CWFI Holds Karnataka State Conference

THE Karnataka unit of the Construction Workers Federation of India (CWFI, affiliated to the Centre of Indian Trade Unions) held its second state conference at Mandia district on March 16-17.

Preceding the delegates session, there was a big and colourful procession the workers, which culminated in a mass meeting. CWFI president R Singeravelu, its general secretary Debanjan Chakrabarti, its AP state committee president R Kottam Raju, Karnataka state CITU vice president Madhava and CWFI state unit’s general secretary N Veeraswamy, among others, led the procession along with local and district level leaders of the organisation.

The delegates session started in a nearby Community Hall, and 140 delegates, including eight women, from 15 districts attended it. B Madhava inaugurated the conference while N Veeraswamy placed the general secretary’s report for consideration. A total of 21 delegates discussed he report, making some concrete suggestions on increasing the membership, forging political consciousness, etc. They demanded more wholetimers for the organisation, and committed to increase the state CWFI’s membership from 25,000 to one lakh within the next three years.

CWFI general secretary Debanjan Chakrabarti told the delegates about the importance of construction industry as an interlinked industry. It has linkages with several industries like cement, steel, construction equipment, paints and chemicals, petroleum products and resins, fixtures and fitting (including electrical wiring), aggregates such as concrete and asphalt, timber, tiles and ceramics, aluminium, glass, plastics, etc. An estimated 15 to 20 lakh workers are associated with these industries. The boom in construction industry leads to a boom in these interlinked industries too, and vice versa. He talked about proper implementation of central act and welfare scheme for construction workers in Karnataka, adding that CWFI activists must take these issues in order to increase its membership. He also talked about the world working class movement against wage cuts, increased working hours, cut in social security benefits etc, and also about the attacks of the TMC led West Bengal government against the CITU and others.

CWFI president R Singeravelu told about the construction workers welfare benefits scheme of Tamilnadu and also the organisation’s work among construction workers in that state.

Kotam Raju narrated about the AP welfare fund scheme for construction workers and the state of organisation there.

The conference elected a 52 member state committee with N Veeraswamy as president, B Umesh as general secretary and L Kumar as treasurer.