Good response to CITU contract workers’ strike in West Bengal
By IANSFriday, February 12, 2010
KOLKATA - A one-day strike by 2.5 million contract workers affiliated to the Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU) Friday received good response across West Bengal.
“This is a contract labourers’ strike. We have received very good response in many districts such as Burdwan, Purulia, Hooghly and Birbhum,” state CITU president Shyamal Chakraborty told IANS.
CITU is the trade union wing of the Communist Party of India-Marxist, the main partner in the state’s ruling Left Front coalition.
According to CITU officials, nearly 2.5 million contract workers struck work Friday.
“We are demanding for some primary facilities for the unorganised workers, including the abolition of contract system. Most of these contract workers are deprived of basic facilities like ESI (employees state insurance) and provident fund.
“Though there is law to protect the interests of these contractual workers, violations are made everywhere. There has been no job security for these unorganised workers,” he said.
Chakraborty said the two-point charter of demands said all casual labourers within an organisation should be made permanent.
“The response was also very good at Kolkata’s IT township - Salt Lake Sector-5,” he said.
