Patiala 21 June: Punjab AITUC President Bant Singh Brar and General Secretary Nirmal Singh Dhaliwal issued a statement to the press saying that 10 central trade unions and independent federations are going to hold a nationwide strike on July 9 to raise the issues of employees, workers, toilers and all classes of people who are victims of exploitation.
This strike will be more successful than all the previous strikes held in the entire country. Because the Modi government has taken the economic exploitation of the common people to the extreme by opening the doors of loot for the corporates and foreign imperialists.
As a result, the life of the working class has become difficult. To give all kinds of exemptions to the corporates, 29 central labor laws have been abolished and converted into 4 labor codes, due to which the legal rights of the workers have almost ended.
Apart from this, various laws like UAPA have been brought into existence to crush the struggles of workers and many other sections fighting for their rights through strikes, demonstrations, dharnas, rallies, processions and many other ways and BNS has been brought in place of IPC and police has been given immense powers so that the struggles of the people can be crushed. The public sector has been brought close to its end. Privatisation is being established everywhere.
The labour force of the youth is being looted at cheap prices through the contract system. Pension schemes like NPS and UPS have been introduced by abolishing the old pension. Workers' money will be deducted and they will be given less pension. Important issues like health, education, unemployment, retrenchment, lockdown etc. have taken a serious turn. Crores of scheme workers in the country are not being given the status of workers nor are they being given minimum wages.
A plan is being made to abolish the NREGA law. NREGA is not being extended, whereas in this dangerous period of unemployment, NREGA should be implemented in cities also and work should be given for 200 days instead of 100 days and the daily wage should be Rs 700, the minimum wage should be Rs 26000 per month etc. There are many other issues for which this strike will have to be based.
Brar and Dhaliwal asked the leadership of all the organizations related to Punjab AITUC to organize meetings and conferences by their respective organizations to prepare for the strike and to plan joint programs with other organizations.