CITU Observes May Day in Sringar
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HUNDREDS of workers carrying red flags and banners assembled at Sheri Kashmir Park to mark the International Labour Day on May 1.
Organised by the Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU), the rally was attended by the scheme workers, daily wagers and contract, seasonal workers associated with Kashmir Construction Workers Union.
Veteran kisan leader Ghulam Nabi Malik extended revolutionary greetings to the participants, the venue reverberated with the slogans like ‘Inqualab Zindabad’ and ‘Workers of the World, Unite’.
In his address, Malik paid rich tributes to Chicago martyrs of 1886 and martyrs of Zaldagar, Srinagar.
On April 29, 1865, scores of poor shawl weavers, groaning under the crushing debts, took out a protest rally and marched through the streets and throughfares of Srinagar against the unjustified and arbitrary taxes levied on them by the Dogra ruler. When they reached near Zaldagar locality, the Dogra troops surrounded them and emptied their guns on them, killing at least 28 of them.
Mohamad Afzal Parray, DDC chairperson and trade union leader said that the present dispensation is making every attempt to erode whatever was achieved by the working class over the years. The government has been initiating harsh measures against working class across the country.
The policies pursued by the government have led to job losses and livelihood of common people. The unemployment rates have reached to the levels never seen before. The government has miserably failed to address the issues people face. Stone quarry workers are being harassed and their livelihood has been affected, he said.
Abdul Rashid Pandit, convenor CITU J&K said that the working class has tremendous tasks in these challenging times to continue building broader possible unity to defend the natural resources and national assets. It is very unfortunate that the government bills the activities carried out by various unions and associations as anti-national and people are being harassed on a daily basis. The new social media policy enacted by the government is aimed at barring the employees and workers in several government departments to criticise the policies concerning them.
Mohamad Yaqub Ganie, trade union leader said the scheme workers like anganwadi workers and helpers and ASHA workers are compelled to work on paltry emoluments. They have been fighting for better remuneration or a fixed salary over the last many years but to no avail. Similarly, the mid-day meal workers, CPWs, MGNREGA employees, contractual, HDF, construction workers, need based, seasonal and casual labourers are neglected and their long pending demands are not being met. The demand for implementation of Minimum Wages Act was underscored and it was urged upon the government to fix the minimum wages at Rs 26,000 per month to all casual workers, contract workers, daily wagers, transport workers, workers working in different industries and shops.
Among others who addressed the rally include Lateefa, Haneefa and Suraya of Anganwadi Workers and Helpers Union, Dilshada and Firdousa of ASHA workers union.
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