THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: While the CPM has taken a stand against the way the Vizhinjam seaport project is being implemented and kept away from the signing of the concession agreement with the Adani Group, the party’s trade union arm CITU is gearing up for the project. In what may seem the party’s double standards getting exposed, the CITU has already floated the ‘Vizhinjam International Port Workers Union’ and started enlisting members.
The CITU’s floating of a union at a time the CPM has alleged huge corruption behind the same, has invited severe criticism in the social media. A picture of the application form to join the union, along with the receipt posted online, has become viral.
“We are against the Vizhinjam project. But even before the construction of the project has started, we are ready to take ‘nokkukooli’...” thus goes the status with the picture posted by ‘Trivandrum City’ on Facebook. The picture has already invited several comments, approving and disagreeing with the trade union, along with many shares.
While there are severe criticisms against the CPM on the one side, some of them opine that no union should be allowed to function at the Vizhinjam port. In between there are some others who point out that there’s nothing wrong in union activities. The party’s opposition is towards the agreement, not the project.
It has been pointed out that the CITU floating a union specifically for the Vizhinjam project has exposed the CPM’s double standards on the issue. However, the new union, floated under the Kovalam area committee of the party, is getting good responses and enquiries.
Officials say the union was launched much before the agreement was signed. “The union was launched a couple of weeks ago. There’s a good response from people who want to join. We have not been collecting any application fee for the same,” say party sources.
Meanwhile, CITU state president Anathalavattom Anandan said on Thursday there was no irony in the CITU launching its union for the Vizhinjam project. “The CPM is not against the project. The party has been trying to expose certain negative conditions in the agreement and we are trying to expose the same before the public. The party won’t attempt to disrupt the construction of the port. We are against the manner in which the project is being implemented. And as a trade union, the CITU has the responsibility to bring the labourers together and ensure that they get sufficient wages,” he said.