STAFF REPORTER
GUWAHATI: The Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU), Assam State Committee, announced a series of statewide agitation programmes demanding the repeal of what it termed “anti-worker” labour codes recently enforced by the Union government. The decisions came during the organization’s 15th Assam State Conference held from November 21 to 23 at the Institute of Engineers premises in Panbazar, Guwahati.
The organization declared that copies of the labour codes would be burnt in front of all major industrial establishments across the state on November 26. A massive workers–peasants rally is also planned for December 14 at the Lakhara playground in Guwahati, where thousands are expected to participate.
CITU leaders criticized the BJP-led central government, accusing it of dismantling long-standing labour protections to please corporate interests. They noted that despite years of nationwide strikes and protests by trade unions, the government notified the new labour codes on November 20, triggering unrest among workers across various sectors.
Representatives from Assam’s oil fields, electricity sector, railways, transport, tea industry, private industries, construction sector, and government scheme workers participated in the conference. The conference adopted several key resolutions, including protecting the state’s public sector undertakings from privatization pressures, resisting communalization within government institutions, ensuring the rights of existing reserved communities while granting ST status to six communities, securing land–wages–dignity for tea workers, and fixing a minimum monthly wage of ?26,000 with immediate government notification.
The conference also elected a new leadership team for the next three years. Tea workers’ leader Dinesh Nayak was chosen as President, senior labour leader Tapan Sharma was re-elected as General Secretary, and bank employees’ leader Parimal Sen was appointed Treasurer. A 20-member office-bearer team and a 55-member State Committee were constituted.
A special session on issues faced by working women in Assam took place on the first day, followed by an open inaugural session where the organization laid out its future roadmap. Prominent labour leaders of Assam received felicitations during the event.
All-India labour leader Swadesh Dev Roye and national women leader A.R. Sindhu attended the conference and detailed how, according to them, the current Union government has intensified its attacks on the country’s working class.
The CITU leadership stated that the coming weeks would witness “a larger, more determined” movement across Assam as workers mobilize against the newly implemented labour codes.
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