Port Blair, Jun 29As part of the All India Protest Day, Andaman and Nicobar State Committee of the Centre of Indian Trade Unions has organized mass dharna and public meeting at Port Blair and Diglipur today (29th June, 2017) demanding Rs. 18,000/ as Minimum Wages for the workers, restoration of sugar and kerosene to through fair price shops under the public distribution system and against the move to reduce employer’s contribution to the EPF. Various other anti-working class policies being pursued by the central government like privatization of PSUs, widespread contractorisation of government work, illegal amendments of labour laws, minimum pension should be Rs. 3,000/-, to stop Foreign Direct Investment in Railway, Defence and financial sectors, social security to all sections of woekrs, price rise, etc. were also highlighted during the programme. At Port Blair, the Mass Dharna was held at Tiranga Park in from 9.30 a.m. to 4 p.m. in which a large number of workers participated. The Mass Dharna was followed by a public meeting at the same place. Addressing the public meeting, B. Chandrachoodan, General Secretary, CITU A & N State Committee criticized the central government for not accepting the demand for increase of minimum wages to Rs. 18,000/- to the workers and various other anti-worker policies. He said that Modi-led central government has put more burdens on the people especially those belonging to the lower strata of the society. He also came down heavily on the anti-employee attitude of some of the officers under the Administration and said that instead of solving the issues of workers amicably, these officers are taking decisions against the interests of workers. Addressing the meeting, Shri TS Sreekumar, General Secretary, Non-Gazetted Govt. Officers’ Association said that the central government by denying the increased allowances from 1.1.2016 to 48 lakhs central government employees have betrayed them and demanded that the decision may be reviewed and the revised allowance should be made applicable from 1.1.2016 instead of 1.7.2017. Shri Abdul Salam, Wildlife & Afloat Employees Union also addressed the meeting. Shri A. Boominathan, President, CITU State Committee presided over the meeting. At Diglipur, Mass Dharna, procession and public meeting were organized as part of the All India Protest Day. Shri Madan Mohan Das, CITU Diglipur Zonal Secretary and Shri Ramjeeban Sarkar (All India Kisan Sabha) led the programme and addressed the participants in the programme.
