COUNTRYWIDE PEOPLES’ PROTEST AGAINST RAILWAY-PRIVATISATION ON 16-17 JULY AT TRADE UNION INITIATIVE

The Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU) Congratulates the Working Class and the People for the tremendous response to its call for a nationwide protest on 16-17 July 2020 against the desperate and disastrous move of the Govt for Privatisation of Indian Railways. Protest demonstrations were held from Kashmir to Kanyakumari, outside almost all major railway stations in most of the states including some of the regional headquarters and RAIL BHAWAN at New Delhi against the move by the Modi government for privatisation of 109 rail routes, ban on recruitments, privatisation of Railway Stations, railway production units through corporatisation route etc in the shield of lock down. The Govt has already allowed 100% FDI in manufacturing and maintenance of rolling stock, signalling and electric works and dedicated freight lines.

Massive protest actions were held in almost all major railway stations keeping the physical distancing and other WHO norms. Apart from CITU leaders and activists, activists of other organisations of peasantry and youth, common people as well as large number of railway employees joined the demonstrations in many places, declaring that Railway privatisation is not just the concern of railway employees only. The massive participation in spite of the short notice, shows the possibility of a wider movement under the leadership of the working class in the coming days in defence of Indian Railways. It is encouraging to see a large number of women workers and workers cutting across different sectors from IT to street vendors joined the protest to save the national asset.

CITU calls upon the working class of India to join enmasse in the united struggle of defiance, non-cooperation and resistance called upon by the central trade unions against the  mass-scale privatisation, labour law changes/suspension and other attacks on the working people including the peasantry by the Govt, dubiously taking advantage of the lockdown-restrictions and  also pressing for the basic demands of the people for lives and livelihood.

Issued by
(Tapan Sen)
General Secretary 

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