People's Democracy

Gujarat TUs Observe Demands Day

ON September 25, the CITU, BMS, ATU, AITUC, HMKP and ATTUC organised united programmes with workers from Jungadh, Rajkot, Bhavnagar, Ahmedabad and Modasa holding a huge demonstration and a militant chhaka jam at Ahmedabad for over two hours.

The protest procession and demonstration were organised at the joint call of the national level trade union organisations.

Gujarat CITU president Subodh Mehta waived the red flag as an indication for the procession to start. Others who joined the action included BMS secretary Deepak Pandya, Ahmedabad CITU secretary Satish Parmar, HMKP secretary Jayanti Panchal, association of trade union leader C M Chaudhary and AITUC leader Ramsagar Parihar.

Many of the workers came from outside in big batches; the largest batch coming from Junagadh with Bashirudin as its leader. While Lallan Sharma came with workers in two trucks from Rajkot, Bhavnagar CITU leader Ashok Sompura and Modasa CITU leader Dahyabhai Jadav too came with big contingents of workers. The number of workers exceeded one thousand, despite the fact that very heavy rains had blocked all the roads.

It was amid heavy downpour that the procession wended its way from Lal Darvaza to Rupali Cinema. The banners not only carried the names of the organising trade union centres but also the ten demands of the workers. Red flags were seen fluttering all along.