‘The government is ready to give enormous tracts of land to corporate houses. But it is not ready to allot even 5 cents of land for the toiling masses to have a foothold.’
‘The government has announced a pension of Rs.1,623 for sniffer dogs and only Rs.400 for construction workers. Are the working people of Tamil Nadu lesser mortals than the dogs?’
‘Our union has fought and won pension for the construction workers. Now we are demanding Rs.2000 as pension and house stead pattas for the construction workers. We have no illusions that the government will actually meet our demands. We know it is a long struggle and we are prepared for that.’
These were some of the voices of the unorganized workers who had come to participate in the rally of unorganized workers in Chennai.
In Tamil Nadu AICCTU organized rallies of unorganized workers in Chennai, Erode and Tirunelveli. Over 5,000 workers were mobilized in these rallies and demanded that the UPA government scrap the Indo-US nuclear deal, they highlighted the burning issues of unorganized workers such housing and pension for unorganized workers and construction workers, allocation of 3% GDP for the welfare of unorganized workers, and abolition of camp coolie system in the textile industry in Tamil Nadu.
Over 200 cadres and activists of AICCTU, Tamil Nadu Democratic Construction Workers Union and Workers’ Rights Forum involved in the preparatory work for the rallies in over 50 areas of where unorganized workers live and met more than 1 lakh unorganized workers.
Workers’ Right Rally in Erode
Powerloom workers, construction workers, unorganized workers, and workers of Pricol participated in Workers Right Rally held in Erode on 19 August. Around 1000 Pricol workers participated in the unorganized workers rally and raised their demands. In the month of July they took up a campaign for abolition of camp coolie system in the textile industry.
5-cent house stead patta for construction workers and unorganized workers, abolition of camp coolie system in textile industry, comprehensive legislation for unorganized workers, democratic rights for Pricol workers were some of the demands raised in the rally.
Workers’ Right Rally in Chennai
Over 2,300 unorganized workers and construction workers from Chennai, Tiruvallore and Kanchipuram districts participated in the rally held in Chennai on August 26. The rally was held in the background of an announcement of Rs.1,623 per month as pension for maintenance of sniffer dogs of the TN police department, for 2 acres of free land for the rural and urban poor, and election-time promise made by the DMK, now long forgotten. Along with the housing and pension issues, the rally demanded Rs. 4500 as minimum wage.
Comrade Nand Kishore Prasad, PB member of the Party flagged on the rally led by Com. Anburaj, General Secretary, Tamil Nadu Democratic Construction Workers Union. Comrade S. Kumarasami, CCM and All India President, AICCTU, addressed the gathering.
Beedi Workers’ Rights Rally in Tirunelveli
Workers in the beedi industry are denied increase in wages and DA, as was announced by the government. The losses faced by workers in terms of wage and DA are to the tune of one hundred crore rupees. The industry management, which refuses to pay workers’ dues are organizing them in thousands to protest against the government’s directive to print the statutory warning on the beedi bundles. Restructuring in beedi production has snatched away all legal rights of the beedi workers and their resistance results in loss of employment and livelihood.
Before the rally, which was held on 2 September, a campaign was organized in 5 centers in the district where beedi workers are concentrated. This campaign culminated in a successful one-day strike on 30 August, in which workers who do not belong to our union also participated.
The rally demanded that wages and DA be released immediately, that the working week have 6 days, and wages meet legal stipulations, with a warning that authorities and elected representatives would be gheraoed of their demands were not met. As a result, the district collector ordered the release of dues for the beedi workers immediately.
Over 800 beedi workers participated in the rally, which was led by Com. Sankarapandian, State Vice-President, AICCTU, and Com. Kumarasami, who addressed the gathering.
State leaders of AICCTU, Tamil Nadu Democratic Construction Workers’ Union and Workers’ Rights Forum participated in all these rallies.
In Tamil Nadu, in the post-Pricol period, a dynamism and preparedness for struggle is developing as a trend among both organized and unorganized workers. Pricol workers struggle, efforts through Solidarity Forum in Chennai, unorganized workers rally in Chennai, Erode and Tirunelveli are our systematic efforts to rise to this occasion and capture this dynamism. The unprecedented coverage of these rallies in the electronic and print media amply shows that our interventions are timely.
