People's Democracy

TUs To Launch Countrywide Agitation

MEETING at New Delhi on June 10, the Sponsoring Committee of Trade Unions has decided to launch a countrywide campaign and movement on the pressing demands of the working people of the country. The committee comprises the central trade union organisations, viz the AITUC, AICCTU, CITU, HMS, TUCC, UTUC and UTUC-LS and all-India federations or associations of employees and workers in bank, insurance, railways, central and state government offices and departments, telecom, postal, defence, petroleum and other sectors.

The meeting adopted a 16 point charter of demands on which there will be an intensive nationwide campaign. This charter of demands, adopted by the meeting, is as below.

1. Enactment of a comprehensive legislation on service conditions and social security for the unorganised sector workers and agricultural workers, with adequate government funding and effective monitoring system.

2. Suitable amendment to or change in the National Rural Employment Guarantee Bill to ensure employment guarantee for the rural and urban unemployed within a time frame, in line with the commitment made in the NCMP.

3. Halt to the moves towards downsizing of workforce and lifting of the ban on recruitment; stop to contractisation.

4.  Strengthening of inspection and enforcement machinery to ensure strict implementation of all labour laws including statutory minimum wages in all sectors including the SEZs and EPZs; no pro-employer changes in labour laws in the name of flexibility.

5.  Enactment of legislation to prevent sexual harassment of women at workplaces and ensure full protection to women against atrocities.

6. Stop to privatisation and disinvestment of profit making and strategic sector PSUs including nationalised banks, telecom, airports etc; no privatisation of public services and utilities; stop to merger of banks; no corporatisation of defence production units.

7.  Urgent measures for revival of sick/loss making but potentially viable PSUs.

8. Rescinding of the measures to raise the FDI cap in the telecom sector and permitting FDI in defence sector; withdrawal of the proposal to raise the FDI cap in banking and insurance sectors; withdrawal of the steps to allow FDI in coal, retail and pension sectors.

9.  Withdrawal of the amendment bills regarding banking regulation and Reserve Bank of India.

10.  Review of the Electricity Act 2003 and the National Electricity Policy (announced on February 3, 2005); repeal of the provisions against cross-subsidisation and on unbundling and privatisation of SEBs; elimination of the rural-urban divide; ensured supply to rural areas, agricultural sector and urban weaker sections.

11. Immediate legislative measures to ensure the right to strike for all workers and employees including those in government service.

12. Constitution of the sixth pay commission for government employees.

13. Removal of the ceilings on eligibility and calculation in Payment of Bonus Act. Raise in the interest rates on EPF, GPF, CMPF, PPF and small savings instruments by raising the administered rate of interest; scrapping of the new pension system and the PFRDA bill; restoration of the pre-2004 pension scheme for the new entrants in government service.

14.  Land reforms and stepped up public investment for irrigation facilities.

15.  Strengthening of the public distribution system.

16.  Stringent measures for recovering the non-performing assets (NPAs) and unpaid tax arrears from the defaulters in the corporate and big business lobby.

The meeting of the Sponsoring Committee of Trade Unions also decided to hold an all-India convention of workers and employees in New Delhi on July 9, 2005, where the programme of sustained struggle, including a countrywide general strike, to realise the demands would be decided. The meeting appealed to all the trade unions, irrespective of affiliations, to join in the campaign and mobilise their full strength to make the July 9 convention, and the action programmes to follow, a success. The venue and other details of the convention will be decided later and duly communicated to all concerned. (INN)