Karnataka - Gulbarga   

Dalits to launch trade union

GULBARGA: The staff and employees working in State, Central Government, quasi-government and public sector banks have come together to form a trade union exclusively for the Dalit staff and protect their interests.

Honorary president of the newly formed Dalit Employees Joint Action Committee D.G. Sagar, who is State convener of the Dalit Sangharsh Samiti; president Shantappa Malli and working president S.P. Sullad told presspersons here on Sunday that the decision to form a separate union was taken in view of the failure of the existing trade unions to protect the interests of the Dalits.

They said that the union was constituted to bring about unity among all the Dalit employees and take up jointly all the issues confronting them.

Mr. Sagar said that apart from the State and Central Government departments, other sections of Dalit employees included in the committee were members from nationalised banks, KPTCL, KMF, Gulbarga University, cement factories, Doordarshan, All India Radio and others.

Mr. Sullad said a decision on distancing themselves from the general unions in the State and Central Governments would be taken after few days in consultation with the representatives of the committee.

Citing alleged instances of Dalits being singled out for harassment, suspension and dismissals after the Janata Dal (Secular)-Bharatiya Janata Party Government came to power, they said that the mainstream unions had never raised their voice against the harassment or took initiatives to protect the interests of Dalits.

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