Pledges to fight privatisation mark May Day in North West

Chandigarh, May 1 (UNI) On the occasion of May Day, workers in Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh and the Union Territory of Chandigarh pledged to further intensify and widen the struggle against imperialism, communalism and anti-people economic policies of liberalisation, privatisation and globalisation.

In various industrial centres and district headquarters of the region, rallies and demonstrations were organised by various trade union organisations. In these rallies' thousands of industrial and brick kiln workers and those from different government and semi- government organisations including banks participated.

Leaders who addressed these rallies criticised economic policies and trade conditions, which are being imposed on the people of third world countries. Policies dictated by the World Bank and other imperialist-backed financial institutions are bound to cause heavy harm to the economic sovereignty and self-reliance of the third world countries, they said.

The speakers also criticised communal forces of all shades, which are spreading communal hatred. Accusing the UPA government of rolling out anti-people and anti-national economic policies, the trade union leaders said the government' instead of implenting commitments which had been enlisted in the CMP, were following the same policies of the NDA government.

Commenting on the basic trade union rights and labour laws, the speakers said workers of the country are still fighting for their basic rights and called on them to intensify the struggle for their rights.

UNI