New Delhi, March 28 (UN) The Joint Forum of Central Trade ons is holding a nationwide protest against central government’s policies that they claim are adversely affecting workers, farmers, and the general public. The strike will be observed on March 28 and 29. The All India Bank employee associations are also participating in the strike to protest against the government’s plan to privatize the public sector banks and the banking law amendment bill 2021. The band has been called against the government’s economic policies, which include the proposed change in labor laws, the privatization of banks, they are also demanding an increase in the allocation of wages under MNREGA and regularization of contract workers. Workers from roadways, railways, electricity, telecomm cations, coal, and insurance are participating in the strike. “The unprecedented unemployment, price rise, the pandemic management of the government, the wages of workers, and labor codes that are taking away the rights of the workers, have forced the ons to take a call for the two-day strike, AR Sindhu, national secretary of CITU, told . “We have been raising these issues in many instances but the government’s response was totally negative and they are selling the country through privatization,” she added. Sunand, Delhi State Committee member of CITU from South Delhi, slammed the government for not taking pro worker decisions. “In the context of Delhi, we have been demanding the minimum wages for the unskilled workers, which is Rs 16,064 but in reality hardly 5 percent of workers are getting that and the onus is on the Delhi government to implement the notified minimum wages” he said. General Secretary of CITU from east Delhi, Pushpinder Singh said “we are demanding the roll back of the four labour codes and the implementation of the minimum wages of Rs 26,000, but the government has failed to implement these two major demands.” “Our protest will continue tomorrow as well and if the government will not accept our demands then we will go for indefinite strike” According to the trade ons, around 20 million formal and informal workers are likely to participate in the strike. Meanwhile, the Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh has announced that it will not participate in the protest, saying that the strike was “politically motivated” by certain political parties. In view of the strike, the power ministry on Sunday alerted the central electricity authority, grid monitors, and other power utilities to take the necessary measures to ensure the normal round-the-clock functioning of the electricity grid. In the interest of the consumers of electricity, it is advised that all the power utilities take necessary measures to ensure the round-the-clock normal functioning of the electricity grid and the availability of electricity in all the plants, transmission lines and substations, the letter said. Besides, they have also been asked to reschedule the shutdown activities planned for March 28-29 “to future dates to the extent possible,” said the letter written by the ministry to power utilities. The central trade ons which are taking part in this joint forum are INTUC, AITUC, HMS, CITU, AIUTUC, TUCC, SEWA, AICCTU, LPF, and UTUC. JA RKM
