Mangaluru: The CITU in association with BMS, INTUC, AITUC and HMS staged a protest in front of the DC office here, on September 2 against the Union government for the amendment of Labour laws and the Labour Contract act.
Addressing the protesters, state INTUC general secretary Sadashiv Shetty said that ten central trade unions called for a bandh on 2 September 2015 to protest against the changes in various labour laws. He further said that the present government does not understand the problems faced by the labour class. The labour laws and privatisation of PSU has badly affected the normal life of the labour class and the trade unions condemn such laws.
He further said, “The one day bandh is a warning to the government that the labour class should not be discriminated. In the past one year, we have been seeing many changes in the labour laws. Now, the Rupee has lost its value. Banks and insurance companies are investing our money and later, they show us loss and profit. Private banks and private companies show profit. It is a wake-up call for the Union government. If the labour laws will not be withdrawn in the coming days, the trade unions will intensify their protest.”
Addressing the protesters, president of DK district CITU Vasanth Achary said, “The labour class has observed this bandh successfully. Trade unions have called for a nationwide bandh against the proposed changes in various labour laws by the Union government.” He also said that KSRTC bus employees, bank employees and other employees have supported the bandh and took part in the protest. “Street vendors and small shop owners also participated in the bandh because of the foreign direct investment (FDI). The protest has been changed into bandh. The government is supposed to bring pro labour laws but the Union government is trying to please the corporate world by implementing anti-labour laws. Bus employees took part in the bandh demanding to drop the Road Transport and Safety Act, 2015.” He demanded the Union government to control the price hike for day-to-day commodities. “Unemployment should be controlled. Labour laws should be implemented in a strict way. Contract labour system should be banned. Minimum wages should be fixed to Rs 15,000 and labourers should be given social security.”
AITUC general secretary Manohar Shetty, General Secretary HMS Mohammed Rafiq, CITUBalakrishna Shetty, Vincent, Raghavendra, B M Madhav and others were also present.
