THE 10th conference of the Kerala State Construction Workers Federation (KSCWF) was held on August 6-7 at EMS Memorial Hall in Cochin.

KSCWF president K P Sahadevan hoisted the red flag of the CITU. Leaders and delegates paid floral tribute at the martyrs’ column.

CITU’s Kerala state president Ananthalavattom Anandan inaugurated the conference. In his speech, he referred to the increasing unemployment in the country. Now robots are taking over the job of workers. Robots need no rest, they do not need food, they will not be unionised. In the run-up to the 2014 Lok Sabha election, Narendra Modi promised to provide employment in millions, but now instead of new job, existing workers are being retrenched. Despite earning profit, Cochin Shipyard is being privatised. Modi promised every citizen of India would get Rs 15 lakh in their bank account if he won, but nothing happened. Instead, due to demonetization, 75 lakh workers lose their job.

He talked of the political violence in the state. RSS activists in Kerala already murdered 13 CPI(M) workers and try to create lawlessness in the state. The BJP demanded President’s Rule and dismissal of the LDF government. In this situation, we have to consolidate our force and increase our union membership to fight back BJP, RSS attack and also to raise our voice against the BJP government’s policies at the Centre, he exhorted the gathering.

The LDF government in Kerala has taken many decisions in favour of the common people and the working class. It has raised the minimum wage to Rs 18,000 per month and is taking steps to revitalise sick state public sector undertaking and to reopen close units.

Construction Workers Federation of India general secretary Debanjan Chakrabarti talked about the expansion of the organisation in 14 districts, 63 talukas, 520 towns and 1,018 villages. A planed initiative is needed for expansion of the federation membership in Kerala. He said focus should be laid on female construction workers. In Kerala, out of total population, 54.73 per cent are Hindu, 26.56 per cent Muslim and 18.38 per cent Christian. We must give due weightage in our organisation according to the population composition, he said.

He said the effect of the GST on the construction sector is very bad. A 5-28 per cent increase in all construction materials and equipment will shrink the construction work.

K V Jose placed the general secretary’s report and K Balakrishna placed the accounts. Thirty-five comrades participated in the discussion on the report. Most of the delegates raise the issue of a Supreme Court order prohibiting sand and black stone mining and said this led to near stoppage of construction work in Kerala. This issue should be taken up legally at the Supreme Court.

Total 447 delegates participated from 14 districts. Of 447 delegates, 93 were women delegates. The conference elected 19 office-bearers, 71-member state committee and 270-member state council. K P Sahadevan was elected as president, K V Jose as general secretary and K Balakrishna as treasurer.

The conference set a target of enlisting six lakh memmbers in the next two years, and decided to stage dharnas in front of collector’s office in every district and the state Secretariat in Thiruvananthapuram.