Oct 28: Trade unions to stage nation-wide protests

Major trade unions will stage protests across the country next month against price rise and job losses.

Announcing this in New Delhi on Monday, All India Trade Union Congress general secretary Gurudas Dasgupta said "we will mark the day as a protest day against price rise, job loss and disinvestment of profit making PSUs."

Addressing a national convention of workers organised by the AITUC, he said the trade unions would jointly carry out demonstrations, sit-ins and other forms of protests on October 28 to focus on the government's economic policies which were leading to job losses and hiking the prices of essential commodities.

These policies were adding to the burden of the people who are already suffering from the impact of the global economic downturn and recession, Dasgupta said.

More than 300,000 workers engaged as diamond cutters in Surat have lost jobs within two years besides many more in various other sectors, he said, ruing the right of the workers are being undermined by employers.

On the recent strike by Jet Airways pilots, he said "it was very unfortunate that the management threatened to take away jobs when the pilots had every right to form union."

He also warned against disinvestment of profit making public sector units, saying the workers will put up an united fight to scuttle such attempts.

The convention also expressed concern over violation of labour laws and demanded creation of a national fund for unorganised workers' social security.