Calling upon all trade unions and working class people to intensify countrywide struggle against neo-liberal policies and imperialist designs, the five-day national conference of the Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU) ended here on Monday with a pledge to carry forward ‘militant struggles of the working class’. The incumbents, A K Padmanabhan and Tapan Sen, were re-elected as national president and general secretary respectively.
The 35-member national secretariat has eight women on board, including Mercykuttyamma (vice-president) and A R Sindhu (secretary) from Kerala. Anathalavattom Anandan and K O Habeeb were elected as national vice-presidents from the state while Elamaram Kareem and P Nandakumar were made secretaries.
Veteran trade union leaders K N Raveendranath, P K Gurudasan and M M Lawrence were dropped from the central secretariat, in a move ‘to infuse young blood in the leadership’.
Fourteen members of the secretariat are new to the post. However, one post in the secretariat was left vacant, and will be filled in later with the induction of a senior leader, A K Padmanabhan said. Ranjana Nirula from Delhi will continue to be the national treasurer of the union.
The conference has decided to intensify workers’ struggle and deepen the union’s roots further down. It has decided to carry forward the demand for a minimum wage of `10,000 per month. The contract workers should be given wages on par with the regular workers for the same work in the same industry or establishment.
Universal security coverage and pension for both organised and unorganised workers were also demanded.