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Issues plaguing workers highlighted on May Day

By City Correspondent

GUWAHATI, May 1 - The worker fraternity today observed May Day (International Labour Day) across the city with various programmes and activities.

The Assam Tribune Employees� Union (ATEU) observed the day on the Tribune building premises. As part of the programme, the Union�s president Shiva Prasad Deka hoisted the May Day flag on the premises of its permanent office of ATEU and then senior employee Pranay Bordoloi hoisted the flag.

As part of the celebration, ATEU president Shiva Prasad Deka, its general secretary Jiten Kalita, Pranay Bordoloi, ATEU organising secretary Anima Das, and Sudipta Sarkar addressed the gathering. The programme concluded with a procession.

On the bank of Dighalipukhuri, six trade unions and 14 workers� federations, under the aegis of Assam State Committee of Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU) observed the day and pledged to continue movement against the �anti-labour and anti-people� policies of the government.

Members of AICCTU, Bank Employee�s Federation, HMS, AIUTUC, AITUC, UTUC, CITU, Assam Tribune Employees� Union, JCTU, Assam Pradeshik Bank Samiti, Sadou Asom Sambad Karmi Sanstha, etc., took part in the programme, where leaders like Siva Prasad Deka, Garga Talukder, Dilip Sarma, Dipak Bhuyan, Kanak Barman, Azahar Hussain, Pankaj Das, Munin Mahanta, Deben Bhattacharya, etc., addressed the gathering and explain various recent issues that have been faced by the worker fraternity of the State.

Speakers at the gathering slammed the BJP-led State and Central governments for its alleged failure in reviving both the HPC paper mills at Jagiroad and Cachar where altogether 53 workers and officials have lost their lives.

They demanded of the government to pay the arrears to all the employees of both the paper mills and provide free food to all families of those deprived workers until the payment of the arrear money.

Earlier in the morning, workers of different entities hoisted the flag of May Day in their respective place in the city and then gathered near Dighalipukhuri.

The centrally organised programme was presided over by a panel of presidents comprising MR Sarkar, Prabhat Rai, Biren Kalita, Chakreshwar Kalita, Champak Medhi and Biren Sarma. The meeting ended with a procession which covered Panbazar and Fancy Bazar areas.

According to a statement of the Assam state committee of CITU, this time workers from oil field, coal field, tea garden, private transport sector, private industries and construction sector along with anganwadi workers and cooking staff of government schools showed overwhelming response in the celebration of the day.

�In the district headquarters of Tinsukia, Dibrugarh, Jorhat, Golaghat, Sonitpur, Bongaigaon, Kokrajhar, Kamrup, Nalbari, Barpeta and Cachar, district committees of trade unions celebrated the day,� the statement said.

According to Kamrup Metro district committee of CITU, the day was observed in altogether 12 places in Guwahati. Workers of Marwari Hospital, Mahendra Dutta Company and ASHA workers observed the day at Athgaon area of the city.

At Khanapara, the programme was organised by the All India Road Transport Workers� Federation in association with the All Guwahati Tourist Taxi Drivers� Union and the All Guwahati Auto Drivers� Union.

The NF Railway Mazdoor Union today organised a blood donation camp at Maligaon on the occasion of May Day. Today, railway workers of the country also took a pledge to continue the movement in demand of a �New Pension Policy Free India�.

The Indian National Trade Union Congress also observed the day on its office premises here.

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