Pics: Sporthi Ullal
Daijiworld Media Network – Mangalore (SS)

Mangalore, Sep 21: A protest was staged by CITU in front of the DC office on Friday September 20, favoring the laborers, street vendors, Bidi Workers Union, Auto Rickshaw Association etc.

Despite heavy rains, the protestors marched from Jyoti Circle to the DC office and placed various demands in front of the government.

Ramesh Kumar from Bidi Workers Union, Sunil Kumar head of Auto Rickshaw Association, Mahesh from MESCO, Ravikala, Pradhana shetty, Balaji Shekhar and others joined the protest.

According to CITU, their fight that had started in 2008 has still been unheard by the successive government. Although BJP have made promises but the assurance has not been fruitful.

CITU All India Executive Committee member B Madhava addressed the gathering and kept forth the demands of the laborers. Their demands were provision of BPL ration card, rise in salary, residential benefits, social security to all labors of organized and unorganized sectors including pension benefits, and ban on FDI in terms of Wal-Mart.

District president Nagesh Rao was present during the occasion and assured that reliefs would be initiated in the days to come.

Udupi: CITU stages protest demanding redressal of workers’ grievances

Pics: Umesh Marpalli
Daijiworld Media Network—Udupi

Udupi, Sep 21: The Center of Indian Trade Union (CITU), Udupi unit, staged a huge rally from Tiger Circle to DC office and protested in front of the DC office on Friday September 20, demanding that the government act on the long pending grievances of workers.

Udupi district CITU president K Shankar said that the Congress government was successful only in raising the hopes of the poor but had drastically failed to fulfill the basic needs of the poor.

“The government has failed to ensure minimum wages to the labor class. The life of the lay man is in danger because of the drastically increasing prices,” he added.

Balakrishna Shetty, secretary, district unit of CITU, alleged that the government has failed to make permanent the scheme for Anganavadi and Asha workers. “There is no job security and welfare facilities for the private bus employees,” he said.

The memorandum demanded the following:

• The government must offer 14 grocery items through the public distribution system

• Nearly 35 kg of rice or other cereals be given at Rs 1 per kg

• Minimum wages should be at least Rs 10,000 for the unskilled laborers in industries

• Revision of dearness allowances every six months

• The government must release Rs 1,000 crore to the welfare board to offer facilities to the unorganized sector labourers

• Government should take measures to fill the vacancies—there are two lac jobs vacant in the state

• Free housing facilities should be provided to the labour class

• Minimum wages, PF, and old age pension should be ensured to the private bus workers

The memorandum was forwarded  to DC M T Reju.