By Sunil Sonker
Mussoorie, 9 Jul: The effect of the nationwide one-day strike was also seen in Mussoorie on Wednesday. Local workers, hotel employees, street vendors and women workers, under the leadership of the All India Trade Union Congress, and Centre of Indian Trade Union (CITU) Mussoorie unit, staged a peaceful sit-in at Bhagat Singh Chowk here. Hundreds of workers, women, youth activists and social workers participated in this strike. All of them raised slogans together.
They said that exploitation of workers will not be tolerated. It is was their right, not a favour to reduce inflation and get justice for workers!
On this occasion, Trade Union Mussoorie President RP Badoni, and CITU General Secretary Gambhir Panwar, Mazdoor Sangh General Secretary Soban Singh Panwar, and labour leader Devi Godiyal said that the strike was aimed at protecting the rights of workers across the country and opposing the anti-labour policies of the government.
On this occasion, various demands were raised by sending a memorandum to the President, which included restoration of dearness allowance and timely payment. It was demanded that workers in hotels, shops and schools should get DA, MAP, bonus, as well as weekly off. The rule of 12 hours work should be cancelled, and 8 hours shift should be implemented. Rs 26,000 should be fixed as the minimum wage. The rising prices of gas, diesel, petrol should be stopped. The old pension scheme should be restored. Street vendors should get a permanent place and respectable employment. Discrimination against rickshaw pullers and sanitation workers should be stopped immediately. Uprooted families from Shifan Court should be resettled. Women workers should be given the facility of security, overtime and leave. Recruitment should be done to 50,000 vacant posts in government departments. Old workers should be given rights on house and land. Workers should also get compensation for the land of tea gardens. The protesters said that this movement is the voice of crores of workers across the country. If the government does not listen soon, the movement will be intensified.
On this occasion, many people including Bir Singh, Vijay Singh Kathait, President, Guides Union, Aslam Khan, Ranjit Singh, Sanjay Tamta, Ram Kishan Rahi, Govind Prasad Nautiyal, Padma Mehtara, Manisha Thapa, Bina Rawat, Sunita Semwal were present.
