Port Blair, Oct 17: A Convention of workers who are members of the trade unions based at Port Blair was held at Port Blair today the 12th October, 2014. The Convention was organized by the Centre of Indian Trade Unions as part of the nation-wide campaign against the move on the part of central government and various state governments to amend various labour laws at the cost of working class in the country.
Addressing the Convention, Shri B. Chandrachoodan, General Secretary, CITU, A & N State Committee explained the Declaration adopted by the National Convention of Central Trade Unions held at New Delhi on 15th September, 2014 on the above issue and the decision of such Convention to carry out intensive campaign among the workers. He further said that the central government and Andaman and Nicobar Administration have continuously neglected various genuine demands of the workers, particularly those who are working on contract and daily rated basis in various departments under the Administration.
Speaking on the occasion, Shri D. Ayyappan, General Secretary, Non-Gazetted Govt. Officers’ Association said that the central government is all set to amend a number of labour laws to facilitate the employers to deny various legitimate rights of the workers which they had achieved through historical struggles in the country. He said that the moves of amendments in the labour laws by the central government are aimed at empowering the employers to retrench/layoff workers or declare closure/shut down at will and also resort to mass scale contractorisation. These are also designed to push out more than seventy per cent of the industrial and service establishments in the country and their workers out of the purview of almost all labour laws, thereby allowing the employers a free hand to further squeeze and exploit the workers, he said.
Shri SP Kalairajan, Circle Secretary, BSNL Employees Union said that the central government is extending all-out help to the private telecom companies in the country while government-owned BSNL and MTNL are being neglected. Shri Steephen Fernandez, Divisional Secretary, All India Postal Employees Union, Port Blair and Shri A. Bhoominathan, General Secretary, ASNVMS also addressed the Convention which was attended by a large number of workers from various trade unions.
