SINCE the state-level conference of CITU in Bihar, many organisational and agitation activities have taken place in the state and they have opened up new possibilities of reaching out to the so-far-untouched sections of the organised and un-organised sector workers in private and public institutions and to the vast masses of self-employed groups. First state-level conference of Mid-Day Meal workers was organised at Saharsha in the month of August. As many as 200 delegates from 15 districts of Bihar participated in the conference. It was at Saharsha where leaders of Kishan Sabha, particularly Vinod Jha, took up the issue of one of the most exploited women workers who have been employed to cook mid-day meal to be provided to the students of government schools. These women cook are drawn from the most socially oppressed section of the society and bulk of them are Maha-Dalit. They are given only an honorarium of Rs 1,000 per month and even this meager amount is not paid on time. In a year, they are only paid for 10 months and are discriminated against at the work place by teachers belonging to upper castes. At Saharsha, after a militant struggle for months together, the authorities concerned have conceded to their demand for regular payment and now with their new found confidence, they have challenged the discriminatory attitude of the feudal-minded teachers and have won respect in the eyes of general teachers and students of the district. They held their state committee meeting on 11th September and have decided to stage a militant demonstration before the Chief Minister highlighting their demands. Com Sindhu, from All India CITU Centre, participated in the state level meeting and guided them. State-Level Conference of Construction Workers In the past few years, the number of construction workers has grown many folds. A large number of them are associated with agricultural work but when they don’t get job in agricultural activities, they flock to urban centres and work at various ongoing construction sites. There is a huge possibility of organising this vast growing section of construction workers. CITU has, in the recent past, started organsing the construction workers under the banner of Bihar Rajya Nirman Kamgar Union. It held its first state-level conference on September 6-7 at Bhagalpur, the birth place of the organisation. A total of 150 delegates from 16 districts participated in the conference. All India general secretary Debanjan Chakraborty participated in the conference. The newly-elected state committee met on 9th September at Patna and decided to enroll 20 thousand members this year. It has also decided to get the construction workers registered and fight for the implementation of welfare measures announced by the government. Rajgir, a New Centre Of CITU Activities Rajgir is a popular historic spot in Bihar where a large number of tourists from other states and abroad visits from the month of October to March every year. It is a Jain and Buddhist centre and famous for its hot spring. With the installation of ordinance factory, it can now boast of its industrial identity too. This huge complex of ordinance factory employs hundreds of contract workers who are even denied of their basic rights and are the worst exploited lot. With the emergence of CITU as the organiser of this unorganised section of the otherwise giant organised sector, has brought out a big charge in the life of these hapless workers. Now the CITU-affiliated Ayudh Nirmani Kamgar Union is recognised by the management and their representatives are called to resolve the issues related to the workers. The organisation has been able to get back Rs 20 lakh as their provident fund amount which had not been deposited in the PF accounts of the large number of workers working under different contractors. Now, they have stopped paying extortion money to various contractors who used to threaten the workers to either cough up the money or go home. CITU has also been able to get better wages for different sections of contract workers. Wage Negotiation of Veerayatan Employees Veerayatan is a modern eye hospital run by Jain religious trust. The employees of this hospital are organised under Veerayatan Karmachari Union affiliated to CITU. The employees of this eye hospital have won many a battle and now the management has been forced to arrange bipartite meeting to negotiate the issue raised by the workers time to time. Recently in the month of August, the authorities were forced to enhance the basic salary of different sections of employees from Rs 3,000 to Rs 5,500. Never before, the employees had been able to get such a big enhancement in their salaries. They have also been able to get other benefits regarding house, tea, canteen and other allowances. Dharnas and Demonstration Of Aanganwadi Workers Gaya, Darbhanga, Nawada and Madhubani witnessed huge gatherings of aanganwadi workers raising their demands before the district authorities. They have also conducted block wise agitations against daily harassment faced by them. On 10th October, about five thousand aanganwadi workers and helpers staged a day-long dharna before the Chief Minister and submitted their charter of demands. They were protesting against the recent notification of the Bihar government for the constitution of a 14-member committee to supervise the work of aaganwadi centres over and above the supervisory staff of the ICDS Department. CITU leader Sindhu addressed the gathering and exhorted them to fight for the regularisation of ICDS scheme and services of the aanganwadi workers and helpers who are engaged in yeomen service of providing nutrition to the most deprived section of the society. The gathering was also addressed by state CITU general secretary G S Singh and president Raj Kumar Jha, vice president Arun Kumar Mishra and other leaders of fraternal organisation. Later, a delegation comprising Shobha Sinha, Md. Yusuf and Raj Kumar Jha met Chief Minister Jeetan Ram Manjhi at his official residence and submitted the charter of demands. (EOM)