PONDA: The All India Trade Union Congress (AITUC) has informed that all labour unions in India had decided to observe a Bharat bandh on September 2 to protest the ‘anti-labour’ and ‘pro-capitalist’ laws of the government and to demand protection of the existing laws, which came into force after many agitations and a lot of suffering. The AITUC has stated that the government’s move to change the existing laws would completely destroy the rights of labourers.
On Labour Day, around 2,000 AITUC workers held a rally from the Ponda bus stand to Kranti Maidan, where they held a meeting and took an oath to fight the government’s “anti-labour policies”. They also passed many resolutions, including to abolish the contract system for workers and to employ them on permanent basis; to hike the minimum wage to Rs 600 per day; to provide a full-time Labour Commissioner in Goa as industrial disputes were pending and workers were suffering; to provide 10 per cent service charge to labourers in hotels, PWD, Drishti, etc, and to provide permanent jobs in government departments.
Additionally, the meeting resolved that the government should come out with an industrial policy to bring labour-oriented industries; provide the monthly amount of Rs 4,500 to unemployed youth, assured by the BJP in its manifesto; reduce VAT on petrol and diesel; provide a reasonable salary to the Goa Bagayatdar workers, reduce inflation and minimise unemployment; provide better quality rice and food grains to ration card holders; take action against black-marketing and stocking of goods; waive off loans of farmers; and not change the existing labour laws, which had been made after agitations by workers.
The chief guest of the function, Prof Anand Mendse from Belgaum, said that today’s middle class and government workers were enjoying many rights and benefits because their ancestors, during the British rule, had fought against the government’s ‘anti-labour’ policies and demanded better salaries and wages, while facing imprisonment for several years.
“The laws that are in force have come after several agitations and suffering, and the government wants to change them to favour capitalists. The workforce should remain united and oppose this, otherwise they will not be able to fulfill their dreams of making their children doctors and engineers. The present policy is such that a labourer’s son will become only a labourer. A few high-class workers will benefit, while the poor will remain poor. Hence, workers should unitedly come forward to protect their rights,” said Mendse.
AITUC Goa president Prassana Uttagi stated that the Central government was making laws that would feed industrialists, while labourers were made to suffer and remain foodless. He added that even the workers’ right to agitate was being curtailed, and called up the workers to remain united in their fight against the government’s anti-labour policies.
