Joint Council of Trade Unions Ludhiana to launch struggle against Modi government

Ludhiana, April 20, 2015: Joint Council of Trade Unions Ludhiana has decided to launch struggle against the move of Modi government to sell out the country to international finance capital and corporates in the name of Make In India. 

A meeting of the Joint council of Trade Unions Ludhiana was held under the presidium of Com O P Mehta, Charan Sarabha, Gurnam Gill at Shaheed Karnail Singh Isru Bhawan Ludhiana.  In this meeting representatives of 16 unions from different departments viz, Roadways, Banks, University, Hospitals, Teachers, Corporation, Industrial workers, Construction workers, PSEB and government employees  participated in the meeting. Meeting started by paying homage to Com Sudesh Kumar President of the council who breathed his last year. 

At the outset addressing the meeting Com O P Mehta gave an account of the history of the council and told that several historical agitations have been fought under the banner of this council.  

Stressing on the need for militant struggles Com D P Maur said that the present Modi govt. at the centre is all out in the service of the corporate sector which is apparent from its decisions to change labour laws in their favour by diluting the ESIC, provident fund and pension schemes. Govt. is bent upon to give all jobs under contract and out sourcing without any security and service benefits which have been won by the trade unions during the British period and independent India. It is pertinent to note here that veteran leader of India’s freedom movement Lala Lajpat Rai who was founder president of All India Trade Union Congress (AITUC) gave his life for  protecting the labour laws when he raised the slogan of Simon Commission Go Back. Also Shaheed Bhagat Singh threw the bomb in assembly to raise his voice against the anti labour Industrial Disputes act and Public safety bill of the British government. He said that the Modi government is behaving like the British. 

Dr Arun Mitra, member state council CPI  cautioned that the Modi government is not only anti worker but also is out to split our society on communal lines to fulfill its objective of Hindu Rashtra under the direct patronage of RSS. This is against the basic tennets of our freedom movement and essence of our constitution of a secular, democratic and socialist republic. He further appealed to the workers to raise their consciousness level and get ready for militant struggles as Modi government is bent upon to sell India to the international and monopoly capital in the name of Make In Inida. He has already changed the land acquisition bill to grab the land of farmers for the corporate sector. Laws are being changed to provide our natural resources like mines, water, forests to the corporates at throw away prices; labour laws are also being changed to benefit the corporate sector. The govt. is all out to provide market to the corporates at the cost of small scale industry, traders, shop keepers and entrepreneurs. 

Com Ramesh Rattan, city secretary of the CPI hailed this move and said that a broader unity is required to fight back the designs of the Modi government. 

Others who addressed the meeting include  Com  Charan Sarabha, Gurnam Gill, Ramandeep kaur, Kewal Singh Banwait, Ram Partap. Meeting elected Com Naresh Gaur as President and Com  D P Maur as General Secrtary. Com Gurnam Gill was elected as Senior Vice President, Com Charan Sarabha as advisor and Com O P Mehta as patron. In addition a 33 member executive committee was formed to run the affairs for the coming period.

The council also decided to observe May Day on 1st May at general Bus stand Ludhiana and also at Dana Mandi, Jalandhar Bye Pass, Ludhiana.