New Delhi, Jan 8 (KNN) Various trade unions from across the nation are staging protest against Narendra Modi led Union Government for ignoring 12-point charter of demands on minimum wage, universal social security, workers’ status and including pay and facilities for the scheme workers, against privatisation of public and government sector including financial sectors.

Protesting against the government, the central trade unions are observing a two-day Bharat Bandh starting from today i.e. January 8.

The call for Bharat Bandh was given by the central trade unions during a convention held in September 2018.

In a statement Centre for Indian Trade Union (CITU) said that the trade unions have demanded that the centre stop all ‘pro-corporate, anti-worker amendments to labour laws’, stop the privatisation and corporatisation of transport sector, abolish contract system and implement a national common minimum wage among other demands.

CITU said “The Central Government failed to respond, refused any dialogue, undermined tripartism, did not hold Indian Labour Conference for the last more than three and half years and instead, continued its aggressive attack with arrogance on the lives and livelihood of the working people.”

Desperate attempts are being made to make gross pro-employer changes in labour laws, both piecemeal and also hastening the codification of 44 central laws into four, totally ignoring the viewpoints of trade unions, it added.

“An attempt is being made to usurp funds accumulated in various welfare boards, in the name of providing “universal Social Security”, said CITU.

Unilaterally and through arbitrary notification on fixed term employment through executive order on the one hand and through gradual replacement of workers by apprentices in various establishments on the other, the very concept of regular employment and job security is being sought to be wiped out from the workplaces, it added.

“Now the cabinet has come out with amendments into the Trade Union Act, 1926 which are irrational, highly discretionary and extremely damaging to the independent functioning of unions. It is designed with the dubious intention to cripple unions, to promote pocket unions or tout unions,” said CITU.

In addition, CITU said that the government policy of mass privatization of strategic PSUs, crucial infrastructure and public utilities, specially targeting the ports, airports, telecom, financial sector etc, with defense production and railways thrown open for 100% FDI, is aimed at loot of the national assets and resources on the one hand and destruction of country’s economic base on the other.

12-point charter of demands of CITU are as follows:

1. Urgent measures for containing price-rise through universalisation of public distribution system and banning speculative trade in commodity market.
2. Containing unemployment through concrete measures for employment generation.
3. Strict enforcement of all basic labour laws without any exception or exemption and stringent punitive measures for violation of labour laws.
4. Universal social security cover for all workers.
5. Minimum wages of not less than Rs 15,000/- per month with provisions of indexation.
6. Assured enhanced pension not less than Rs 3,000/- per month for the entire working population.
7. Stoppage of disinvestment in Central/State PSUs.
8. Stoppage of contractorisation in permanent perennial work and payment of same wage and benefits for contract workers as regular workers for same and similar work.
9. Removal of all ceilings on payment and eligibility of bonus, provident fund; increase the quantum of gratuity.
10. Compulsory registration of trade unions within a period of 45 days from the date of submitting application; and immediate ratification of ILO Conventions C 87 and C 98.
11. Stoppage of Pro Employer Labour Law Amendments.
12. Stoppage of FDI in Railways, Insurance and Defence.

As many as 10 central trade unions have come together to call the strike, which is further being supported by organisations like AITUC, CITU, HMS, AIUTUC, TUCC, AICCTU, along with a large number of employees in the banking and insurance sector.