Port Blair, Mar 15: At the call given by the Central Trade Unions, New Delhi, to observe 15th March, 2018 as All India Protest Day, Centre of Indian Trade Unions, Andaman & Nicobar State Committee organized a Mass Demonstration at Tiranga Park, Aberdeen Bazar, Port Blair today at 3 p.m. to express solidarity with the striking Defence Production workers against anti-national privatization move and to protest against the anti-people deceptive Union Budget 2018-19, against dismantling of labour laws, against privatization and outsouring of PSUs & Banking sector, etc. A large number of workers from different trade unions at Port Blair and South Andaman areas attended the programme which was led by Mr. M. Boominathan, President and Mr. B. Chandrachoodan, General Secretary, CITU A & N State Committee.
On conclusion of the said programme, the workers of APWD under the banner of Andaman Sarvajanik Nirman Vibhag Mazdoor Sangh (ASNVMS), took out a massive procession from Tiranga Park which after making a round of the Aberdeen Bazar, culminated in front of the Chief Engineer’s Office (APWD) at Port Blair and converted into a massive demonstration demanding immediate implementation of the Administration’s order dated 22nd September, 2017 directing all Heads of Departments to extend the 1/30th of pay plus DA at the relevant scale of pay to all the Daily Rated Mazdoors working under the APWD. Several hundreds of workers working at various Divisions of APWD at Port Blair and South Andaman areas participated in the mass procession and mass demonstration which continued upto 5 p.m.
Addressing the gathering, B. Chandrachoodan, President of the ASNVMS accused a section of Engineers in the APWD for putting obstacles in the way for implementation of the said order of the Administration and said that more than 4000 workers are eligible to get the benefits of 1/30th of pay plus DA scheme in APWD. Speaking to the APWD workers in front of CE’s office, Mr. M. Boominathan, General Secretary, ASNVMS warned the authorities that if the financial benefits of the above scheme is not extended to the workers immediately, the workers will unleash massive agitation including indefinite strike. Mr. Ananda Rajan, Treasurer of ASNVMS also addressed the workers.
