THE 11th national conference of the All-India Road Transport Workers’ Federation (AIRTWF), held in Hisar in Haryana from July 16 to 18, resolved to carry out a united struggle to protect the industry and for the welfare of workers.

CITU national secretary and MP, Elamaram Kareem inaugurated the conference. In his inaugural speech, Kareem appealed to the workers to prepare themselves for intensifying the struggle against the anti-people and anti-working-class policies of the Narendra Modi government. The central government under prime minister Modi is bulldozing people’s struggles and handing over various assets of the nation to a few corporates. The government is working against the working class and peasants. The poor are becoming poorer and the rich are getting richer under the Modi government. Unemployment is mounting and price rise is skyrocketing, while the government is strategically destroying the public sector. The Modi government replaced the existing labour laws with four codes, throwing the workers to the mercy of the employers. Road transport is one of the most affected sectors after the amendments to the Motor Vehicles Act. Kareem stressed the need for a united fight against the government’s policies and the divisive forces patronized by the ruling dispensation.

The conference, held at Mohammad Amin Nagar and Shyamal Chakraborty Manch, was attended by 550 delegates from across the country representing all segments of road transport such as auto-rickshaw, taxis, trucks, private buses and state transport buses. Subhash Lamba, chairman of the reception committee, in his welcome address, highlighted the history of Hisar city.

R Lakshmaiah, deputy general secretary of the AIRTWF, moved a resolution on the situation of the industry and the problems of the transport workers, urging all the federations and stakeholders to come forward for a united struggle to protect the industry and for the welfare of the workers. AIRTWF national secretary, V S Rao seconded the resolution, which was adopted unanimously. Shashank Rao, general secretary of BEST Workers Union-Mumbai; Jai Bhagavan, CITU Haryana general secretary; Dharam Veer, president of INTUC-Haryana; and Shubhas Lamba, president of Sarva Karmachariangh-Haryana, greeted the delegates and expressed their will to fight against the draconian policies of the government.

On the second day of the conference, AIRTWF general secretary, K KDivakaran presented the report, which was followed by a discussion on it. The conference passed another resolution on the need to enact a social security act for the crores of unorganised road transport workers. This resolution was moved by AIRTWF national secretary, T K Rajan and seconded by Mustad Ahmad Khan.

Addressing the conference, CITU general secretary, Tapan Sen explained how the government is intensifying the onslaughts on the industry, the working class and the people as a whole. The rising prices of petroleum products, the Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Act-2019 and the codification of labour laws are a few examples of the onslaughts. It is high time to strengthen AIRTWF and build broader unity to fight back against the anti-industry, anti-people policies of the government. Transport is the lifeline of the economy. State transport undertakings (STUs) are not to be measured on the scale of profit and loss. Ironically, it is being done in India. Nowhere in the world, such an attitude is being displayed by governments. In India, governments have drastically reduced the role of STUs and the field is left to private operators and the private transport sector is expanding day by day. The AIRTWF should pay proper attention to the private transport sector to organise the workers. He also cautioned that communal and divisive politics is being played to bring division among the working class and the people with the aim to benefit the corporates. The working class should be aware of it and prepared to defeat such politics.