Srinagar, Nov 22 (KNO): The 7th one day State Conference of Centre of Indian Trade Unions, J&K was held on Saturday in Srinagar. The conference deliberated upon various issues and problems confronting the working class, with the resolve to intensify the struggles to fight anti-working class and anti-people policies of the government.
A statement issued to the news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO), the conference started with the flag hoisting ceremony by M.Y.Tarigami, President J&K CITU amid revolutionary slogans raised by hundreds of workers with red flags in their hands at Tagore Hall, Srinagar.
Floral tributes were offered in memory of martyrs who sacrificed their lives for the rights of working people and peasantry. Comrade Jagdesh Sharma, General Secretary, CITU, J&K presented the welcome address. Condolence resolution was presented by Muzaffar Ahmad in memory of Sitaram Yechury, Vasdudev Acharaya, Kanai Banerjee, Maharani Konar, M.S.Swaminathan, Comrade Raj Kumar, innocent brutal killings of Palestinians by Israel, innocent killings in bomb blasts at Red fort Delhi and Nowgam Srinagar.
Addressing the open session, Tarigami, President CITU, J&K, said the deteriorating condition of workers worldwide is evident from demonstrations in the United States, the United Kingdom and several European countries, and India is no exception. The condition of working people in the country and in Jammu and Kashmir has reached an alarming point. The workers in the unorganised sector in J&K are in deep distress, with no provision for minimum wages, pension or social security cover. “Their lives remain insecure,” he said.
Criticising the prolonged delay in the regularisation of daily wagers, casual labourers, seasonal, temporary and contractual workers in government departments, he said, “the delay has made their lives painful. Year after year they are made to wait without stability.”
The honorarium of Anganwadi workers and helpers has not been increased and ASHA workers continue to work with inadequate incentives. “Mid-day meal cooks are paid only one thousand rupees a month. This is unacceptable and they must be brought under proper social security,” he said. The NHM employees who have been serving the people in far flung areas with dedication are facing huge problems in regard to their regularisation and other genuine issues. The minimum wages provided in the union territories of Delhi, Puducherry, Ladakh should also be implemented in Jammu and Kashmir.
Referring to the rising economic burden on households, he said, “The increasing prices of essential commodities have broken the backbone of marginalised families as well as the middle class.” Unemployment among educated youth has reached an alarming level across the country and particularly in Jammu and Kashmir where highly qualified people including PhDs., technocrats, doctors are getting over aged by each passing day. No concrete steps are being taken to fill vacancies in central government services despite lakhs of posts lying vacant” he said—(KNO)