Port Blair, Jan 2: The General Body Meeting of the Nagarpalika Shramik Sangh (CITU) was held at Shaheed Bhavan, Anarkali, Port Blair on 31.12.2022 in which various issues and demands of the workers of PBMC were discussed. 

Addressing the huge gathering of workers, B. Chandrachoodan, General Secretary, CITU State Committee and President, Nagarpalika Shramik Sangh criticized the A&N Administration and Port Blair Municipal Council for not considering the demands of the PBMC workers. He said that the workers of PBMC especially those engaged in the sanitary wing have been working in most difficult conditions and their hard work during the Covid 19 pandemic needs appreciation. Referring to the recent judgement of the Division Bench of Calcutta High Court in the APWD workers’ case, CITU General Secretary said that all the daily rated workers working in PBMC should be extended with the benefit of 1/30th of pay plus DA benefit immediately.  

Addressing the meeting, D. Ayyappan, Vice President, CITU State Committee called upon all the employees and workers in the PBMC to join the Nagarpalika Shramik Sangh and strengthen it so that their issues and demands will be highlighted properly and agitations conducted to achieve it.  He briefly explained the various anti-working class policies of the BJP-led central government and said that the outsourcing and privatisation of government work are the hallmark of this government because of which the demands of PBMC workers for regularization of their services and grant of 1/30th of pay plus DA are not considered by the PBMC and A & N Administration. NKP Nair, Vice President, CITU explained briefly various demands of PBMC workers and blamed the PBMC for neglecting the genuine demands of the workers. 

SP Kalairajan, Vice President, Nagarpalika Shramik Sangh also addressed the meeting. Hundreds of PBMC workers working in various sections of PBMC attended the meeting.  The meeting decided to conduct agitations if the authorities fail to grant 1/30th of pay plus DA to all DRMs within two months as per the High Court order in the ASNVMS case.  R. Surendran Pillai, President and P. Sathyapal, Secretary, CITU State Committee were also present in the General Body meeting.