STATING that the frequent amendments to labour laws have so far armed the employers further, state president of the Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU) and MLA, Mohammad Yousuf Tarigami said these amendments have deprived the working class who need co-ordinated efforts and a united resistance to safeguard their own interests across the country especially in Jammu and Kashmir. 

Addressing a day long convention of the CITU held in Srinagar on August 1, Tarigami expressed serious concern over the plight of the working class who are adversely hit by the neo-liberal economic policies pursued by the central government. These policies, he observed, are drastically affecting the workforce especially working in the unorganised sector across the country including Jammu and Kashmir, virtually reducing them to the status of bonded labour.

Censuring the central government for curtailing the allocations for various centrally sponsored schemes like Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS), National Health Mission (NHM), Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) and Mid-day Meals (MDM), Tarigami said these centrally sponsored schemes have been in vogue for the last over a decade and now have been arbitrary diluted much to disadvantage of the families of working class.

Tarigami said most of the families of unorganised sector workers, agricultural workers or small and marginal peasants are the beneficiaries of these centrally sponsored schemes and slashing their budgetary allocations have directly hit these families hard.

The CITU president observed that instead of increasing the allocations for these schemes, the union government has adopted deceptive ploy of announcement of social security scheme just to hoodwink the unorganised sector. These social security schemes, he said, are all self contributory without any financial support from the central government.

Referring to the dismal scenario of the working class including employees of Jammu and Kashmir, Tarigami said the failure of the state government in extending social security benefits to the workers, violation of labour laws, non-implementation of minimum wages act, extensive contractualisation of workforce and attacks on trade union rights have proved detrimental to the interests of the working class movement.

Stating that unemployment is still a major problem contributing to the unrest in Jammu and Kashmir, the CITU state president said the condition of already existing causal labourers, daily rated workers, Mid-day meal workers, anganwadi and ASHA workers is no different than the qualified unemployed youth in the state.

Addressing the convention, Om Prakash, general secretary of CITU demanded that the government of J&K should come with a policy document regarding welfare of the working class in the state. He stressed on the need to enhance the state’s share in the honorarium of anganwadi workers and helpers on the lines of the Haryana government. Prakash called for regularisation of the services of the daily wagers, releasing the wages of casual/need based/CPWs working in different departments.

Abdul Ghani Bhat, vice president, Abdul Rashid Najar, secretary and other senior leaders of  the CITU while speaking on the occasion, said privatisation in the form of restructuring of ICDS be stopped and instead all anganwadi workers be regularised as Grade III and helpers as Grade IV government employees. They demanded social security benefits including gratuity, pension, provident fund, medical facilities etc to be provided to all workers who act as the backbone of all centrally sponsored schemes in the state. They expressed their anger and resentment over the undue obstructions created by Construction Welfare Board in registering the genuine labourers since months. The benefits due to the workers are being denied under one pretext or other. This must be stopped forthwith.

Calling upon all the workforce of the state to come on a common platform and intensify the struggle against the anti-worker policies of the government, the convention earnestly appealed all sections of working class and employees to observe a complete strike called by trade unions on September 2, 2015 in protest against the anti-people policies of the central government.

Representatives of the following unions participated: Construction Workers Union, Handicrafts & Artisans Union, Anganwadi Workers and Helpers union, ASHA Workers Union, Mid-day Meal Workers Union, KGBV Teachers union, CPW Union, Centaur Hotel Employees Union, Daily Wagers, Casual labours Forum, Medical Representative Union, Horticulture Employees Union, PDD workers Union etc.

The convention adopted several resolutions which include the resolution on implementation of labour laws, food security, price rise, Minimum Wages Act, rollback of new recruitment policy, rehabilitation of the flood victims and redressal of burning issues confronting farmers and fruit growers.

GOVERNMENT

CREATING WEDGE

The government is creating distance and wedge between the people of Jammu region and Kashmir region in the name of AIIMS . The AIIMS is necessity for both the regions of the state to provide latest medical facilities to the people of the state.

While addressing the meeting of the activists of the CPI(M) of Jammu district, Sham  Prasad Kesar, regional secretary of the Party said that the regional committee  hails the AIIMS for Kashmir region and supports the demand of an independent AIIMS for Jammu region. Kesar condemned the firing of tear gas shells on the peaceful  demonstrators by the state police.