Port Blair, Apr 02: Centre of Indian Trade Unions, Andaman and Nicobar State Committee has organized a massive procession and public meeting on 31.03.2017 at Port Blair demanding settlement of various demands of the workers working in government and private sector.
The procession which started from Tiranga Park in the evening made a round of the town, including the office of the Labour Commissioner at Supply Line, converged into a public meeting at Tiranga Park, Aberdeen Bazar.
Hundreds of workers from various departments under the Administraiton and private sector joined the procession. The demands in pursuance of which the procession and public meeting were organied were (1) Immediate Revision of Minimum Wages for Schedule Employment (Minimum Wages is Due from March, 2014 in A & N Islands) (2) Grant 1/30th of pay plus DA to all DRMs in APWD and Other Departments, (3) Fill up all vacant posts in various departments under the Administration, (4) anti-working class attitude of the Labour Department, etc. Addressing the meeting at Tiranga Park, B. Chandrachoodan, General Secretary, CITU State Committee said that even after the change at the Centre nearly 3 years ago, the plight of the poor workers in the islands continue to be the same and said that the central government and A & N Administration are least bothered about the problems faced by the workers. He said that the Administration has not taken any step to revise the minimum wages of workers in the schedule employment even though the revision was due from March, 2014 as the last revision was done in March, 2009.
A. Boominathan, President, CITU State Committee demanded immediate grant of 1/30th of pay plus DA scheme to DRMs working in APWD. SL Vinjit, Secretary, South Andaman Teachers’ Branch of Non-Gazetted Govt. Officers’ Association explained the delaying tactics of the central government to resolve the demands of central government employees including the delay in revising the allowances.
Shri BC Bhattacharjee, Office Secretary, CITU State Committee, Shri Ananda Rajan, Treasurer, CITU State Committee, and Shri Abdul Salam, Secretary, Wildlife & Afloat Employees Union also addressed the meeting.
