All trade unions have announced their support to the all-India strike, the call for which was given by Central trade unions and employees federations to protest against the anti-people policies of the Modi government, at a round table here on Wednesday.
The leaders of various trade unions called upon the employees, workers and the public to make the strike a total success. They said that the lopsided policies of the Centre were badly affecting the progress of Visakhapatnam. They said that the Centre had converted 44 labour laws into four labour codes to suppress their rights. The agricultural laws were amended in Parliament in the most undemocratic manner, to the detriment of farmers, they alleged.
They said that the public sector was being weakened, giving rise to unemployment, and social justice was being ignored. They alleged that measures were being initiated to privatise the Visakhapatnam Steel Plant (VSP), public sector oil companies, defence, ports, Railways, banks, insurance, Telecom, HSL and the power sector.
The demand to make a comprehensive law for the benefit of unorganised sector workers was being ignored, they alleged. Measures were being initiated to disintegrate the building construction workers welfare board. They alleged that not even a single rupee was given directly to the workers from the ₹20 crore bailout package of the Centre. However, corporates like Ambani and Adani benefited during the pandemic, they said.
Deriding the YSRCP government in the State for failing to oppose the “anti-people, anti-worker and anti-farmer policies of the Centre”, they alleged that ₹450 crore funds from the Workers Welfare Board were diverted to other schemes. Calling upon all workers, employees, and public to make the strike a success, they said that strike notice should be served to all managements, Labour officials and government officials on Novembr 10 and gate meetings should be held from November 15 to 23.
Motorcycle rallies should be organised on November 20 and 21 and ‘auto jathas’ from November 23 to 25. A massive rally would be taken out from the DRM Office junction at Dondaparthy to the Gandhi statue near GVMC on November 26, they said.
