Bhubaneswar: All Odisha Transport Workers’ Federation (AOTWF) has decided to extend its support to the 24-hour nationwide strike called by different transport trade unions on August 7.
Members of All India Road Transport Workers’ Federation and different transport trade unions like Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU), Hind Mazdoor Sabha (HMS), All India Trade Union Congress (AITUC) and Labour Progressive Federation (LPF) have asked the autorickshaw, taxi, bus and tanker owners across the country to join them and keep their vehicles off the roads during the strike.
“We oppose amendment in the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988, which was cleared in the Lok Sabha recently. If the amendment bill comes into force, the vehicle owners, drivers and the insurance companies will incur serious loss. The Bill is anti-people and anti-employees as it says that branded company spares are to be used and this would affect the small-scale enterprises in automobile manufacturing sector”, a member of AOTWF said on Sunday, adding that lakhs of roadside mechanics will lose their livelihoods, as the Bills mentioned that servicing and repairing works would be done at company service centres only.