CITU, AITUC stage separate rallies over workers’ demands
Trade unions CITU and AITUC held separate protest rallies in Visakhapatnam to demand better welfare for auto-rickshaw drivers and workers. The unions criticized the government for failing to fulfill promises and implementing policies they deem anti-worker.
Why it matters
Labor unrest highlights ongoing tensions between transport workers and local government regarding economic subsidies and regulatory enforcement.
Two trade unions staged rallies in Visakhapatnam on Tuesday, pressing the State and Central governments to fulfil various demands.
Members of the CITU-affiliated Visakha Auto Rickshaw Workers’ Union rallied from the Railway Station to Gandhi Park at the Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation (GVMC) office, via the Divisional Railway Manager’s office and Dwaraka Junction.
Union district general secretary K. Satyanarayana alleged that State government had promised a welfare board for auto drivers, subsidies on petrol and diesel, and implementation of the ‘Vahana Mitra scheme’. He said the promises remained unfulfilled two years after the coalition government assumed office.
The union also alleged police photographing autorickshaws, imposition of heavy fines during enforcement drives against school autos, and the handing over of Regional Transport Office (RTO) functions to private persons. It threatened to intensify protests if the demands were not met before the GVMC elections.
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