Tamil Nadu - Madurai   

Trade unions joining hands to fight Centre

MADURAI: Major industrial trade unions in the country had come together to fight against some of the key issues such as price rise and lack of new employment opportunities, said Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU) national president A.K. Padmanabhan here on Sunday.

Speaking to reporters, he said that though there were differences of opinion on policies among various industrial trade unions, members of the CITU, HMS, INTUC, AITUC, BMS had joined in public interest to fight against the governments in a single voice. “We will continue to do so and the trend would spread,” he said.

Listing out some of the issues, he said that the steep price rise in essential commodities and the disinvestment of stocks of public sector undertakings by the Centre was unfair and shocking.

The United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government appeared to be unmindful of the pressures on the common man.

The Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited officers (up to the rank of Deputy General Managers) had threatened to go on stir from April 20 and the workers of Coal India Limited were opposed to the disinvestment of its shares by the government and had proposed a stir in May, the CITU leader said.

Under the guise of reforms, the UPA government had implemented anti-labour issues such as the disinvestment.

What could not be achieved by the rulers in the previous regime were being taken up now under the pretext of reforms.

The trade unions were united and would fight it tooth and nail, Mr. Padmanabhan said.

On the prevailing electricity crisis, he blamed it on lack of long-term planning.

While many towns suffered scheduled/announced power cuts for long hours under the pretext of maintenance or load shedding, Chennai also experienced unannounced power cuts at night in the recent days, he said.

The public hearing on tariff revision by the TNERC was nothing but an eye-wash, he said.

Mr. Padmanabhan said that the State government should ensure that recognised labour unions were admitted in industries that were started in the recent past in Tamil Nadu.

While recognition was mandatory, the government should see to that the industries adhered to rules.

“We don't want any concession, but the authorities should compel the managements to go by the Indian Statute laws,” he added.

Meeting

Mr. Padmanabhan who visited the city after becoming the national president of the CITU was accorded a rousing reception.

CITU district secretary P. Vikraman, among other functionaries, participated in a meeting at Sellur in the city later in the evening.

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