All India Trade Union Congress (AITUC), Manipur on Saturday launched a mass campaign for early settlement of the prevailing crisis of Manipur through a political solution at Manipur Press Club.
In connection with the mass campaign, AITUC general secretary L Sotinkumar demanded an early settlement of the ongoing crisis. Highlighting its impacts, Sotinkumar said that there has been no settlement due to lack of political will.
“The prevailing conflict has completed a year yet there are no steps taken for delivering a lasting solution; nothing has been seen from the government side. We need a political dialogue now,” Sotinkumar said.
He said that AITUC, Manipur demands for the immediate establishment of a highway protection force, emphasising that the Meitei community has been grappling with a disrupted lifeline, attributing the situation to the armed aggression by Kuki militants.
He mentioned the numbers of people who have been killed in highways, raising concerns about how the economy of Manipur has been badly affected due to the prevailing situation.
The situation demands that the wages of private employees be increased to Rs 26,000 per month. “However, these employees, including drivers, people who work in shops and establishments and journalists in the media are paid extremely little,” said Sotinkumar, adding, the wages should be increased by a decision of the Labour department.
“If Kerala can do it, we can also do it,” he further said, adding their demands also include a proper implementation of NREGA schemes and its extension to urban areas as well.
Raising concerns that the privatisation of public sectors like the privatisation of Loktak is happening, he said that they are all opposed to it.
