WORKERS HOLD EFFECTIVE MARCH AND RALLY ON SECOND DAY OF TRADE UNIONS STRIKE

Ludhiana, January 9, 2019: On the second day of strike call by central trade unions the workers of Ludhiana observed massive strike . They gathered at the bus stand and thereafter marched to the mini secretariat where they held a rally. They carried placards and shouted slogans in support of their demands including

to fill all the vacant posts on regular basis, to regularize the services of daily wagers; contractorisation of jobs should be stopped and all should be regularized; including the workers employed throughoutsourcing; minimum wages to be Rs.18000/- for unskilled workers; minimum of 200 days work should be ensured for MANREGA workers at a daily wage of Rs.600/- per day;regularization of services of Aanganwadi, Asha, mid-day meal workers and rural chowkidars. The out sourcing of jobs must be stopped.They also demanded that Pension should be given at the scheme which existed before 1st January 2004. They also demanded pension for all people after the age of 60 years to be Rs.6000 per month. The rights of agricultural labour be protected and they be allotted 10 Marla plots each family. Rights of farmers be protected by implementing the recommendations of Swaminathan commission. The workers also demanded that budgetary allocation for health and education be made 6% for each of these so as to ensure universal health and education. Labour laws should be implemented effectively. Misuse of police against workers should stop.

The leaders of various Trade Unions including INTUC, AITUC, CITU, CTU called upon workers to be prepared to wage struggles to protect their rights and to remove the rabidly anti worker and anti -national Modi led BJP government at center.
They also said that working women are worst sufferers in the pursuit of neo liberal economic policies by the governments which is resulting in the rising cost of living and no secured income to the families. The violence on women is rising and new kind of slavery is being imposed on them in the export promotion zones.

The speakers while deploring the Central and state Governments’ failure to check price rise of essential commodities are demanding universal pubic distribution system, provision of cheap ration, check on hoarding and black marketing, end to future trade in grains, and system of price fixation among other steps to control prices.

The rally was addressed among others by Com D P Maur, Shri Gurjit Singh Jagpal, Com Jagdish Chand, Com Paramjeet Singh, Com Gurnam Singh Sidhu, Com Ramesh Rattan, Com Sarabjeet Singh Sarhali Com Raghbir Singh Benipal, Com M S Bhatia, Com Parveen Modgil, Com Jeet Kaur Daad,, Com Vijay Kumar, Com Samar Bahadar, Com Gurmail Meldey, Com Chamkaur Singh and others.