Trade unions slam Centre's economic policy

Coming on a common platform, nine major trade unions in the country today staged a demonstration here in protest against government's economic policy and demanded that immediate steps be taken to control price rise and check labour law violations.

The unions, CITU, AITUC, BMS, INTUC, HMC, AUITUC, TUCC, AICCTU and UTUC demanded that the government stop disinvestment of public sector units and bring in a lagislation to protect workers of unorganised sector.

Alleging that the country is winessing a massive job loss and entrenchment, the agitating trade union leaders said the government should take immediate steps to stop it or else they would launch a country-wide movement in February next year to press their demands.

Addressing the workers, CITU president M K Pandhe said rise in price of essentital commodities, closure of industries and "rampant violation" of labour laws have made the life of the working class miserable across the country and charged the government with being completly indifferent towards these issues.

Stating that a large number of youth are unemployed in the country, Pandhe said the government should implement NREGA programme in urban areas too so that urban poor can also be benefitted by it.

The government should bring in legislation to protect the workers of unorganised sector and also create a fund for their social security and swell it by imposing "higher taxes on capitalists", he added.