West Bengal, July 09: Left parties’ trade unions are staging a ‘Bharat Bandh’ alleging that the central government is pushing economic reforms that weaken workers’ rights. 10 Central trade unions have called the Bandh.
Defying police presence, members of the Left parties’ union entered Jadavpur railway station in West Bengal to block the railway tracks to mark their protest against the central govt’s “pro-corporate” policies. Left parties’ unions also took out a foot march in Jadavpur.
A heavy police force has been deployed near Jadavpur 8B bus stand, and bus drivers were seen wearing helmets for protection as private and state-run buses operate in Jadavpur despite the ‘Bharat Bandh’.
A bus driver said, “These people are saying the right thing (referring to the ‘Bharat Bandh’), but we have to do our work. We are workers, so we support (the ‘Bandh’)… We are wearing it (helmet) for protection in case something happens.”
Under the ‘Bandh’, sectors such as state-run public transport, government offices, public sector units, banking and insurance services, postal operations, coal mining and industrial production are likely to be affected.
The trade unions have alleged that the central government is implementing reforms that weaken workers’ rights.
CITU General Secretary Tapan Kumar Sen said, “On the 17-point charter of the demand, the focus was on the demand to completely scrap the labour ports enacted by the government in 2020, to destroy the country’s trade union movement. This will be a very dangerous exercise, and ultimately, the government is aiming to finish the democratic structure. Against that, the trade unions have given a call for a nationwide general strike.”
The participating organisations include Congress (INTUC), All India Trade Union Congress (AITUC), Hind Mazdoor Sabha (HMS), Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU), All India United Trade Union Centre (AIUTUC), Trade Union Coordination Centre (TUCC), Self-Employed Women’s Association (SEWA), All India Central Council of Trade Unions (AICCTU), Labour Progressive Federation (LPF), and the United Trade Union Congress (UTUC).
In a joint statement, the union forum criticised the government for not convening the annual labour conference for the past decade. They also resisted the implementation of the four labour codes passed in the parliament, alleging that that the government aim to weaken collective bargaining, crippling union activities and benefiting employers in the name of ‘ease of doing business’.
The trade union also criticised the government’s economic policies, stating that they have led to unemployment, inflation of essential commodities, a decline in wages, a reduction in social sector expenditure on education, health and basic civic amenities.
“For the last 10 years, the government has not been holding the Indian Labour Conference and is continuously taking decisions against the interests of workers. The efforts to implement the four labour codes are aimed at weakening collective bargaining, crippling union activities and benefiting employers in the name of ‘ease of doing business’. The economic policies of the government are leading to a rise in unemployment, inflation of essential commodities, a decline in wages, reduction in social sector expenditure on education, health and basic civic amenities. This is increasing inequality and misery for the poor, low-income groups and even the middle class,” the statement read.
Through ‘Bharat Bandh’, the unions are demanding the recruitment on sanctioned posts, an increase in working days and wages of MNREGA.
“We are demanding that the government solve the problem of unemployment, recruit for sanctioned posts, create more jobs, increase the working days and wages of MNREGA and implement a similar law for urban areas. But instead, the government is engaged in imposing the ELI scheme, which benefits only the employers,” the joint statement read.
