The Hindu : National : Council of unions plans 'jail bharo'

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Wednesday, Sep 01, 2004

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National

Council of unions plans 'jail bharo'

By Our Staff Correspondent

NEW DELHI, AUG. 31. The All-India Central Council of Trade Unions (AICCTU) will organise a `jail bharo' throughout the country on Thursday against the United Progressive Alliance Government's budget, which they described as ``anti-worker and pro-big corporate houses''. The agitation will be the culmination of a week-long ``exposure campaign'' of the organisation.

In a statement issued here today, the AICCTU general secretary, Swapan Mukherjee, said the campaign would focus on issues such as legislation for workers of unorganised sector and agricultural workers; immediate release of all agricultural workers and their leaders jailed under TADA in Bihar; restoration of interest rate on the Employees Provident Fund to 12 per cent; stopping of foreign direct investment in insurance, telecom, civil aviation and other profit-making industries; and the workers' right to strike.

He further said it was expected that the Bharatiya Janata Party would not oppose anti-worker measures in the budget, but the party had gone even further in giving its support to the budget by shamelessly taking the route of refusing to discuss the budget.

``This has not only clearly exposed the alliance of the ruling Congress and the Opposition on economic policies but has also made clear that the Congress-led UPA Government is pursuing the disastrous economic policies of the earlier BJP-led Government, despite the anti-reform mandate of the people in the last elections. But the people will not tolerate this betrayal of the Congress and will take the protest to the streets,'' Mr. Mukherjee said.

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