Dhanbad trade unions gear up for Thursday’s nationwide strike

Talking to the media on Wednesday, national vice president of Rashtriya Colliery Mazdoor Sangh A.K. Jha, said, “All 10 trade unions including, namely, Indian National Trade Union Congress (INTUC), All India Trade Union Congress (AITUC), Hind Mazdoor Sabha (HMS), Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU), All India United Trade Union Centre (AIUTUC), Trade Union Co-ordination Centre (TUCC), Self-Employed Women’s Association (SEWA), All India Central Council of Trade Unions (AICCTU), Labour Progressive Federation (LPF) and United Trade Union Congress (UTUC), are united in their resolve to make the strike a success.”

Attacking the Union government for bringing in changes in labour laws, Jha said, “Altogether 44 labour laws related to workers have been changed to suit capitalist forces, and the rights related to carrying out strike and demonstrations have been drastically curtailed.”“Nationalisation of coal mines carried out by the Central government in the early ’70s has made coal workers free from the oppressive practices of private miners. But now we are apprehending the return of same days of exploitation, oppression and reckless mining with private players coming into the scene,” he explained.