CITU targets Centre over cut in allocations for welfare schemes

Tribune News Service

Srinagar, May 1

The Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU) on May Day castigated the Centre for cut in allocations for welfare schemes and pitched for upliftment of the working class.

“Drastic cut in allocations by the Centre for welfare schemes like the ICDS, mid-day meal and NHM with the motive of doing away with such pro-people schemes and programmes has disillusioned those working tirelessly and being paid meagrely under these schemes,” CITU state president Mohammad Yousuf Tarigami said during a rally at the Chinar Park, Sonwar, here.

“Labour laws across the state are being flouted and the destitute engaged in government and private sector as ad hoc, casual, seasonal, need-based, contingency paid workers and contractual workers are facing its brunt,” he said.

Tarigami claimed that traditional artisans and weavers reap little benefits of their hard toil. He demanded immediate revocation of SRO 105 that “deprives livelihood to hundreds” of labourers associated with quarrying and construction business.

“Isolated efforts can’t be effective. Be united and bold enough to safeguard the democratic rights of the workers and defeat the anti-worker policies of the successive governments,” he said.

Paying tributes to Zaldagar martyrs of 1865, Tarigami said they laid the edifice of a struggle against the exploitation and atrocities on artisans.

He said the Shawlbaf protest launched at Zaldagar against the ruling class had given vent to numerous movements of the working class which were awaiting successful culminations.

CITU general secretary Tapen Sen said social security benefits like pension, provident fund and health insurance were hard-won rights of the working class secured through decades of struggle.

“These gains are now being reversed through privatisation of pension funds, provident funds and cuts in subsidies and welfare benefits. Such measures being implemented across the world today specifically target the social security benefits to pass on the burden of the economic crisis to the working people.”