Workers contributed a lot for nation building: Union leader

Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, May 1

Workers will continue to struggle to unite the country with their unity and diversity. Addressing a public function organised by the All India Trade Union Congress (AITUC) and Joint Council of Trade Unions and various unions of the Municipal Corporation at the bus stand, here on May Day, DP Maur, vice-president of AITUC, Punjab, and general secretary of the Joint Council of Trade Unions, said the present government at the Centre, led by Narendra Modi, was openly handing over the country to foreign capitalists due to which country’s capital was being taken over by local and foreign capitalists and benefits of the nation’s progress were not being passed on to the working class. During this period, jobs had fallen sharply and unemployment had risen to a great extent.

He said all laws were being made in favour of the capitalists in the name of labour reforms. The contractual system of labour was being extended where the rights given to the workers did not apply and the minimum wages were not paid. Prices of diesel, petrol, cooking oil and essential food items were skyrocketing. It had become difficult for them to run their homes.

Charan Singh Sarabha, another leader, said workers had contributed a lot to the freedom struggle and had made sacrifices. They had contributed more in nation building after the nation got freedom. At the same time, they fought for their legitimate rights such as eigh-hour workday, job security, provident fund, medical facilities, minimum wages, right to form unions, combining wage increase with inflation. They struggled for development of the country’s heritage such as railways, banks, coal and iron ore, insurance sector, transport and telecom. for the overall development of the country. But in the past few years, all this had been turned upside down and the national resources were again being handed over to the wealthy and the corporate class.

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