Imphal: In solidarity to the Central trade unions’ two-day nationwide strike, members of the Indian National Trade Union Congress (INTUC) of Manipur chapter on Tuesday carried out a protest rally on the streets in Imphal on Tuesday.
The rally carried out under the banner ‘Save The People and Save The Nation” kicked off from Imphal Congress Bhavan concluded at the same place after marching on the streets in the heart of the capital city.
Labourers engaged in various works in Imphal city also took part in the rally.
Talking to reporters on the sideline of the rally, INTUC Manipur branch president Yumnam Ranapratap said that the rally was carried out showing solidarity to the two-day nationwide strike called by Central trade unions.
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He protested against the BJP-led NDA government’s privatization policy and alleged anti-labour policies of the Central government.
Meanwhile, on day two of the strike, employees of various banks, BSNL, LIC, post offices staged sit-in-protests, demonstrations and protest meetings in their respective office premises. These offices remained closed on day two of the strike.
In Manipur, various bodies like the Coordinating Body of Trade Unions, Manipur (CBTUM) joined the two-day nationwide general strike called by the Central Trade Unions’ Organization and Samyukta Kishan Morcha.
A joint forum of central trade unions has given a call for a nationwide strike on March 28 and 29 to protest against the government policies affecting workers, farmers and others.
Their demands include the scrapping of the labour codes, no privatization in any form, scrapping of the National Monetization Pipeline (NMP), increased allocation of wages under MNREGA (Mahatma Gandhi Rural Employment Guarantee Act) and regularization of contractual workers among others.
Joining the strike, the All India Bank Employees’ Association also demanded among others strengthening public sector banks, not to privatize banks, not to take high service charges from customers, increasing bank deposit interest, regularization of contract staffers and recapitalization of cooperative banks among others.
NNN