May Day rally held: Withdrawal of Labor Code demanded, nationwide general strike on 20 May

Raipur (Team Newsbuddy): On the occasion of International Labor Day, the United Trade Union Council, workers and employees took out a rally from Moti Bagh in heavy rain and marched on the streets of the capital and announced to make the nationwide strike on 20 May successful in Chhattisgarh too, demanding withdrawal of the anti-labor labor code and privatization policy of the Modi government. This rally which started from Moti Bagh passed through Chhotapara, Kotwali, Corporation Headquarters and turned into a public meeting at Rajiv Gandhi Tiraha. During this, a resolution was taken to make the nationwide general strike of 20th May a great success in Chhattisgarh on the call of the major trade unions of the country.

Hundreds of people, in the rally decorated with banners, flags and posters, strongly opposed the anti-labour and anti-farmer steps and communal policies of the BJP government of the Center and the State and proclaimed to carry forward united struggles against it with class unity.

The meeting held on this occasion was addressed by CZIEA General Secretary Dharmaraj Mahapatra, Third Class Government Workers Union President Chandrashekhar Tiwari, postal employee leader Dinesh Patel, Ashutosh Singh, BSNL’s Hariram Pal, JS Naskar, RDIEU General Secretary Surendra Sharma, Rajesh Parate, demanding withdrawal of all the four anti-labour labor codes, starting new recruitment in the government sector soon, restoring the old pension scheme, stopping inflation and unemployment, providing minimum salary of Rs 26,000, equal pay for equal work. Demands were made to provide wages, ban contract system and outsourcing, provide fair price to farmers for their crops, withdraw Electricity Amendment Bill 2022, provide employment for 200 days in MNREGA, ban privatization of public sectors, withdraw FDI in infrastructure sectors including insurance sector, strengthen public distribution system, ban communalism and impose additional tax on super rich and corporate houses. The speakers alleged that the central government’s increasing steps towards repealing 44 labor laws and implementing 4 labor codes are preparations to push workers into a life of slavery. The central government is trying to impose dictatorship by eliminating values ​​​​like the Constitution, democracy and secularism. Steps like one nation one election and uniform civil code have posed a threat to democratic rights. All institutions like Election Commission, ED, CBI are being misused against the opposition by attacking their autonomy. Against these conditions, the workers and farmers of the country announced to intensify their struggles with unity. On 20th May, with the biggest strike action of independent India, more than 20 crore toilers will inaugurate a new series of struggles.
In today’s proceedings held under the leadership of United Trade Union Council, workers and employees associated with its constituent organizations, Centre of Indian Trade Unions, Raipur Division Insurance Employees Union, BSNL Employees Union, Drug Sellers Association, Central Zone Insurance Employees Association, CG Third Class Government Employees Union, Postal Employees Union, AIIMS Union, participated in large numbers. The meeting was presided over and conducted by President of United Trade Union Council, VS Baghel.