Left parties to hold protest against anti-labour policy of Tamilnadu government on October 21

Accusing the DMK government of adopting anti-labour and trade union policies, the CPI and CPI (M) on Thursday said they would jointly hold a demonstration in Chennai on October 21 to highlight these issues.

A statement issued by CPI State secretary D. Pandian and CPI (M) secretary G. Ramakrishnan alleged that instead of holding talks with trade union leaders representing 13,000 contract workers, the Neyveli Lignite Corporation (NLC) had entered into an agreement with the Labour Progressive Federation affiliated to the ruling party.

“Now the NLC management is imposing the agreement on all workers and using the police to suppress the agitation of the contract workers.” They said in the Foxconn factory at Sriperumbudur, the management had suspended 23 workers.

CITU leader A. Soundararajan and others were arrested for demanding a ballot to elect trade union representatives.

“Trade union rights are being denied in multi-national companies in the State and the government also connives with the management in anti-labour activities,” they alleged.

Secret ballot should be held in all companies to elect trade unions for representing workers.