Bhubaneswar: Odisha state committee of All India Trade Union Congress (AITUC) has called upon the people to make the all-India strike against anti-labour policies of the Centre on February 16 successful.
Speaking at a presser on Tuesday, Bijay Jena, general secretary of the committee said Narendra Modi government at the Centre has been targeting farmers and labourers, the two major contributors to the country’s economy, since it came to power.
The Centre has abolished 29 labour laws to implement 4 labour codes. It has been exploiting the labourers by increasing the workload, bringing down the wages and providing irregular engagement,” he said.
Jena alleged that while economic differences have been widening in the country, the government was engaged in promoting religious intolerance, caste differences and social disparity. As brotherhood, peaceful coexistence and national integrity are repeatedly hammered, the education, health services and education are under threat, he added.
Inflation has skyrocketed with price rise of basic items including edible oil, garlic and dal while the government has been patronising the corporates, he said.
Keeping these issues in view, Coordinated Kisan Morcha, central trade unions and labour unions have jointly called for hartal, industrial strike and bandh in rural areas on February 16 in support of its 21-point charter of demands, Jena added.