Excelsior Correspondent
SRINAGAR, May 1: In connection with the World May Day, functions, rallies and protests were held here today. Daily wagers, workers, Anganwadi workers and helpers and labourers raised protest in support of their demands. They impressed upon the State Government to fulfill their demands.
Addressing a rally at Regal Chowk, Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU), state President and MLA Kulgam, Mohammad Yousuf Tarigami said that the working class continues to suffer in the modern times. He said the working class has been subjected to different types of ill-treatment at the working place.
Tarigami said the woes of labourers, who are engineers of economic prosperity, are on the increase. He underlined the necessity for wider unity among the working people for reversing the disastrous neo liberal economic policies. He said there is no room for any illusion, adding that only united struggle of the toilers can force the Government and employers to concede the genuine demands of the working people.
Tarigami was not allowed to take out a protest rally from Sher-i-Kashmir park and stopped by the police near the Regal Chowk while heading towards the main areas of the city centre.
Meanwhile, thousands of Anganwadi workers and helpers, ASHA workers, PDD daily wagers, Horticulture Non-Gazatted Employees Union, Agriculture daily wagers and casual workers union, Kishan Ganga Power Project, floriculture casual labourers union, SKICC employees union, Aircel Land Ousters and Security Guards Workers Union’, Jammu and Kashmir medical and Sales Representatives Association gathered at Sher-i-Kashmir to observe ‘May Day.
The protesters were carrying banners, placards and shouting slogans demanding concrete measures to contain price-rise, creation of employment, strict enforcement of basic labour laws, social security for toilers, abolition of contractual working system, amendment of Minimum Wages Act and fixation of statutory minimum wage of not less than Rs 10,000 per month and pension for all.
Addressing a May Day rally organized by Jammu and Kashmir Coordination Committee of Trade Unions (JKCCTU), Mohammad Maqbool President, JKCCTU said that anti-working policies are being dictated by the imperialist finance capital. He said this has created a huge gap between the poor and the rich.
“The sky rocketing of the prices, rising unemployment and corruption at high places have made the lives of working class people miserable. Policies of outsourcing, privatization and casualization of jobs have made matters worse and there is nobody who would look into this aspect of the exploitation of the working class,” said Maqbool.
Rallies were also organized by Mazdoor Union, Jammu and Kashmir Trade Union Centre and Casual Workers Association of SKIMS-Bemina in connection with the World May Day. Hundreds of labourers from across the valley participated in these rallies.
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