IMPHAL, December 6: About 400 members of the Co-coordinating Body of Trade Union, Manipur are making hectic preparation to be a part of the All India Trade Union Congress Delhi mass rally to storm the Parliament during the winter session of on December 12, 2013, said L Sotinkumar, delegate leader of the union.
Addressing media persons at Irabot Bhawan this afternoon Sotinkumar said that the 400 representatives will comprise of members of trade unions, farmer organizations, civil society bodies, including agricultural workers and working women under the aegis of the union. They will leave Imphal in separate batches on December 7, 8 and 9 of 200, 150 and 70 delegates respectively. He appealed against imposition of bandhs on those days.
Sotinkumar said that around four lakh representatives from trade unions across the country will gather for taking part in the mass rally. He added that the mass rally is being held to highlight the demands for raising of wage of the working class to Rs 10, 000 per month; fixing of salaries for casual, contract and master-roll employees at par with the salary of government employees and to shorten the days of enrollment or registration in trade unions to 45 days.
Sotin further said another 100 Manipuris from and around Delhi will be joining the state’s delegation.
AITUC consisted of CBTUM, AITUC, BMS, CITU, HMS INTUC, UTUC, AICCTU, AIUTUC, NPF, SEWA and Independent Workers and Employees Federation. The Prime Minister and Union Labour Minister already agreed that its 12-point charter of demands are genuine for the labour class of country but has so far failed to implement them.
During the stay in Delhi, the delegates from Manipur will stage a sit-in protest on December 11 at Janter Manter to highlight the state-specified problem. The General Secretary of All India Kishan Shabha Atul Kumar and CPI Lok Sabha Member Promod Panda has already taken the permission from the Central Government for the protest and meeting with the Prime Minister. On December 12, there will be a huge demonstration at the front of Parliament in the evening and the working women from Manipur will observe 74th Nupi Lal observation at Ram Lila Maidan ground Delhi..
Sotinkumar also announced that on the occasion of the 75th anniversary of the Chinga Meefam (convention during Janata Irabot period and regarded as the first ever class struggle against the kings rule), the coming year 2014 will be observed as Labour Year.