The first conference of the Himachal Pradesh Building Road and Other Construction Workers Union, affiliated with the CITU, took place at the Sunni Dam Hydro Project in Chewadi.
The event witnessed the participation of hundreds of workers, marking a significant step towards mobilising the labour force in the region. During the conference, a new leadership team was elected, with Om Prakash as president, Prem Prakash as general secretary and Hemraj as treasurer. The vice-presidents elected were Nek Chand, Devendra, Sandeep, Jitendra and Manish.
Dushyant, Raj Shahi, Tek Chand, Yashpal and Satish were appointed secretaries, while a 35-member committee was also formed, including Keshav, Meen Chand, Ajay, Maluk, Duni Chand, Sanjay, Arun, Sevanand, Naman, Bacchu Ram, Gulshan, Gopal, Vinod, Ramesh, Paras, Rakesh, Kailash, Ghanshyam, Bhupendra, Kittu and Tota Ram.
The conference saw influential addresses by CITU state president Vijendra Mehra, Shimla district treasurer Balak Ram, district vice-president Sunil Mehta, union president Om Prakash, general secretary Prem Prakash, Himachal Kisan Sabha president Kundan Sharma, Bhimi Ram Sharma, Manu Pal and Mohan Sharma.
They emphasised the need for workers to unite against the recent anti-labour laws and urged for the declaration of a minimum wage of Rs 26,000. They called for the strengthening of farmer-labour unity, the cancellation of the National Monetisation Pipeline and Fixed Term Employment and the reduction of penalties for non-compliance with EPF, EPS and EDLI facilities.
Additionally, they demanded the implementation of a minimum pension of Rs 9,000 and the restoration of financial benefits from the Labour Welfare Board for construction workers. They also opposed the increase in working hours from 8 to 12 hours.
The speakers highlighted the rising unemployment, poverty, inequality, and livelihood crises, attributing these issues to the neo-liberal and capitalist policies of the Modi government at the Centre. They pointed out the worsening situation of poverty and hunger due to escalating unemployment and inflation.
The weakening public distribution system has exacerbated the situation, with skyrocketing prices of petrol, diesel, cooking gas, and essential food items. The union leaders demanded the regularization of all workers, cessation of contract and part-time work, and the abolition of multi-purpose, multi-task, temporary, casual, fixed-term, contracting, and outsourcing systems.
Furthermore, they criticised the government’s anti-labour policies, including the privatisation and disinvestment of public sector undertakings, the National Monetization Pipeline, the Agneepath scheme and the soaring inflation that has crippled the ration system in depots.
The union leaders called for the repeal of the four anti-labour labour codes and the Electricity Amendment Bill, advocating for fair treatment and just policies for workers across the state.
