Workers And Employees On The

Move In Tamilnadu

  A K Padmanabhan

THE days after the recent Lok Sabha elections have been days of mass movements all over the state. 

Various sections of workers, employees, peasants, agricultural workers, students, youth and women have been conducting series of struggles.

Struggles and campaigns conducted by the trade unions were reviewed in the meeting of the CITU state committee on July 27 and 28, at Tambaram, in South Chennai.

The meeting was chaired by the state president J Hemachandran, MLA and was attended by office bearers and state committee members including A Soundara Rajan, T K Rengarajan and A K Padmanabhan.

The meeting paid homage to the children burnt to death in ghastly fire accident in Kumbakonam and to the departed leaders including E K Nayanar and M Nanjappan.

A K Padmanabhan, explained the decision of the All India General Council of the CITU.

A Soundara Rajan in the general secretary’s report dealt with the election works carried out by the Trade Unions and also the various developments in the state after election.

The CITU had organised general meetings of leading cadres in all the districts. The decisions of the All India Conference, the review of the February 24, strike and the political developments after the strike were reported in these meetings.

Report of various Industrial Federations and Co-ordination committees, submitted to the state committee and the discussions in the meeting brought out details of various campaigns and struggles in the state.

The state government has not yet given consent to start wage negotiations in the state Transport and Electricity pending for more than 44 months.

STRUGGLES OF THE ORGANIZED WORKERS

The State Transport Employees Federation (CITU) organised a state level convention on June 16. More then 1300 workers attended the convention. A signature campaign against denial of pension benefits and other issues was decided upon. More than 50,000 signatures were obtained.

Copies of the memorandum addressed to the chief minister, with the signatures were submitted to the heads of the various transport corporations after demonstrations in front of their offices.

In the State Electricity Board, CITU affiliated, Central Organisation of Tamilnadu Electricity Employees (COTEE) organised state level campaigns from July 12 to 17. The issues taken up were wage negotiations, increase in wages for contract workers and part time workers as per the agreement. On the wage issue of contract workers and part time workers, the Board has not been implementing the agreements even after the High Court’s directions.

After the state level campaigns, a massive rally was held in front of the Board head quarters on July 23. More than 10,000 workers and employees participated in the rally.

T K Rengarajan, A Soundara Rajan, A K Padmanabhan, S K Mahendran, MLA, S Panjarathinam and others addressed the rally, presided over by S S Subramainiam.

Dakshin Railway Employees Union (CITU) has been conducting various struggles on the issue of appointments to the apprentices trained in various Railway workshops. These long drawn struggles have now become successful, thanks to the step taken by Basudeb Acharya, P Mohan and other CPI(M) MPs. A well attended meeting was held in Chennai on July 10, to thank the DREU leaders and MPs for taking up the cause of the apprentices. 

A series of campaigns from August 25 to September 12, have been planned by DREU, all over the South Zone, on various issues including the issue of union recognition.

A massive Dharna is to be held in Chennai on September 15.

Textile workers have been conducting various struggles in different parts of the state. Textile mill owners in the state want to go back to situations prevailing at least 50 years ago by denying, even the right to form unions. It is against these types of denials, the CITU has been struggling.

Added to this is the attitude of both the state government and the Judge of the special Tribunal, hearing the disputes on the charter of demands. The activities of JAC, which includes all the major unions, have been revived. P M Kumar (CITU) has been elected the new secretary. A demonstration was organised by the JAC in Chennai on July 1, to protest against the unfavourable actions of the Tribunal Judge and demanding his transfer.

Construction workers in the state under the leadership of CWFI, has been conducting various local level campaigns. Month long campaign on enrolling membership was under-taken in July. Area level and district level conferences are now being held. From August 1 to 9, construction workers will conduct campaigns on the national level charter of demands.

Beedi workers under the banner of Tamilnadu Beedi Workers Federation (CITU) have been agitating against violations of various existing benefits and statutory guarantees. Workers, who were enrolled in EPF Scheme, after a lot of struggles, are now being forced by the employers to resign. On August 3, Beedi workers organised demonstrations all over the state.

Local body employees are also on struggle in the state. 566 Town Panchayats have been degraded as village panchayats. Various issues, concerning nearly 20,000 regular, NMR and casual workers, because of the government’s decision, have not been settled. After various local campaigns, state level mobilisation has been decided for a massive demonstration on August 4, in Chennai.

Sugar workers in Tamilnadu, from private, co-operative and state sectors are also on struggle path. A meeting of representatives of unions affiliated to all the major CTUs met in Chennai on July 11, and have finalised programmes of action.

Workers and employees of Water and Drainage Board, employees of various co-operative societies in the state have also been conducting various campaigns during this period.

Handloom workers federation had met and discussed the serious crisis that has engulfed the handloom industry. On February 25, handloom workers all over the state will organise demonstrations on minimum wages, insurance coverage to all handloom weavers, holding of elections to co-operatives and issuance of identity cards to all weavers.

Auto rickshaw workers federation held meeting of its executive in Chennai and has decided to launch state level campaigns on issues of welfare board, social security etc.

Working women co-ordination committee’s activities have also been intensified during this period. Various sectoral meetings of women workers are being held. The CWFI has organised women workers meetings in various districts and at the state level. Convention of women construction workers is to be held in Theni on September 26. State co-ordination committee of working women is meeting on August 22.

State committee, after detailed discussions took decisions about state level campaigns.

In line with the All India decisions, all the unions will organise at least one gate/ work spot meeting and one street corner meeting between August 9 and 13. On August 14, massive demonstrations will be organised in one or two centres in all districts.

On September 1, anti-imperialist demonstrations or rallies will be organised in all districts.

UNORGANISED WORKERS DEMONSTRATIONS

Unorganised sector workers in the state will conduct state wide preparatory campaigns and will hold massive demonstrations in all district centres on September 9.

The demands include social security, minimum wages, functioning of welfare board etc.

CONFERENCES

The state conference of the State Transport Employees Federation will be held in Chennai on September 11 and 12, and Beedi Workers Federation conference will be held on September 17 and 18, at Thiruvellore. Tamilnadu Medical and Sales Representatives Association conference will be held in Erode from August 13 to 15. Handloom Federation conference will be held in Tirupur during first week of October.

Various campaigns and jathas are being planned in connection with these conferences.

A meeting of the representatives of CITU unions in the state public sector undertakings is being held in Coimbatore on August 20, to chalk out action programmes 

BTR CENTENARY

Comrade BTR centenary celebrations will be organised in all districts. Al least one district level seminar / convention/ cultural festival will be organised in a district, in addition to local level meetings.

As part of the educative programmes, six regional classes of two-days duration will be organised by September 15, for TU whole timers and leading part time cadres.

In addition to this district level classes will also be organised latter.

State committee has decided to publish 15,000 copies of Dr M K Pandhe’s book BTR’s Life and Teachings in Tamil. It will also publish some more books during the centenary. CITU Seithi – the monthly Journal will increase its circulation and will also improve its contents.

Celebrations in the state will be concluded with functions in Chennai on December 19, 2004. These programme will be jointly organised by Chennai North, South, Kanchipuram and Thiruvellore districts.

On the whole CITU unions in the state are on the move and the state committee has decided that all efforts will be made to increase the organisational strength.