Singareni trade unions take part in Bharat bandh against Centre’s policies

Workers owing allegiance to the Singareni trade unions’ JAC, barring the Singareni Coal Mines Karmika Sangh which is affiliated to Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh, participated in the Bharat bandh call given by around 10 central trade unions, including AITUC, CITU and INTUC, against the Centre’s ‘anti-labour’ and ‘pro-corporate’ policies. Their participation in the bandh affected coal production in all 11 Areas of the Singareni Collieries Company Limited (SCCL) on Thursday, the JAC leaders said.

Rallies and dharnas were held as part of the bandh in the combined Karimnagar, Adilabad and Khammam districts. Rasta roko was organised under the aegis of the JAC near Srirampur bus stand in Mancherial district.

JAC leaders – Vasireddy Seetharamaiah of the AITUC, Janak Prasad of INTUC, Raja Reddy of CITU, Surender Reddy of TBGKS, Srinivas of IFTU among others addressed the dharna.

The leaders vociferously opposed the four new Labour Codes calling them as ‘anti-labour’ and ‘exploitative’. They vowed to spearhead unified resistance against the anti-labour policies and defend the hard-won rights of workers. The protesters demanded that the four Labour Codes be repealed, and demanded equal pay for equal work to contract workers, apart from seeking a medical board in SCCL and a housing scheme for all SCCL workers.