Vijayawada: Call to withdraw labour code

Vijayawada: Several thousands of workers took out a massive rally here on Monday, the first day of the two-day nationwide bandh across the country protesting the anti-worker, anti-employees and anti-farmer policies of the Modi administration. The rally, organised by the joint action committee of various trade unions, started at Ratham Centre in One Town and passed through Low Bridge, old bus station, Eluru Road and Apsara Centre and culminated in a meeting at Lenin Centre. The protestors raised slogans demanding rollback of various anti-people policies of the Modi Administration, which has been causing immense and irreparable loss to the people at large.

CITU general secretary MA Gafoor and AITUC general secretary G Obulesu headed the rally. Union leaders MV Sudhakar and M Sambasiva Rao presided over the meeting at Lenin Centre. Addressing the massive gathering, CPM State secretary V Srinivasa Rao assailed the Modi Administration, which has been introducing various policies in favour of big corporate houses since it came to power in 2014, causing immense loss to people. He said that people have been in dire distress as there were no employment opportunities and the welfare schemes were not being implemented properly. With the unusual hike in the prices of petrol and diesel and increase in essential commodities, the people are burdened. He assured people that the Left parties would support in their agitation against the administration.

The Trade Union leaders said that they were against the labour code, which would take away the rights of the workers they achieved over the decades. They demanded the government rollback of the labour code immediately and also to stop selling of public sector undertakings. They said that the government was forgetting its responsibility to save people from the pandemic. They vowed that the workers would wage a relentless fight against the government policies.

IFTU leader Ramakrsihna, AICTU leader Uday Kiran, UTUCK leader Sudhir, Rythu Sangam leader Y Kesava Rao, Bank Employees Association leaders Y Srinivasa Rao and R Ajay Kumar, BSNL pensioners leader KSC Bose, CPI leaders Donepudi Sankar, Congress leader Naraharasetti Narasimha Rao, Shramika Mahila leader N Ch Supraja, Medical Reps leader UV Krishnaiah also spoke.

The trade union leaders announced that human chains would be held at the Central government offices on Tuesday, the second day.