AITUC-Goa organises rally against UPA govt policies

Panaji, Aug 16 (UNI) The Goa unit of the All India Trade Union Congress (AITUC) has organised a rally here on August 20 as part of the nation-wide general strike to protest against the ''anti-people and anti-labour policies of the Congress-led UPA government at the Centre''.

Jointly addressing a press conference here today, the AITUC-Goa General Secretary Christopher Fonsenca and Goa Government Employees Association (GGEA) president M L Shetkar said the Sponsoring Committee of the Central Trade Unions and other mass organisations had given a call to all the workers and toilers to strike work throughout India for one day.

Except essential services, all the national and state-based trade unions, government employees, federation of banks, insurance, ports and docks, mining, factories, shops, establishments, and transport will boy cott work on August 20 to support the nation-wide strike, they said.

Mr Fonsenca said the policies of the UPA government had given rise to unemployment, besides atrocities against women and poor.

The government has failed to ensure the right to strike as a weapon of collective bargain, he alleged.

Only 10 to 20 per cent of India's population is happy as against 80 to 90 per cent who live a hand-to -mouth existence. ''On July 22, the entire nation had seen how the UPA government subverted democracy to remain in power in the face of the confidence motion in Parliament,'' he added.

He said ever since the left parties withdrew their support, the UPA government had been forging ahead unhindered, to create a free market economy.

He also said the UPA government had failed to control the soaring prices of all essential commodities, including food grains and petroleum products.

UNI SRN/BM RN SBC HT1507