PRESS STATEMENT 05.03.2010

All the Central Trade Unions of the country, INTUC, BMS, AITUC, HMS, CITU, AICCTU, AIUTUC, UTUC, TUCC, have collectively launched agitation throughout the country from September 2009 mainly against unprecedented price rise, violation of labour laws, disinvestment of profit making public sector, job loss and failure of the Government to set up a national welfare fund for the agricultural and unorganized workers.

Today lakhs of workers are participating in Jail Bharo and Satyagraha in all State capitals, industrial towns and even in district headquarters. More than 10 lakh workers, as the report has come, are participating in the programme.

In Delhi thousands of workers waiving banners, placards mainly against price rise are participating in law violation programme led by Dr. Sanjeeva Reddy, MP, President, INTUC, Shri Gurudas Das Gupta, MP, General Secretary, AITUC, Shri Umraomal Purohit, General Secretary, HMS, Dr. M.K. Pandhe, President, CITU, Shri Tapan Sen, MP, Secretary, CITU, Shri R.V. Subbarao, Vice-President, BMS, Shri S.P. Tewari, General Secretary, TUCC, Shri R.K. Sharma, Secretary, AIUTUC, Shri Abani Roy, MP, General Secretary, UTUC and Shri Swapan Mukherjee, General Secretary, AICCTU. Over ten thousand workers including the Central Trade Unions leaders courted arrest.

The Central Trade Unions express deep anguish at the steep rise in taxation leading to increase in prices of petroleum products and also reduction in subsidy for urea and other fertilizers.

The Central Trade Unions in their meeting yesterday decided to meet shortly and decide the next phase of action to expand and intensify the agitation.

All the trade unions send their warm greetings to the working class for making Jail Bharo and Satyagraha today a great success and call upon them to be ready for the next phase of action.

BMS INTUC AITUC HMS CITU

AIUTUC TUCC AICCTU UTUC