The Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU) launched a signature campaign as part of a nation-wide exercise to highlight the grievances of the working class including safeguarding of their livelihood and rights.
The signatories included people from all walks of life and a letter addressed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi called for a policy initiative to reduce the prices of essential commodities by taxing the rich.
The CITU also sought a withdrawal of “anti-farmers” agricultural policies besides enacting a law making minimum support price for agriculture mandatory, strengthening of APMC and reduction in prices of input costs for agriculture like fertilisers and pesticides.
The signatories to the statement also called for upholding the principles of secularism enshrined in the constitution and wanted a crackdown on forces inimical to the unity and integrity of the country.
Badagalpura Nagendra, president, Karnataka Rajya Raiha Sangha (KRRS) who inaugurated the campaign said religion was a matter of personal faith but efforts are on to divide people on religious lines for political gains. He said there was an opportunity in the 2024 Parliamentary elections to vote out such forces and to strengthen democracy.
Among other demands raised by CITU included a reduction in the working hours to 36 hours besides limiting the timing of shifts to 6 hours.
Calling for strengthening of labour laws, the CITU wanted policy initiatives to secure and safeguard the livelihood and interest of the workers in the unorganised sector. The trade union organisation put up a list of 25 demands including free and compulsory education for children, enhancement of budgetary allocations for the welfare of the workers in the unorganised sector etc.
