Port Blair, Dec 04: The 15th All India Conference of the Centre of Indian Trade Unions was held from 26th to 30th November, 2016 at Puri in Odisha. 2023 delegates including 447 women from 24 States, in proportion to the membership, representing 60 lakhs members of around ten thousand trade unions in various sectors, attended the Conference. The Conference was held near Yatrika, close to the sea beach in Puri. From Andaman and Nicobar Islands, B. Chandrachoodan and A. Boominathan attended the Conference. The venue for the delegate conference was named after Com. Samar Mukherji and the Conference hall was named after Com. R Umanath. Both of these veteran leaders of CITU passed away after the last conference. The report for the Conference was presented by Tapan Sen, General Secretary and the Accounts were submitted by Ranjana Nirula, Treasurer. Discussions on the Reports started from 27th morning and continued upto 28th evening. The discussions covered various issues, confronting the workers, the struggles conducted during the last 3 years, future programmes and also about the organizational tasks of CITU. On 29th, the delegates were formed into 3 Commissions and discussed on Communalism, Worker-Peasant Unity and Impact of Neo-liberalism on the working people.
The Conference besides electing new leadership for the next term has passed resolution on people’s urgent issues eg. Price rise, unemployment, pro-capital and anti-worker labour law reforms, violent attacks on women, minorities, dalits and tribals, etc. The conference also had detailed discussion on the necessary measures to be taken to strengthen CITU as a strong country wide organisation. The conference discussed all important issues confronting the workers, the policies of the central and state governments, including demonetisation, the attacks on the fundamental rights of workers, social injustices and the divisive attempts of communalism. Special discussions were held on impacts of globalisation, on communalism and on building untied movements of workers, peasants and agricultural workers. Conference gave a clarion call to build up more unity among all sections of workers and other toiling people to strengthen the struggle against the anti-worker, anti-people policies of the government at the centre. The conference called upon all affiliated unions to organise countrywide movement during next two months. The Conference unanimously elected Dr. K. Hemalata as President, Tapan Sen as General Secretary and M.L. Malkotia as Treasurer.
Sixteen Vice Presidents including the outgoing President A.K. Padmanabhan and 16 Secretaries were elected. These 35 comrades will from the Secretariat where six are new inductions. The Conference also elected a 460 member General Council including the Secretariat members which in turn elected a 160 member Working Committee. B. Chandrachoodan from Andaman and Nicobar Islands was elected to the General Council.
