HUNDREDS of workers protested at the Vankos Factory in Patna’s Pataliputra Industrial Area on the issues of Lockdown-induced distress and justice, dignity and rights of workers. The protest was organized under AICCTU’s countrywide Nyay Abhiyan (Campaign for Justice) from 10 June to 26 June.
The workers raised slogans related to their demands, which were: stop abrogation of labor laws, 12-hour work shift, ending of 44 labor laws through 4 Labour Codes, and retrenchments and cuts in wages and DA. They demanded Rs 10000 Lockdown Allowance and free rations for 6 months for all workers including migrant workers, ASHAs, Rasoiyas and construction workers, guarantee of employment for migrant workers, disbursement of relief fund to construction workers from the 150 crore collected in the Welfare Board Cess.
Addressing the gate meeting, AICCTU leader Rajvijay Kumar said that the Modi-Nitish governments are handing over the country’s resources and wealth to capitalists in the guise of ‘self-reliance’. He pointed out that privatization is the road not to self-reliance but to slavery and appealed to the people to make the countrywide Protest Day on 3 July called jointly by the Central Trade Unions a resounding success.
