People's Democracy

CITU Denounces Proposal for NMIZ

THE Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU) has strongly denounced the draft manufacturing policy of the central government, approved by a committee headed by the prime minister. The policy, the CITU said, inter alia, paves the way for creation of National Manufacturing and Investment Zones (NMIZ), a bigger version of the special economic zones (SEZs) as the NMIZs will encompass both export oriented and domestic products.

Through a statement issued from New Delhi, June 10, the CITU has expressed its sense of shock over the contemptuous disregard shown by a totally insensitive government in formulating such a policy in the wake of massive protests and movements all over the country against the creation of 500 SEZs. Under the cover of increasing the share of manufacturing sector the corporate-captive government is bent on ensuring land-loot, fabulous tax-concessions and exemptions from more or less all labour laws to the corporates, both domestic and foreign, and to the fly-by-night operators through the proposed NMIZs.

The CITU has appealed to all the trade unions to mobilise the working class in order to give a fitting reply to such anti-worker and anti-people policies of the UPA-2 government. The latter appears to be totally callous towards the plight of the 46 crore workforce in the country, who are facing unprecedented price rises and a jungle raj in the industrial sector because of blatant violation of labour laws of the land by the employers. The CITU has warned the government that any step in implementing the so called “manufacturing policy,” which is virtually a part of the corporate agenda, will be opposed tooth and nail by united movement of the working class.

BAN ORDER

DENOUNCED

Later, through another statement issued on June 11, the CITU secretariat denounced the Haryana government’s order to ban the ongoing movement by workers in the Maruti Suzuki unit at Manesar. The CITU has expressed its full solidarity and support to the peaceful movement by 2500 workers of the factory to assert their constitutional right to form a union of their own choice and their fight against the nefarious attempts of the Maruti-Suzuki management to foster a “pocket union” which hits at the very basic concept of industrial democracy.

The CITU has demanded that the Haryana government should immediately withdraw the order and ask the Suzuki management to withdraw its illegal orders of termination and suspension of workers as well as other repressive measures. The CITU has also urged upon the state government to refrain from taking any provocative step under the influence of the multinational management of Suzuki which is likely to create further industrial unrest in the Gurgaon industrial area.

In its statement the CITU has also deplored the attempt of the management and a few corporate controlled media to search some “hidden political hand” behind the genuine assertion of basic trade union rights at Manesar, despite the fact that leading industrialists, employers and the representative of industrial federations are actively engaged in politics, as MLAs, MPs and even ministers, while pursuing their anti-labour and windfall profit-earning policies in industries.

Urging all its affiliates and the working class to give full support to the agitating employees of Maruti Suzuki and the joint trade union council formed in Gurgaon, the CITU has appealed to them strongly protest against the oppressive actions by the management and the Haryana state government.