Warangal: Demand for fair labour laws

Warangal: The nationwide bandh, called by 10 trade unions to protest against changes in labour laws and privatisation of PSUs, hit transport and banking services in Warangal.

Activists of the Left parties and trade unions staged protests at various bus depots in Warangal. 920 buses in the district stayed put in their depots. Bank employees too voluntarily boycotted duties and joined the strike.

“We are primarily against the anti-worker policies being implemented by the government. There is no control on the prices of essential commodities and the government is not bothered about the welfare of the people or the farmers. This government is working only for the 10 per cent of big investors. We are collectively opposing such moves by the government. We will further intensify our agitation if the government does not go back on their anti-worker policies,” said Kalyani, women convener of LIC, ICU division.

The unions are demanding that the government scrap plans to amend the Factory Establishment Act, Bonus Act and Industrial relations as that would lead to 75 per cent of the workforce going out of the purview of the labour laws. This would take away the job security of most of the workers from banking, manufacturing, construction and coal mining sectors.

Meanwhile, BJP national general secretary P. Muralidhar Rao said that the government is not against the workers and that talks with the union leaders are still going on.