NF Railways workers criticise Centre's SEZ policy as 'anti-labour'

Guwahati, Apr 26 (UNI) The Northeastern Frontier(NF) Railway Mazdoor Union has criticised the UPA government's policy on SEZs, branding it as anti-poor and anti-labour.

According to a release here today, the two-day meeting of the central executive council(CEC) of the Union, which concluded here yesterday, lambasted the Centre for adopting 'anti-labour' policies.

It alleged that the government, under pressure from the World Bank and the IMF, had launched disinvestments of PSUs, instead of reviving them and this was further worsening the unemployment scene in the country.

General secretary of the Union Rakhal Dasgupta said, ''At the cost of the safety of passengers, 20 per cent posts have been surrendered to the Railways, causing rapid increase in unemployment.'' ''Keeping all the above issues in view, the Railway workers have no other alternative than a mass movement,'' he added.

The CEC meeting also expressed concern that instead of pursuing pro-poor and pro-labour policies, the government was trying to curb the right of the Trade Union movement.

The meeting called for unification of all central government employees in general and the Railway workers in particular to launch a movement against the government and compel it to concede to its rightful demands.

UNI