Shimla: National Working Committee Meeting of Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU) here today expressed serious concern about unemployment saying the there was job erosion because of automation, application of robotics and artificial intelligence as 6 leading IT companies in India alone had downsized by nearly 60,000 employees in this down turn.
Speaking at the three day meet Dr.K.Hemalata, President CITU narrated workers struggle in many countries against unemployment and austerity measures.
Presenting the unemployment report, Tapan Sen General Secretary, said today’s capitalism is not bothered about employment and can do any harm for pursuit of profit. The tendency of right wing forces coming up in some countries has added to the crisis.
Banning of cattle slaughter had hit the beef export business which would hit poor peasants of the country badly, he said
Sen termed privatization and contract jobs as the most dangerous steps taken by the government. Important sectors of the economy like Finance, Defense and Railways were being opened up for the private sector and experience showed that such privatization failed to meet the need and then after destroying these sectors country will be forced to import. This act is totally anti-national, he said.
He described the crisis that agriculture was facing as only a third of peasants were getting loans from public institutions and the rest was controlled by private lenders.
In such situation loan waiver does not reach the vast majority. Distressed sales and crop failure is the cause for farmers suicides and peasant protest movements in the country are on the rise, said Sen.
