“If no confidence motion is brought in Parliament then we shall support it”: Gurudas Das Gupta

Ludhiana, October 5, 2012: All India Trade Union Congress (AITUC) general secretary Gurudas Dass Gupta, MP, has said that If no confidence motion was brought in the Parliament by any political party then they would support it.

In an interaction with the media persons here today, he added the UPA-II government was increasingly working in the interest of big corporate business houses of India and the international cartels undermining the national interest.

He told that latest decisions of the government were enough indicators of the rightist shift in the policies detrimental to Indian growth and progress based on justice and equality. These were against the basic spirit of the Indian constitution which spoke of justice and equality as its mainstay. 

Further, he told that the government was more inclined to respond to the demands of the international finance capital and the MNCs while hitting the common man hard, even denying them basic amenities like food, shelter, health and education.

“Therefore there is an urgent need for the working people to unite in strength to lead the struggle against these policies so as to meet the goal of sustainable development in the interest of all the people of the country”, he asserted.

Later, while addressing a largely attended convention of the workers organised by the AITUC at Punjabi Bhawan here today, he said the job insecurity and the job losses on the one hand and increased trends of contractorisation and outsourcing,  contractualisation and casualisation of labour was norm of the day.

Addine, he said there was attack on unionisation itself and pressure on existing unions to suppress and intimidate them to contain their activities.

On the issue of FDI, he said bringing in FDI  in retail trade would be big blow to more than 4 crore small traders, shopkeepers, marginal and poor farmers, other small producers of goods in home based and small scale industries etc.

“The government has been responsible for unprecedented rise in corruption at higher places with loss to national revenue and denial of rightful share of common people in the wealth being produced in the country”,  he said.

He further deplored that accumulation of wealth in the hands of few, whereas the vast majority was suffering under acute poverty and unemployment. “The latest reports have indicated that 100 top rich families own assets to the tune of 16 lakh crores of rupees whereas 70% Indians are forced to live on meager spending of Rs.16.60 paise per day”, he said, adding with the policies being pursued would further hasten these gaps. 

He said, the government continues to act in ruthless manner against the common people and the response to people’s agitations by the Prime Minister and some of his ministers were arrogant to the core. 

In this background he said, the trade unions had come out with their strategies to fight the attacks of government on working people.

He pointed out that national convention of workers organised by 11 central trade unions and other independent federations and associations representing several sectors of economy held on 4th September at New Delhi noted with grave concern on the government’s non-responsive attitude to the plight of the working people and their agitations. They have decided to intensify their joint agitations on the charter of demands which includes seeking check on price rise of essential commodities, end to labour law violations, for social security and pension to all workers, abolition of any ceiling on Provident Fund, gratuity and bonus, abolition of contract labour, steady regularisation of them and equal pay for equal work, no disinvestment of public sector/ government sector enterprises and resources, national minimum wage to be raised to not less that Rs. 10,000, universal entitlement of maternity benefit to working women.

He revealed that it had been decided in the convention that 18th – 19th December would be observed as All India Law Violation Day and on 20th December there would be march to Parliament which would be carried forward later on through intensive campaign for organising  two days national general strike on February 20-21 next.

Addressing the gathering Nirmal Dhaliwal, President and Bant Singh Brar, General Secretary of Punjab unit of AITUC said that the state government  was not following a different course as regards the economic policies in general are concerned. Rather it had been taking anti labour and anti farmer measures, they alleged.

They said several more conventions would be held in the state on these issues, where Gurudas Dass Gupta would address.

Kartar Singh Bowani, Vice President Punjab Kisan Sabha criticised the present SAD-BJP State government as it tolerated and permitted communal activities of several groups reminding the dark days of terrorism which people of Punjab would never want to be revived in this land of peace and harmony amongst common masses.

Adding, he said the people of the state while fighting against retrograde, anti people economic policies of the central and state government would have also to be continuously vigilant and brave fighters against divisive forces.

Today’s convention was attended by representatives of various organisations of workers and employees from Construction, Hosiery, Roadways, PRTC, Banks, Power sector, FCI Palledar, University, PSSF, Government Class 4 employees, Corporation, BSNL, ASHA workers  and unorganised sector.

O P Mehta General Secretary AITUC Ludhiana and D P Maur, General Secretary Joint Council of Trade Unions Ludhiana assured that they would participate in large number in the march to Parliament in Delhi on 20th December and the general strike on February 20-21  next.