SUBHASH MISHRA
Dhanbad, Feb 5: 10 central trade unions staged a massive demonstration and day-long dharna at Dhanbad’s Randhir Verma Chowk today, protesting against the Union Budget, which they termed as anti-labour.
Addressing the gathering, INTUC Vice-President Brajendra Prasad Singh warned that all trade unions across the country would launch a nationwide agitation if the central government implements the proposed Labour Code, which they view as detrimental to workers’ rights.
He stated that the agitation would escalate to burning copies of the Labour Code in protest, culminating in a general strike to pressure the government into withdrawing it.
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“The agitation would be concluded with a general strike in the country to force the central government to withdraw the proposed Labour Code”, said Brajendra Prasad Singh.
The protest was jointly presided over by the leaders of all 10 central trade unions, except the Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh (BMS), who expressed solidarity with the resolution adopted during the demonstration.
Singh further outlined key demands from the central government, including a reduction in GST and excise duty, the implementation of an urban employment scheme, an immediate halt to the privatization of public sector enterprises, an end to the exploitation of national resources, and social security measures for farm labourers, contractual workers, and skilled labourers.
Several trade union leaders also addressed the gathering, including Rashtriya Colliery Mazdoor Union General Secretary AK Jha, along with CITU leaders Manas Chatterjee, Arjun Singh, Hari Prasad Pappu, SS Dey, Ramprit Yadav, Shakeel Ahmed, Vaibhav Sinha, Ashok Saw, Sapan Banerjee, Santosh Mahto, Lagan Dev Yadav, Suresh Tati, Surendra Yadav, Madho Singh, Mahendra Prasad Singh, Chandra Deo Yadav, and Kayum Khan.
