Three major trade unions to jointly fight for enhancement of minimum wages

‘State government dilly-dallying over release of order on the issue’

Three major trade unions — CITU, INTUC and the AITUC — have joined hands together to achieve a of minimum wage ₹21,000 each for 50 lakh employees of various industries and organisations in the State. CITU State president Ch. Narasinga Rao, CITU State General Secretary M.A. Gafoor, INTUC State General Secretary Mantri Rajasekhar, AITUC State General Secretary G. Obulesh on Friday alleged that the State government was dilly-dallying over releasing an order on enhancement of wages.

Addressing a media conference here, Mr. Gafoor alleged that all pharmaceutical companies were minting money with huge profits every year but they were not spending even 1% of their income as salaries. He said that the all the trade unions would organise agitation on February 25, 26 and 27 to highlight the poor condition and meagre wages of labourers of pharmaceutical companies.

Joint action plan

Mr. Rajasekhar said that the trade unions would chalk out a joint action plan over minimum wages issue since many companies were not paying even ₹9,000 per month to many labourers. He said that rapid privatisation had become detrimental to the interests of the workforce in the country. He said that the amalgamation of labour laws would deny legitimate rights of workers and it would benefit managements in all ways.

CITU State vice-president D. Govinda Rao and Srikakulam district president P. Tejeswara Rao alleged that pharmaceutical companies in Pydibhimavaram region were suppressing voice of the workers and extracting double work from them with meagre salaries.