Srinagar, Sept 23: As a part of a nationwide protest against the moves of BJP to suppress and alter labour laws, Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU) held protest rallies across the J&K on Wednesday. The major protest rally was held at press colony, Srinagar.
While demanding an immediate halt to change in labour laws, Ab. Rashid Najar CITU leader alleged that altering labour laws through legislation, through executive orders and ordinances, disinvestment, privatization of central and state public centre enterprise, continuing, job losses and wage cuts are disastrous for the national interest.
He added that the rate of unemployment is increasing with such a speed that which was never seen in the past 45 years. While they blamed the government for twisting the facts to paint a favourable image of being everything normal and economy is reviving at full scale. They mocked at 20 lakh crore revival packages as economists have termed it as manipulation and fraudulent in name of poor and not even 1% that package reached to poor.
He alleged that suffering of the front line pandemic workers-doctors, nurses, paramedical staff, Safai Karamcharies. ASHAs and Anganwadi workers continue to rise with every passing day with the government remaining stubbornly negative on their basic demands.
The protestors demanded free universal healthcare for all, 10 kg food grains per person per month to all needy for 6 months, Rs 7500 per month for all non-taxing families besides they demanded implementation of regularization of workers and minimum wages act of Rs 21,000 and withdrawal of all privatization projects.
The other demands included an increase in the budget allocation for Central Schemes, no increase in working hours from 8 to 12 hours, urgent measures for containing price-rise through universalisation of public distribution system and banning speculative trade in the commodity market, containing unemployment through concrete measures for employment generation, strict enforcement of all basic labour laws without any exception or exemption and stringent punitive measures for violation of labour laws, universal social security cover for all workers, assured enhanced pension not less than Rs.10,000/- p.m. for the entire working population. The protestors also urged the administration to release the pending wages of casual/season/need-based labourers and ease out the mining process in J&K.
J&K govt has announced a relief package of 1350 crore for different sectors including drivers, transporters.
The protest demonstration was addressed by Misra, Rifat, Mubeena, Dilshada, Rafiqi leaders of ASHA Workers Union, Mehbooba, Misra, Lateefa leaders of Anganwadi Worker Union, Ab Rashid Pandit, Bashir Ahmad Bashir leaders of Construction Workers Union, Mohamad Iqbal of Non-Gazetted PDD Employees Union and Shabir Ahmad Bhat and Myser Hamid leaders of Social Forestry Union, Pulwama. (CNS)