Trade unions go on two-day strike against govt policies

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, January 8

On a call by labour organisations, employees of various departments went on a two-strike on Tuesday. On the occasion, they also took out a rally on the Bhandari Railway Overbridge (ROB).

Addressing the protesters, Vijay Mishra, president of the Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU), Punjab, said the NDA government was annulling the employment security law. He also accused the Centre of patronising the contractual employment system.

“The BJP came in power after promising employment. On its contrary, it snatched the maximum number of jobs. Last time, the wages of industrial labourers in the state was revised nearly six years ago. A large number of brick kiln labourers are being rendered jobless in the name of a high draft scheme,” he added.

Amarjit Singh Assal, secretary, AITUC, Punjab, said, “The minimum wages of skilled labourers must be fixed at Rs18,000. Two per cent of the property tax must be diverted to the Welfare Board for domestic labourers.”

The protesters demanded that the services of all contractual employees must be regularized. They also sought the status of government employees for anganwari, ASHAs and mid-day meal workers.