arrogant to the core. Corruption at the higher places has become rampant which is obvious from the scandal like 2-G Spectrum.
Taking advantage of this situation the rabidly communal RSS and BJP have floated Narendra Modi as their Prime ministerial candidate, he said, adding this is a very serious danger before the nation which the workers have to fight back tooth and nail.
In this background the Trade Unions have decided to intensify their joint agitations and march to Parliament on 12th December on the charter of demands which includes seeking check on price rise of essential commodities, end to labour law violations, for social security and pension to all workers, abolition of any ceiling on Provident Fund, gratuity and bonus, abolition of contract labour, steady regularization of them and equal pay for equal work, no disinvestment of public sector/ govt. sector enterprises and resources, national minimum wage to be raised to not less that Rs. 10,000, universal entitlement of maternity benefit to working women etc.
Addressing the gathering Bant Singh Brar - President and Nirmal Dhaliwal - General Secretary of Punjab unit of AITUC said that the state govt. of Punjab is not following a different course as regards the economic policies in general are concerned. Rather it has been taking anti labour and anti farmer measures. They informed that several more conventions will be held in the state on these issues, where Gurudas Dass Gupta MP, General Secretary AITUC will address.
Today’s convention was attended by representatives of various organisations of workers and employees from Construction, Hosiery, Roadways, PRTC, Banks, Power sector, FCI Palledar, University, PSSF, Govt. Class 4 employees, Corporation, BSNL, ASHA workers and unorganized sector.
Kartar Singh Bowani – Vice President Punjab Kisan Sabha also addressed the gathering.
O P Mehta General Secretary AITUC Ludhiana and D P Maur, General Secretary Joint Council of Trade Unions Ludhiana assured that they will participate in large number in the march to parliament at Delhi on December 12.