Report received from General Secretary, National Railway Mazdoor Union (NRMU) (CR/KR)
In support of the Nationwide Workers Strike of 28-29th March 2022 called by Central Trade Unions (CTUs) including HMS, NRMU (CR/KR) held an outstanding Solidarity March on 29th March. The March wherein about 5000 members of NRMU (CR) participated was spectacular with the presence of youth and young women employees.
The peaceful rally was led by its General Secretary Com. Venu P Nair. HMS Maharashtra General Secretary Shri. Sanjay Wadhavkar along with several workers belonging to different streams of industries also marched in communion with NRMU cadre whose red attire and waving of red banners and flags made the event a “Sea of Red”. President of NRMU (CR) Com. P.J.Shinde and other HQ & Divisional Office Bearers were also present leading the rally from the front.
The peaceful rally with continuous sloganeering of the participants against the retrograde and anti-worker policies of the government originated from Platform No.18 of CSMT Station, moved through Suburban concourse and passing through the subway reached Azad Maidan to join hundreds of protesting workers from different government establishments.
This solidarity March was an explicit expression of the disgruntled workers of the country including railwaymen against government’s attempt to push forward it’s pro-corporate agenda enabling them to dismantle the PSUs through implementation of Privatization, Disinvestment, National Monetisation Pipeline, Corporatization, Outsourcing, Labour Code, NPS, Non-filling up of lakhs of vacant posts, and other anti-worker, anti-people policies detrimental to the common people in general and to the working class and educated unemployed youth in particular.
Com. Venu P Nair, General Secretary, NRMU (CR/KR) addressed the sea of workers at Azad Maidan with his thunderous speech and warned the government to review its policies which are not in the interest of workers and urged not to push the workers fraternity to take an aggressive decisive stand to protect their legitimate rights and privileges.
Thousands of workers who participated in the march resolved to fight against injustice and took a pledge to accomplish the mission of “Save the People, Save the Nation” slogan adopted by the Central Trade Unions of the country.
Gate meetings were held in Pune, Solapur and all other divisions of Central Railway wherein hundreds of employees participated and registered their wholehearted support to the striking workers. Thus, this workers’ rally and other protest programmes organised in different divisions turned out to be a historical event in the annals of trade union movement of Mumbai and of Maharashtra in general.
