Srinagar, September 11: Two days meeting of Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU) Jammu & Kashmir under the chairmanship of its President Mohamad Yousuf Tarigami concluded here at Srinagar. Dr. Kashmir Singh Thakur National Secretary Of CITU also participated in the meeting. Om Prakash, General Secretary CITU J&K presented an organizational report. The meeting deliberated upon various issues and problems confronting working class especially construction workers, Anganwadi Workers, Helpers, ASHA workers, Handicrafts workers, Hydel Project workers, transport workers, Hotel and Shakariwala workers, migrant workers with the determination to intensify struggles to fight anti-working class and anti-people policies of the government.
While addressing the meeting Mohamad Yousuf Tarigami criticized the anti-employee and anti working class policies of J&K administration. He said that the unemployment rate has reached an all time high in J&K and instead of creating new avenues the government is snatching the livelihood of those who were already in jobs.
He said that in the recent past various government employees were terminated without any inquiry or chargesheet, which has created a sense of fear among employees. They must have been given a chance to defend themselves before termination. There were already a set of laws and procedures governing these employees which were not followed. These decisions are arbitrary and draconian.
Similarly, J&K administration disengaged 918 helpers to supervisors in ICDS Scheme without any genuine reasons. The administration is trying to justify its wrong by claiming that their appointment had some flaws. If it was the case, the flaws must have been removed and they should have been continued. For years they served the government and their wages were coming from the government budget. How all of a sudden the administration detected that they were not engaged in proper manner?
Dr. Kashmir Singh Thakur National Secretary Of CITU criticized the National Monetization pipeline policy of the Union Government which will hand over the entire public sector to the monopoly houses of the country without spending a single rupee. This is a naked sale of the assets of the country, built without public money.
He said the social security benefits like pension, provident fund, health insurance etc. are hard won rights of the working class secured through decades of struggle. These gains are now being reversed through privatization of pension funds, provident funds and cuts in subsidies and welfare benefits and such measures being implemented across the world today specifically target the social security benefits in order to pass on the burden to the working people.
Om Prakash General Secretary CITU criticized the J&K government for not taking any step to provide any succor to the Handicrafts industry in J&K. There are thousands of Handicrafts workers in Kashmir valley and due to bankrupt policies of the government these workers are facing a lot of problems and are on the verge of starvation. He urged the government to come forward to save the handicrafts industry.
The CITU adopted resolution condemning the recent killing of the two school teachers, a prominent Kashmiri Pandit M. L Bindroo and a migrant worker. Attacks on innocent people should be put to an end immediately.
The CITU has decided to organize a big demonstration in Jammu & Kashmir against the anti working class policies of central government on 26th November 2021 demanding withdrawal of 4 labour codes in which thousands of workers are expected to participate.
Others who spoke on the occasion include Ab Rashid Najar,Ab Rashid Pandit CITU leaders ,Lateefa Ganie Anganwadi leader,Misra and Mubeena ASHA leaders.
