(Repeating with changes in lead para)

New Delhi, May 1 (UNI) May Day was marked today by workers from different parts of the country pledging to further intensify and widen the struggle against imperialism and communalism.

Rallies and demonstrations were organised by various trade union organisations in several industrial centres and district headquarters of the North-West region.

Thousands of industrial and brick kiln workers and those from different government and semi-government organisations, including banks, participated in the rallies.

Leaders criticised economic policies and trade conditions, which are being imposed on the people of Third World countries.

They said policies dictated by the World Bank and other imperialist-backed financial institutions are bound to cause great harm to the economic sovereignty and self-reliance of the third world countries.

In Andhra Pradesh, Chief Minister Y S Rajasekhara Reddy announced reconstitution of the Board for building construction workers. He also distributed ''Shrama Shakti Awards to 24 workers and Best Management awards to 14 companies as part of the celebrations in Hyderabad. He said one per cent of the state construction industry's turnover of Rs 50,000 crore would be collected for the welfare of the workers.

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and his deputy Sushil Kumar Modi also congratulated state labourers on May Day, which refers to various socialist and labor movement celebrations conducted on May 1, unrelated to the traditional celebrations to commemorate the Haymarket martyrs of 1886 and the international socialist movement generally.

International Workers' Day (a name used interchangeably with May Day) is a celebration of the social and economic achievements of the international labour movement.

They also appreciated their ''constructive role'' in the nation building.

They requested all labour unions, social activists, Self Help Groups to support the state government in dealing with the menace of child labour.

West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee has said the Left parties would not accept ''slavery'' of workers.

Criticising the Congress-led UPA Government for the SEZ Act and ''anti-labour'' policies, he said, ''The Left parties have extended support to the UPA Government. But we shall oppose any anti-labour legislation...we shall not accept slavery of workers.'' ''The Left Front government is for workers. It wants capital the way it wants dignity of workers protected,'' he said.

The Chief Minister said it was because of the wrong policies of the Congress-led Government, toeing the US model of globalisation, that poor had become poorer, agriculture crumbled and farmers were committing suicide.

''The Congress has taken the country in a wrong path. The Government it leads should not partner with the US and rather it should make an axis with China and Russia. I urge it to do some self-criticism,'' he said.

Workers in Meghalaya observed May Day and renewed their opposition to the Liberalisation, Privatisation and Globalisation (LPG) policy.

''The condition of general masses in India, at the behest of the LPG policy, did not show any sign of improvement, rather it was drifting from bad to worse,'' the general secretary of Meghalaya Joint Council of Trade Unions and Associations (MJCTUAs) J L Das said.

In Manipur, All Working Journalists union and the All India Trade Union Congress observed the day at the Manipur Press Club and at Gandhi Memorial Hall respectively.

Speakers addressed the need of protecting the rights of the working class during the functions.

Also in Jharkhand, several trade unions and left parties took out processions and held rallies to mark the ''May Day'' celebrations.

Governor Syed Sibtey Razi, Chief Minister Madhu Koda and Labour Minister Bhanu Pratap Shahi in their respective messages on the occasion stressed the need of implementing labour law.

UNI