Call for joint struggle to oppose privatisation

Tirupati: CITU national vice-president and Rajya Sabha MP TK Rangarajan called on the All India BSNL DoT Pensioners’ Association (AIBDPA) to join with employees and workers’ unions for a joint struggle to ensure the welfare of pensioners as well as the employees and workers.

Rangarajan, who participated as chief guest in the 2nd national convention of the AIBDPA held here on Tuesday said that it was rather imperative on the part of employees, workers and pensioners join together against privatisation affecting the economic progress and also the growing communal forces threatening the unity of the country.

Despite the general strike in September 2015 in which about 15 crore employees and workers across the nation had participated, the BJP-led NDA government has not changed its policy of privatisation and is pursuing it with renewed vigour much against the interests of the people.

“Narendra Modi government with its anti-employees’ policies hitting them hard,’’ he added. Against this distressing backdrop, it is high time that the employees, workers, pensioners and also social and people’s organisations should come together to safeguard their own future, he observed while declaring CITU’s support to the pensioners’ association.

AIBDPA national general secretary KG Jayaraj explained the association’s effort for the benefit of the pensioners. International Trade Union leader VAN Namboodri opined that all the associations including employees, workers and pensioners should take up the issues of those engaged in the unorganised sector which would be a long way in strengthening the future joint struggles in the interests of all sections.

Pointing that there are about 15 lakh pensioners in BSNL against 2.5 lakh employees, he stressed on the trade unions to look into the pensioners’ issues. MLC Y Srinivasulu Reddy, who was the reception committee chairman, welcomed the delegates. BSNL Employees Union national general secretary Abhimanyu and others were also present.