Sena rally protests `anti-labour' laws

Sena rally protests `anti-labour' laws
Express News Service

Mumbai, March 21: In a massive show of strength, Sena workers led by Uddhav and Raj Thackeray marched to the Council Hall to protest against the proposed `anti-labour and anti-people laws' of the National Democratic Alliance as well as Congress-led Democratic Front government.

Addressing the biggest-ever rally organised by the Shiv Sena, Uddhav Thackeray asked trade unions as well as political parties to shun differences and join hands to oppose the proposed `anti-labour and anti-people' legislations. `I feel that cutting across party and union lines, all should join together to oppose the proposed legislations,' Uddhav Thackeray said.

The rally had assumed significance, since Shiv Sena, one of the major constituents of the NDA, has opposed its proposals. `We are in the NDA, we will take up the proposed legislation at appropriate forum,' Uddhav Thackeray said.

Thackeray said the proposed legislation to exempt industrial units employing less than 1000 employees will have an adverse impact on the workers in the organised sector.

Strongly criticising the Vilasrao Deshmukh governmnet, Uddhav Thackeray said, on the one hand, his men (police) were killing the workers of the Svadeshi textile mills and on the other, the Chief Minister presented a silver sword to `Videshi' (foreigner) Sonia Gandhi. `Such a policy is unacceptable. We will have to launch massive agitation against the anti-labour policies of the Centre as well as the state government.' he said.

Significantly, even before the Centre proposed an amendment to the labour laws, the Congress-led Democratic Front government had already submitted a proposal to the Centre to amend the Industrial Dispute Act, Minimum Wages Act and the Contract Labour (Prevention and abolition) Act.

Former Chief Minister Narayan Rane too came down heavily on the Vajpayee as well as the Congress-led Democratic Front government for their negative approach towards the working class. `We sure are constituents of the NDA, but we won't allow it to take such a decision, which will have adverse impact on the working class,' Rane pointed out.

Later, a delegation led by Rane, Madhukar Sarpotdar, Dattaji Salvi and Arvind Sawant called on Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh and submitted to him a memorandum. The delegation submitted to Deshmukh that implementation of the new laws would have an adverse impact on the 35 crore workmen in the state.

They asked the Chief Minister to withdraw forthwith the proposed amendments in the larger interests of the working class, stop compulsory retirement of government employees, teaching and non-teaching staff, stop privatisation of nationalised banks and implement the recommendations of the fifth pay commission.

Deshmukh assured the delegation that his government was committed to protect the interests of workers.