The Hindu : Tamil Nadu News : INTUC signs pact with AIADMK

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Mar 10, 2006

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu

INTUC signs pact with AIADMK

Special Correspondent

Will contest elections on the `Two Leaves' symbol "The Congress had not allotted any seat to the union in the previous elections"

JOLT FOR CONGRESS: INTUC leaders with Chief Minister and AIADMK general secretary Jayalalithaa after signing the agreement.

CHENNAI: The State unit of the Congress suffered a setback on Thursday, when its trade union wing, the Indian National Trade Union Congress (INTUC), dissociated itself from the party and entered into an alliance with the All-India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam for the Assembly elections.

The INTUC will contest in two constituencies on the AIADMK symbol, Two Leaves.

The agreement was signed between the AIADMK and the INTUC in the presence of Chief Minister Jayalalithaa, INTUC president P.L. Subbiah and its general secretary G. Kalan.

No seats allotted

Justifying the union's decision, Mr. Kalan told a press conference that in the previous elections, the Congress had not allotted any seat to the union. Asked whether he justified the AIADMK Government's action against government employees and its denial of 20 per cent bonus to workers of the State-owned corporations, Mr. Kalan said even when the employees struck work, he had warned them that they should not paralyse the administration. During the transport employees' strike, he had said that the workers of loss-making units were entitled to only the minimum bonus. However, last year the transport workers got 20 per cent bonus, as the corporations had turned the corner.

Mr. Subbiah said there were precedents of the union leaders contesting elections against Congress candidates. Former INTUC former presidents G. Ramanujam and M. Palaniyandi had successfully contested against Congress candidates. The union was seeking a political identity. About 450 unions affiliated to the INTUC would work for the victory of the AIADMK alliance.

The National Christian Party of India on Thursday decided to support the AIADMK-led alliance.

The general council decided to campaign for the alliance in all 234 constituencies and sought due representation in the elections.

The party urged the Government to allot sufficient land for educational institutions, voluntary agencies, churches and cemeteries in various parts of the State.

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