People's Democracy
(Weekly Organ of the Communist Party of India (Marxist)
No.
29
July 18, 2010
|
Vol. XXXIV
No.
29 July 18, 2010 |
All
The
representatives of the central trade unions and
workers and employees federations -- BMS, INTUC, AITUC, HMS, CITU, AIUTUC, TUCC, AICCTU, UTUC and LPF organised the
second national convention of the workers in New Delhi on July 15, 2010
and adopted
the following declaration.
DECLARATION
THE representatives
of central trade unions and workers and employees federations having
assembled
in the second national convention of the workers on July 15, 2010,
reviewed the
joint action programme over five commonly agreed demands as decided in
the
first historic convention of workers on September 14, 2009. This
convention
considering the review of joint actions - all
Despite the trade
unions demanding effective steps to curb price rise, particularly food
price
inflation, food prices escalating as high as 17 per cent, inflation
rising to
double-digit, government continues to remain totally unresponsive to
mitigate
the deep sufferings of the working people;
Despite the trade
unions expressing deep concern at the uninterrupted violation of labour
laws
and trade union rights, situation is becoming grim and repressive every
day;
Despite trade
unions protesting against job loss, underpayment, unbearable living
conditions,
lengthening working hours, rampant contractorisation,
casualisation and outsourcing, nothing
is being done to prevent the
declining living conditions and inhuman exploitation of working masses;
Despite the trade
unions opposing the disinvestment in the profit making public sector,
the
latest disinvestment being pushed through in Coal India Ltd, BSNL,
SAIL, NLC,
Hindustan Copper, NMDC etc., the
pernicious policy of reckless
disinvestment is continuing with impunity;
Despite the trade
unions earnestly asking for the setting up of a massive welfare fund
for
universal comprehensive social security coverage for the unorganised
sector
workers without any restriction, the fund allocation remain nominal and
restrictive provisions continue.
The convention
notes with concern that not only the protests of the trade unions are
being
ignored, the policy that accentuates increase in the prices of
foodgrains is being
constantly bulldozed, the latest is the deregulation of petroleum
pricing
linking it with the international market leading to hefty increase in the prices of kerosene, cooking
gas, diesel, and petrol.
The convention
reiterates the unanimously formulated demands once again as under:
Price rise of essential
commodities to be contained through appropriate corrective and
distributive
measures like universal PDS and containing speculation in commodity
market
Concrete proactive measures to
be taken for linkage of employment protection in the recession stricken
sectors
with the stimulus package being offered to the concerned entrepreneurs
and for
augmenting public investment in infrastructure
Strict enforcement of all
basic labour laws without any exception or exemption and stringent
punitive
measures for violation of labour laws
Steps to be taken for removal
of all restrictive provisions based on poverty line in respect of
eligibility
of coverage of the schemes under the unorganised workers social
security act
2008 and creation of national fund for the unorganised sector to
provide for a
national floor level social security to all unorganised workers
including the
contract/casual workers in line with the recommendation of national
commission
on enterprises in unorganised sector and parliamentary standing
committee on
labour
Disinvestment of shares of
central public sector enterprises (CPSEs) be not resorted to for
meeting
budgetary deficit and instead their growing reserve and surplus be used
for
expansion and modernisation purposes and also for revival of sick
public sector
undertakings.
This national
convention of workers, while exercising their constitutional and
democratic
rights seek to further its legitimate protest and call for immediate
correction
of the patently wrong policies that dangerously hurt the interests of
the
working people and the society as a whole, and to give vent to the feelings of
the
growing indignation of the working people.
The
convention
therefore resolves to call for an all
The convention
calls upon the entire working people of the country, irrespective of
affiliations to rally everbody in the united call for countrywide
general
strike and make it a total success and intensify the struggle further
and
prepare for a massive march of the workers to parliament in
November/December
2010.
