By The Hindu Bureau
The Joint Committee of Trade Unions (JCTU) in Mysuru has expressed their support for the all-India general strike called by various trade union organisations on July 9.
Addressing media persons here on Thursday, office-bearers of the trade union organisations said that the government has adopted 鈥榓nti-worker鈥 policies under the guise of 鈥渆ase of doing business鈥.
The government was accused of diluting trade union laws and the protection to the working class by the introduction of four labour codes, which, the organisations said, was inimical to their collective interest.
Hence, a general strike has been called by INTUC, AITUC, HMS, CITU, AIUTUC, AICCTU, SEWA,LPF, and other organisations in support of their demands.
Their key demands include abrogation of the four labour codes, retaining work timings to 8 hours per day, job regularisation to ensure job security, right to constitute associations, etc., 鈥 all of which are under threat due to the labour laws leaning towards corporate bodies, they said.
The trade unions have also sought a minimum wage of 鈧26,000 in the unorganised sector across the country, along with abrogation of the practice of hired or contract labour. The trade unions also criticised the governments for outsourcing workers. Expressing their solidarity with the farmers who have sought pension for senior citizens among them, the trade unions said that agricultural workers should be given a monthly pension of 鈧9,000.
The nation-wide strike is also an effort to get the New Pension Scheme annulled, and urge the government to revert to the Old Pension Scheme.
The State government was also urged to withdraw the proposed amendment to the Factories Act, as per which, the daily working hours will increase to 12.
The office bearers of the trade union organisations also urged the government to withdraw amendments to various agriculture related laws, including the APMC Act, and termed those inimical to the interest of the farmers.