KOLLAM: INTUC state president R.Chandrasekharan has said that the influence of the Left over traditional workers has weakened in the state.
Addressing a press conference here on Tuesday, he said that the traditional workers in the cashew, coir, fisheries and plantation sectors had extended their support to the UDF candidates in the Lok Sabha elections. This was because the Left had ignored the problems of these workers after coming to power. The LDF Government in the state, which is celebrating its third anniversary, had failed to even formulate a labour policy despite the fact that the Labour Minister was a leader of the CITU, he said. Chandrasekharan emphasized the need for comprehensive reforms in the PF pension scheme.
He said that a state-wise action plan should be formulated for the implementation of the rural employment scheme of the Central Government. Setting up of cashew Board in Kollam and starting value addition industries for cashew and toddy were among the other demands put forwad by him. He also urged the State Government to dissolve the fake primary societies in the coir sector formed under the initiative of the CPM with an objective of ``pocketing’’ the Central funds.
He made it clear that once the AITUC and CITU withdrew from forming trade unions in the film industry, the INTUC would also desist from the moves to form a union. The INTUC planned to form a union comprising all in the industry, from the light boy to the producer, he said.
He said that the INTUC was forced to take such a decision as the existing organisations of film persons sought the patronage of political parties and the political parties began actively intervening in their organisational rivalries.