Trade unions’ stir hits banking, other services

Tribune Reporters

Shimla, September 2

The day-long Bharat bandh call given by trade and all-India employees’ unions to protest against the policies of the NDA government paralysed banking, postal, transport, insurance, telecommunication, hospitality trade and other services across the state today.

Commuters had a harrowing time as the strike paralysed transport services in the city. The protesters took out a march from the Cart Road to the state secretariat and staged a dharna there. Similar reports were received from Mandi, Kullu, Hamirpur, Theog, Kinnaur and others towns.

“The Centre has pursued anti-employees and anti-pensioners’ polices for the last two years,” said KL Gautam, general secretary, HP Central Government Coordination Committee.

He claimed that the NDA Government had failed to bring back black money stashed away in foreign banks.

“The Centre did not fill vacant posts in the country. It instead decreased rate of interest on small saving schemes, did not increase income tax limit and collected money from employees for pension schemes whose fate remains uncertain in the open market,” Gautam said.

CITU state leaders Jagat Ram and Vijender Mehra charged that both NDA and state governments were anti-workers, anti-farmers and anti-employees. They warned that they would intensify the agitation if the state government did not sort out workers’ strike in the Shongtong Karcham project and the issue of RUSA. Mandi: CITU workers took out a protest march against the Central government here today.

They demanded increase in wages of workers, insurance cover and strict implementation of labour laws.

Hundreds of CITU workers held a rally in the town in support of a nation-wide call. District CITU president Bhupender Singh alleged that the Centre was changing labour laws under the pressure of industrialists.Kangra: All the trade unions observed a one-day nationwide strike today against the “anti-labour” policies of the BJP-led NDA government.

The protesting employees took out a march through the main markets of the town. It was led by North Zone Insurance Employees Association (NZIEA) and the gathering was addressed by Kangra unit secretary of the association Puran Chand, INTUC leaders Charan Dass and Tilak Raj besides SFI student union leader.

They demanded that the government should control the rising prices, stop contract employment and minimum wages be increased to Rs 1,800 per month.

The protesting employees raised slogans against the policies of the NDA government. They opposed FDI in various sectors, alleging that it would be detrimental for national interest.

Una: Hundreds of daily wage workers, under the banner of various Central Trade Unions and federations, today held a protest rally in the district headquarters.

They were protesting the Union Government’s failure to protect working class from exploitation by contractors, inflation, disinvestment and privatisation, besides other related issues.

The protesters marched from the municipal park to the mini secretariat, raising slogans against the Central Government. Workers under the mid-day meal scheme, MNREGA, ASHA workers, Anganwari workers and those from the unorganised sectors like industrial workers presented a memorandum addressed to the President of India through the Deputy Commissioner.

Neelam Devi from the Anganwari union said their demands included doing away with the contract system for appointing workers, hike in minimum daily wages, stopping disinvestment and privatisation of employment in banks, telecom, insurance, coal, power, transport and other government sectors. Balwinder Kaur of the school mid-day meal workers union said the Union Government should make amendments to the labour laws.

She demanded that their cadre should be declared as government servants with all facilities as admissible to regular workers. Arun Kumar and Noor Ilahi of the Transport Workers’ Union said the benefits of various health and life insurance schemes should be made available to them.