AGARTALA, Jan 5 (TIWN): National Convention of workers organized by the Central Trade Unions calls for Nationwide General strike on 8 January 2020.

Centering the strike CITU organised a rally in the city and thereafter a public gathering was organised. CPI(M) Politburo member and former CM Manik Sarkar addressed the public gathering saying, “no forces can derail the Strike on January 8”. He asked CPI(M) workers to create much pressure on BJP from all sides so that oil comes out of mustard seeds and that it’s not like only one strike will lead to the fulfilment of their demands. Continuous fearless democratic efforts will bring a new dawn in the state. He added,

“The fear of losing power is the sole reason behind actions of BJP Govt behind attacking the people, locking everyone in jail across India and trying to run over steamrollers on people’s chest “. “The protest of whole country will shatter BJP”s nightmare very soon”, said Ex-CM Manik sarkar.

The national economy is slowing down. The adverse effects are already being felt by the workers in unorganised as well as organised sectors in the form of large scale retrenchment and closures. In the name of recession, the Central Government is taking steps such as reducing corporate taxes, and giving the big bonanza to the tune of Rs. 1.45 lakh crores from the national exchequer while not a single penny is spent to ensure job security or employment allowance to the workers. The government measures are supply-side, when all the economists are unanimous that the crisis is on the demand-side.

The Central Trade Unions are jointly demanding a national minimum wage of Rs.21000/-pm, pension to all, scrapping of NPS and restoration of the old pension scheme, control on price rise in essential commodities and for universal public distribution system, demanding generation of new jobs and filling up of sanctioned posts, regularization of scheme workers in govt jobs increased budgetary provision for MGNREGA and agriculture, privatisation of PSUs, etc.