Welcoming the participants, the representative of the Maharashtra Committee of Lok Raj Sangathan hailed the fact that over the last one year, many of the fighting organizations of different sections of the working people, including main sectors of the economy such as transport, manufacturing, banking and insurance etc., have boldly come out in each others' support. He explained that this meeting has been organized to take this unity forward.
On 17th June 2011, representatives of several organizations of different sections of working people met in Mumbai, to highlight the specific problems of each section as well as to work towards building the solidarity of the working class, across trade and industry.
Representatives of the Lok Raj Sangathan (LRS), All India Loco running Staff Association (AILRSA), Western Railway Motormen’s Association (WRMA), Joint Action Committee of Central and Western Railway Motormen(JACCWRM), Maharashtra Association of Resident Doctors (MARD), Association of State Medical Interns (ASMI ), Bharat Petroleum Process and Lab Technicians Association, Ladaku Garment Mazdoor Union (LGMU), Gharelu Kamgar Sangathan, and the Communist Ghadar Party Of India (CGPI), participated in the meeting. The Indian Commercial Pilots Association (ICPA) sent in a message expressing solidarity with the aims of the meeting and with the struggles of all those present.
Welcoming the participants, the representative of the Maharashtra Committee of Lok Raj Sangathan hailed the fact that over the last one year, many of the fighting organizations of different sections of the working people, including main sectors of the economy such as transport, manufacturing, banking and insurance etc., have boldly come out in each others' support. He explained that this meeting has been organized to take this unity forward.
Representatives of all the participating organisations addressed the meeting.
The representative of AILRSA described their struggle against their abysmal working conditions and for removal of many anomalies in implementation of the 6th Pay Commission. The WRMA representative hailed the unity of the motormen, despite the nefarious attempts of the government to break it. Representative of the LGMU denounced the efforts of the management to split the unity of the permanent and contract workers and called for abolition of the contract system. The representative of the Gharelu workers described their struggle to be recognized as 'workers' and for weekly off, minimum wages, PF and other benefits.
The representative of MARD drew the attention of the audience to the inhuman conditions of work of the doctors who are on call duty almost round the clock! He welcomed the work of LRS towards mobilizing the support of other sections of the working people for the doctors' struggle. The representative of ASMI spoke of their struggle for better stipend for the interns and for better working conditions.
The participants in the meeting unanimously decided to send solidarity greetings to the Maruti Suzuki workers and the Air India pilots.
Participants discussed ways in which they can support each others' struggles. Concluding the discussion, the representative of JACCWRM proposed that such meetings be held regularly in future, which was enthusiastically approved by all those present.