K C Gopikumar
THE 16th Conference of the Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU), Tamil Nadu, concluded with a clarion call to the workers of the state to campaign and participate in the Road Roko Agitation in January 2026 against the communal, divisive policies of the Modi-led BJP government, for repeal of the four labour codes, to safeguard the rights of the working class, to regulate the work of the scheme workers like Anganwadi, Asha and Makkalai Thedi Maruthuvam, for regularising contract workers, to ensure the eight-hour workday and to increase the benefits to the beneficiaries of the social security welfare board.
The conference, which was held from November 6 to 9 at Coimbatore, was attended by more than 650 delegates from all parts of the state. It was presided over by CITU State President Com. A. Soundararajan. The conference was inaugurated by CITU General Secretary Com. Tapan Sen. It was greeted by leaders of the AITUC, LPF, AICCTU, AIUTUC, INTUC, HMS and UTUC.
CITU Vice President A. K. Padmanabhan and Secretary R. Karumalaiyan also greeted the conference.
In the general session the conference adopted resolutions to stop the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of voters in Tamil Nadu and for repeal of the four labour codes.
The Conference Reception Committee made elaborate arrangements and more than 200 volunteers were engaged in the successful conduct of the sessions and the workers rally.
On the eve of the conference the leaders received the torch of the martyrs of Coimbatore and Tiruppur who laid down their lives fighting for the rights of the workers against the repression of the bourgeois class. The presence of the family members of the martyrs was a highlight of this emotional event. During the conference, the state leaders also received the torches of martyrs of Venmani, Chinniampalayam, Salem Prison, Com Leelavathi of Madurai, Thirumeignanam, and Trichy Ponmalai. Senior leader Com. S. S. Subramaniam hoisted the red flag which was brought from Kanyakumari. All the martyrs’ torches were brought to Coimbatore crossing all the districts of Tamil Nadu and along with campaigns on the demands of the working class.
Tamil Nadu Pioneer in Struggles
In his inaugural address Com. Tapan Sen spoke on the international struggles of the working class and on the need for internationalism of the workers and unity of the working class. He spoke in detail about struggles like those of the workers of Samsung and other MNCs, against the contractualisation of the electricity employees, Anganvadi and other struggles. The struggle of Samsung workers had an impact not only in Tamil Nadu but also throughout the globe. It would not be an exaggeration to say that it created an inspiration for the working class, transcending our organisations in India and Tamil Nadu. This struggle was not for wages and economic demands. It was a struggle for the right to organise and to join a union, which is the basic right of the working class, and it created an inspiration among all working people. Such struggles should be unleashed in the near future. Tamil Nadu CITU is in the forefront of conducting struggles in MNCs like Samsung, Yamaha, etc. While congratulating the workers for participating in various struggles, he further emphasised the need to take the message of the CITU to the grassroot level. The last member of the union should know the importance of being a member of the union.
Around 667 delegates including 181 women participated in the conference. Com A. Soundararajan, President of the Tamil Nadu CITU State Committee, presided and Com G. Sukumaran, General Secretary, placed the Work Report and the Report on Organisation. Com. Malathi Chittibabu, Treasurer, placed the accounts. Around 145 delegates including 42 women participated in the discussion on both the reports and placed their suggestions. At the end, the reports were unanimously adopted.
CITU Conference resolves to fight
53 resolutions were adopted on a range of issues including the following – to fill the vacancies in the labour offices, on rights of digitalisation, on the safety of women workers, on the livelihood rights of fishermen, against outsourcing of local administration work, to ensure Rs. 32 thousand as monthly minimum wages for the ICDS workers, to save the central public sector units and the state public sector; no to GST on all medicines and medical usables and devices, to increase the welfare benefits for all unorganised workers including in construction, tailoring and road transport, on issues of plantation workers, against the closure of the NTC mills, and for implementation of the migrant labour act.
D Ravindran, State President of AIKS, and M. Chinnadurai, State President of AIAWU, greeted the conference. While they applauded the continuous solidarity of the CITU with the struggles of the farmers and agricultural workers, they further urged the conference to take up concrete struggles along with the kisan unions.
As per the credentials report presented by Com. K. C. Gopikumar, around 342 delegates were from the unorganised sector, 41 from the central public sector units, 126 from the state public sector, and 56 were Scheme workers. The educational qualifications of 366 delegates were between class 5 and 12.
Link the policies with politics
On the last day of the conference, CITU President Dr K. Hemalata delivered the concluding address. She emphasised the issue of membership. The state conference should give serious thought to and plan how to increase the membership. Even though continuous struggles were being held in almost all sectors, membership is not increasing. She urged the delegates to discuss at the union levels and plan to complete the task of membership which had been decided in the district conferences. She emphasised that, in the background of increased neo-liberal attacks on the people, the unity of the working class is of utmost importance; only this class can give a fitting reply to the capitalist class. She further called on the delegates to link the policies of the government with its politics and expose the politics behind the policies. She further urged the delegates to take up a continuous campaign among the workers through the district coordination committees.
New Office Bearers
The conference elected G. Sukumaran as State President, S. Kannan as State General Secretary, and S. Rajendran as Treasurer. V. Kumar, K. Thiruchelvan, K. Arumuganayanar and E. Muthukumar were elected as State Assistant General Secretaries. The comrades elected as State Vice-Presidents are A. Soundararajan, Malathi Chittibabu, K. Vijayan, M. Chandran, P. Karuppaiyan, T. Udayakumar, A. Krishnamoorthy, A. Janakiraman, M. Mahalakshmi, S. K. Mahendran, M. Idahelen, R. Russell, S. Rangarajan, K. Thangamohanan, C. Nagarajan, M. Shivaji, and C. Jayapal. Those elected as State Secretaries are K. C. Gopikumar, K.Rangaraj, P. N. Deva, S. Krishnamoorthy, M. Dhanalakshmi, D. Kumar, A. Sridhar, S. Devmani, T. Jaishankar, P. Indira, Azhugunambi Welkin, R. Lenin, C. P. Jaiseelan, T. Palanivel, V. Kuppusamy, J. Lourdue Ruby, and Bhagatsingh Das. Along with them, 141 state committee members were elected.
Rousing Rally
On the concluding day of the conference, Coimbatore city witnessed a rousing rally of thousands of workers from the unorganised sector, transport, electricity, ICDS workers, women workers from construction, tailors and all other sectors including IT employees from all parts of the state. At the forefront of the rally, which included a red flag parade, a parade of female comrades carrying red flags and red umbrellas, and artistic performances, attracted the attention of the people witnessing the rally. Throughout the rally, leaders of the various mass and class organisations extended their greetings. Particularly unique was the participation of young members of the Tamil Nadu Balar Sangam.
Theft of Minimum Wages
Comrade A. Soundararajan in his public address said that the non- implementation of minimum wages for workers and not regularising contract workers are not only extreme forms of exploitation but also a clear theft of labour. Like the theft of votes through SIR, the managements with the connivance of both the central and state governments are carrying out the theft of the labour of crores and crores of workers. He estimated that around 42 lakhs crores rupees are being stolen by the MNCs and the monopolies from the workers. The newly elected General Secretary Com. S. Kannan spoke about the achievements of the CITU with regard to the amendment of the 8 hour workday and trade union registration. He appealed to the working class to take up the campaign on the rights of workers and join the massive road roko agitation.
The public meeting was also addressed by leaders like G. Sukumaran, Malathy Chittibabu and S. Krishnamurthy. The newly elected office bearers were introduced by Com. A. K. Padmanabhan.
