Govt. flayed for indulging in 'anti-labour' activities

By Our Staff Reporter

BANGALORE, JULY 31. The Karnataka State Committee of the All- India Trade Union Congress (AITUC) has alleged that the State Government has been indulging in anti-labour activities, while warning of a State-wide agitation if the Government continues with its present policy.

The State Committee President of the AITUC, Mr. M.C. Narasimhan, told presspersons here on Tuesday that the Government had shut down tailoring centres run by the Social Welfare Department, which were providing employment to more than 400 women in distress. This was despite the assurance by the Labour Minister that no immediate action would be taken in this regard, he noted.

The AITUC Secretary, Mr. Muralidhara, said the J.H.Patel Government issued four notifications in 1997 banning employment of contract labourers in Steel Rolling Mills, canteens of industries employing more than 250 workers, M/s Britania and M/s Taffe. However, the present Government, surrendering to the managements, had withdrawn the notification with regard to Steel Rolling Mills, and was contemplating to withdraw other notifications also, he said. This would seriously jeopardise industrial peace, he warned.

The AITUC General Secretary, Mr. H.V.Ananthasubba Rao, said the Government and the managements of the Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) and its sister corporations had been adopting ``anti-labour'' policies to quell the genuine demands of their workers. They had been levelling allegations against the recognised Union, the KSRTC Staff and Workers' Federation, he said.

Mr. Rao said he would go on indefinite fast from Thursday in Chikmaglur to force the Government to concede a 12-point charter of demands. This was also to open the eyes of the Transport Minister, Mr. C.R. Sageer Ahmed, whose constituency is Chikmaglur, he said.

On Friday, the AITUC members would hold a ``solidarity demonstration'' near the Mahatma Gandhi statute in Bangalore to support Mr. Rao and to espouse the cause of striking workers of Ammasandra Cements, he added.

Mr. Rao said the managements of transport corporations were supporting another workers' union. Stating that the managements had transferred more than 1,000 leaders of the federation, he said the employees were being terrorised.

Referring to the decision of the Supreme Court, he said the apex court had held that till fresh referendum was conducted to decide the recognised union, the federation continued to be the recognised one, Mr. Rao said.

The Government had taken over the management of Death-cum- Retirement Benefit Fund of the employees, he said and alleged that there had been large-scale corruption in the management of the fund during the tenure of some IPS officials. He sought an inquiry by the Central Bureau of Investigation into this.

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