The Hindu : Karnataka / Mangalore News : CITU organises `Vidhana Soudha Chalo'

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Sep 03, 2004

Karnataka

Karnataka - Mangalore

CITU organises `Vidhana Soudha Chalo'

By Our Staff Correspondent

CITU workers demonstrating in front of the Deputy Commissioner's office in Mangalore on Thursday.

MANGALORE, SEPT. 2. The Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU) has called for immediate rollback of the increase in the foreign direct investment cap in vital sectors such as insurance, telecommunications, and civil aviation.

Giving the call at the Statewide "Vidhana Soudha Chalo" programme held here today, the protesters criticised the Union and State governments for their "insensitive" attitude towards labour issues.

Addressing the demonstrators, K.R. Sriyan, president of the CITU district unit, said the fall of the previous National Democratic Alliance Government had been brought about by the neglect of labour issues.

The United Progressive Alliance (UPA) Government at the Centre should take adequate steps to address the issues pertaining to labour, he added.

He appreciated the fact that the Common Minimum Programme of the UPA Government had enlisted some of the problems faced by the labourers in the country.

But the Government should ensure that it redeems its promises, Mr. Sriyan said.

He said the Government was keen on opening the insurance, civil aviation, and telecom sectors to foreign participation, which would deprive Indian labourers of their livelihood.

Beedi workers

B. Madhava, president of the CITU State unit, said the State Government had completely failed in addressing several issues pertaining to labourers, which showed prominently in the handling of the beedi industry by the Government.

Beedi workers had work for only two days a week while anganwadi workers had been put into various difficulties by the Government, he added.

Mr. Madhava told The Hindu that the "Vidhana Soudha Chalo" programme was conducted in Mangalore as many of the workers could not go to Bangalore because of the absence of train service between the two cities.

Dharna

Our Udupi Staff Correspondent reports:

Members of the CITU district unit staged a dharna in front of the Taluk Office here pressing for their demands.

In a memorandum addressed to the Chief Minister, N. Dharam Singh, and submitted to the Tahsildar, Muralidhar, the protesters urged the Union and State governments not to raise the FDI cap in the insurance, telecommunications, and civil aviation sectors. The Government should provide adequate protection to small-scale industries. It should give 12 per cent interest on Provident Fund, they said.

All unemployed persons should be given 100 days work as promised in the Common Minimum Programme of the UPA, they said. An integrated law should be framed to protect the workers in the unorganised sector and agricultural labourers.

Laws should be framed to protect working women as per the directive of the Supreme Court.

The Government should review the Electricity Act of 2003 and take steps to strengthen the public sector undertakings in the State, they said.

Regulations

The regulations pertaining to minimum wages should be scientifically framed and implemented, the CITU members said and demanded that the interference of the police in all workers movements be stopped. The Government should accept the demands of beedi workers and better facilities should be provided to gram panchayat and anganwadis workers, they said.

P. Vishwanath Rai, general secretary of the CITU district unit, and other office-bearers including David Karkada, Sadhu Amin, Dogu Suvarna, Ramesh Mendan, Derek Rebello, and Ratna Shettigar were present.

Earlier, the members of the CITU took out a procession from the City Bus Stand to the Taluk Office.

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