Working Class

The Uttarakhand State Committee meeting of the All India Central Council of Trade Unions (AICCTU) was held on September 15 in the Nagar Nigam Auditorium in Haldwani. The meeting saw key discussions regarding workers' and employees' rights and the state government's policies.

The meeting commenced with a one-minute silence in tribute to the sudden demise of CPI(M) General Secretary Com. Sitaram Yechury. The session was conducted by AICCTU State General Secretary Comrade K. Bora.

The UPS (Unified Pension Scheme), approved by the Modi Government is a ploy to deceive and divide the government employees. The government lives in a fools’ paradise of halting the movement against NPS and for restoration of OPS (Old Pension Scheme) by introducing UPS.

The introduction of UPS marks no qualitative change vis-a-vis NPS. Rather, it is complete denial of employees’ right to the Old Pension Scheme, the benefit scheme to compensate for the decades of service they rendered to the government.

When the workers of Prism Johnson Ltd. RMC (India) Division reported for their morning shift at 8 AM on 19.07.2024 in their two factory plants in Bengaluru, they were shocked to find the factory gates closed and a “Notice of Closure” stuck on the gate. This occurred after the workers on their night shift left the factory premises at 6 AM! The workers were not allowed inside the factory premises by bouncers hired by the company, even when the workers appealed saying they wanted to speak to the management!

In a statement of issued on July 2, AICCTU has demanded the immediate withdrawal of FIRs filed against street vendors in Delhi and Goa under the newly implemented Indian Penal Code. The organization has also called for the repeal of the new criminal code, describing it as unconstitutional and undemocratic.

The App Workers' Union (AICCTU) staged a protest in front of the Delhi Labour Commissioner's office on 20th June to highlight the increasing exploitation of app workers amid extreme heat conditions. Delivery workers from companies like Swiggy, Zomato, Instamart, Blinkit, and Porter, operating across various parts of Delhi, joined forces to voice their concerns about the relentless exploitation they face, even in the sweltering summer heat.

The All India Central Council of Trade Unions (AICCTU) organised protests on June 24, 2024, against the significant reduction in penalties for non-deposit of PF contributions by corporations. This move by the NDA - Modi regime has been termed as permission for open looting by corporations and a betrayal of workers' hard work and earnings.

In a pre-budget consultation meeting with the Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman held in New Delhi on 24 June, the representatives of central trade union organisations and employees’ federations criticised the former for not holding such consultations during previous years. The CTUs also reminded the government of the highest workers’ tripartite forum, the Indian Labour Conference (ILC) which has not been called since the NDA governments came to power ten years ago.

AICCTU, Delhi unit has called for immediate measures from the Government of NCT of Delhi including the Office of the LG and Chief Minister to protect the workers amidst the heat wave and rising incidents of factory fires in Delhi. In a recent incident, three workers were killed after a massive fire in Delhi’s Narela industrial area on June 8. According to reports, the workers were employed in a cramped-up food processing unit where they were forced to work in a 12-hour shift without any protection or safety measures.

The All India Central Council of Trade Unions has strongly condemned the illegal retrenchment of 61 sanitation workers by the DRDO in Bangalore. These workers who have been serving since 10-15 years were denied work by the central government agency from 23 March 2024.

On 8th May, 2024, 55 workers in Bengaluru who were working as ward attenders in Victoria Hospital (BMCRI) were terminated for the sole reason that they had demanded payment of wages of 2 months, which was due to them. The workers were on a protest from 8th May onwards seeking that they be immediately taken back to work. On 10th May, the workers were detained by the police for having demanded their work, which was their legitimate rights. However, the workers refused to be defeated and continued their protest.