People's Democracy

PUNJAB  

CITU, AIKS, AIAWU Organise Joint Convention  

AT the joint national call of Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU), All India Kisan Sabha and All India Agriculture Workers Union a state level joint convention was held in Jallandhar on March 29, 2007 in Desh Bhagat Yadgar Hall. Over one thousand representatives of CITU affiliated unions, Punjab Kisan Sabha and All India Agriculture Workers Union Punjab took part in the convention. The convention was chaired together by Rachhpal Singh, president Punjab Kisan Sabha, Vijay Misra, president Punjab CITU and Bhoop Chand Channo, president All India Agriculture Workers Union, Punjab. The main resolution placed in the convention by Raghunath Singh, general secretary Punjab CITU was supported by Lehmbar Singh Taggar, general secretary Punjab Kisan Sabha and Vasdev Jamsher, general secretary All India Agriculture Workers Union, Punjab apart from several other state leaders of various mass organizations. The resolution noted that the UPA government in the centre instead of implementing the national common minimum programme for which it is committed, is fol1owing and implementing the anti people and anti national economic policies of NDA government resulting in steep hike in the prices of essential commodities and large scale unemployment.  

The resolution further noted that the UPA government had not taken any effective step against the hoarders and to stop futures trading to check the price hike. The government had not taken any step to generate new jobs to check unemployment. On the contrary, it had allowed back door entry to multinational giants like Wal Mart in retail market, which would render over four crore shopkeepers engaged in retail market jobless. The number of suicides by the fanners is also rising since the government had not taken any step to waive off the long pending loans of the farmers and nor had it procured the agriculture products of the peasants at remunerative price. High lighting the burning demands of industrial workers, agricultural workers and the peasants such as - to check the rise in prices of essential commodities; to restore in full the public distribution system by strengthening procurement with remunerative prices to the peasants; introduce comprehensive bill on unorganised labour and agriculture workers in the parliament; to effective1y implement national employment guarantee scheme and make it universal; to withdraw cut in custom duties which severely affect our agriculture and small scale industry; to make ICDS universal and regularise anganwadi workers and helpers, pending which, improve their working and living conditions; to give cheaper credit to farmers and agricultural workers and waive off debts of the poor under distress; to give land to the tiller with special emphasis on SC/STs; to implement all labour laws and minimum wages; to amend SEZ act and rules to protect the interests of the peasants, agricultural workers and other affected people; to ensure supply of atta at Rs. 4/- per Kg. and daIs at Rs. 20/- per Kg to all the industrial workers getting only minimum wages, agricultural workers and poor peasants:, to revise minimum wages of the industrial and agricultural workers with retrospective effect; to ban closers, lock outs and retrenchments and ensure payment of workers’ dues of closed and sick industrial units.  

Stressing upon the need and importance for united struggle of workers and peasants against price rise, unemployment and anti people polices of government, the convention called upon the workers and peasants of Punjab to join the state wide mass campaign which would be launched from April 1 on the common issues and demands of the toiling people in a big way. During this campaign, public meetings rallies and cultural programme would be organised. The convention also called upon workers and peasants to join protest rallies and demonstrations which would be held in front of the office of deputy commissioners to observe worker-peasants’ demands day. The convention was also addressed among others by Dev Raj Verma, Punjab CITU and Punjab Roadway Motor Mazdoor Union.   

(INN)