Working Class

Thousands of workers of Ranchi based Public Sector Undertaking, Heavy Engineering Corporation Limited (HEC) played a vital role in India’s Chandrayaan-3 and Aditya L-1 missions, and are today on the streets, with many forced to sell tea and newspapers for their livelihood.

Local committee conference of Bishnupur AICCTU was held on 24th September at Bishnupur Municipal Dormitory. The stage was named after Sushila Handi (sanitation workers leader of Bishnupur) and Seema Chakraborty (founder of women’s organisation in Bishnupur). The conference paid homage to the migrant workers killed in an accident in Mizoram and paid tribute to all martyrs and departed comrades.

The All India Municipal Workers Federation (affiliated to AICCTU) embarked on a country-wide resistance and demand day on September 12, calling for necessary steps to ensure the rights and dignity of lakhs of municipal workers across the country.

The workers involved in collection and transportation of garbage went on a five-day strike, between March 20th and March 24th, 2023, in various districts across Karnataka. These workers, are employed as garbage vehicle drivers and loaders in over 330 urban local bodies across the state, were demanding that the State Government implement the written assurance made by the Chief Minister to abolish the exploitative and illegal contract system, and that the workers be brought under the direct payment system of the local authorities.

The AICCTU affiliated unions of BBMP Powrakarmikara Sangha, Karnataka Pragatipara Powrakarmikara Sangha and Karnataka Pragatipara Tyajya Sagisuva Vahana Chalakara mattu Sahayakara Sangha have demanded that the special recruitment rules for safai karamcharis issued by the State Government in November 2022 must be withdrawn forthwith.

All India Construction Workers Federation (AICWF) held its first ever all India workshop at Ranchi on 9–10 Nov 2022 in the backdrop of the Modi led BJP government’s attacks on the working class, including Labour Codes, dismantling of welfare boards and by taking stock of its experience since its inception.

The Bellary Zilla Gani Karmikara Sangha, affiliated to the AICCTU undertook a Padyatra of 70 kms over 3 days from Sandur to Ballari from 11th to 13th October demanding compensation for the mine workers who had lost their employment when the mines were closed in 2011. Their struggle of over a decade is for their rightful share. The Padyatra was inaugurated by Social Activist Medha Patkar and social activist and Kannada actor, Chetan Ahimsa.

The 3rd AICCTU Uttarakhand state conference was organized with a pledge to stand firmly against the politics of communal polarization and intensify the struggle for rights, equality and dignity.

Hundreds of workers in the Venkosh Company in Patna which manufactures hydraulic jacks and is situated in the Pataliputra Industrial Area held a protest on 23 June at the Labour Office (Niyojan Bhavan) on Bailey Road.

A 4-member Union delegation comprising AICCTU State General Secretary RN Thakur, Union Vice President Ranvijay Kumar, AITUC General Secretary Ghaznafar Nawab and Venkosh Union General Secretary Surendra Yadav submitted a memorandum with the workers' demands to the Labour Commissioner.

Against Repeated Non-Payment of Wages and Vindictive Retrenchement

After non payment of wages for several months, JNU administration retrenches more than 150 sanitation and mess workers from 4 May.
The workers have not been paid their salary for last three months. The All India General Kamgar Union (affiliated to AICCTU), the union of the contractual workers in JNU intimated the JNU administration and the office of the labour commissioner about non payment of wages.