People's Democracy

CITU Condemns Govt’s Hypocritic Response

The following is the press statement issued by the Centre of Indian Trade Unions on March 1, 2012

ON the very day of unprecedented strike on February 28, all over the country by all the central trade unions on ten point charter of demands which included immediate stoppage of disinvestment of profit making PSUs, the government responded by declaring 5 per cent disinvestment of ONGC, the Maharatna PSU having an annual profit of Rs 18,000 crore as well as reserve and surplus of more Rs One lakh crore. The CITU condemns the hypocritic stand of the government which only a couple of days back appealed to the central trade unions through the labour minister to desist from going on strike as the “issues raised by the central trade unions have already been addressed to a substantial extent.” The CITU reminds the government that even during pre-budget discussions, the central trade unions had asked the government to take concrete steps of recover at least a part of Rs Three lakh crore tax arrears of individuals/ corporates, to make up the revenue deficit instead of selling public assets through disinvestment. Even 5 per cent recovery of the tax arrears will exceed the amount proposed to be gained through disinvestment of the ONGC.

The CITU also deplores the government’s plan to increase petrol, diesel and the LPG price after assembly elections in five states which is bound to fuel further price-rise and inflation, a burning issue highlighted by the all India strike. The CITU strongly asserts that if the government can afford to arrest the price-rise of petroleum products for electoral purpose during election times, there is no reason why the same cannot be done during non-election time.

The CITU calls upon the working class to mobilise and vociferously protest against government’s hypocritic stand to ignore the demands of the working class to stop inflation and disinvestment.