Trade unions stand against anti-labour policies

Trade unions stand against anti-labour policies

Special Correspondent

SILCHAR, Dec 16: The coordination committee of eight different trade union bodies today staged a protest demonstration in front of the Cachar deputy commissioner’s office assailing the anti-labour policies of the Central Government and the State as well as for the rising prices of essential commodities. A memorandum was also submitted to the Cachar DC by the coordination committee highlighting the charter of demands for adopting effective measures for their implementation.

INTUC unit general secretary Kishore Bhattacharya said prices of all the essential commodities continue to rise abnormally and have reached beyond the purchasing power of the common people. Most effected from this are the working class and the proletariat in particular. This escalation in the cost of living, he pointed out, is the culmination of the policy of liberalization of the Centre. The capitalists are ruling the roost by exploiting the agriculturists, he said and added that profiteers, blackmarketeers and hoarders were taking advantage of the situation.

The coordination committee also hit out at the indifferent and callous attitude of the Cachar district administration in countering the evil machination of the unscrupulous traders and businessmen. People’s representatives of this region have also failed to take up the issues with authorities concerned for their redressal. It is a chaotic situation.

The protest demonstration was organized jointly to press for the withdrawal of anti-people policies of the Centre and the State. The charter of demands included immediate measures to control price rise and revamp the public distribution system, increase the quantum of APL food grains, check on the prices of petroleum products, to refrain from disinvestment of profitable nationalized organizations and to implement welfare schemes and projects for the poor and target groups properly. The trade unions that joined in this agitation included BMS, CITU, AITUC, INTUC, TUCC, AICCTU and EWUTCC. THE SENTINEL