Trade unions participate in Labour Day celebrations in Kolkata

Kolkata, May 1(ANI): Trade unions and members of Communist Party of India -Marxist (CPI-M) congregated at prime locations of the city on Tuesday to mark Labour Day celebrations.

Leaders of several trade unions echoed their sentiments in unison, adding that movements like Occupy Wall Street in United States of America (USA) have further inspired them to intensify their fight against the injustice being done to them.

" We have seen in recent times that in capitalist countries, there was a movement called the Capture Wall Street and a slogan was given, which said you are one, but we are 99. So, capital is accumulated among a small group of people and the problems of the labourers are overlooked and their exploitation is rising," said Aloke Kumar Banerjee, Secretary, Federation Of Associate Sales Representative and Medical Association Of India.

Some leaders held the view that employers were engaging in wrongdoing along with the state governments, which aggravated the misery of the workers.

"Several employers are engaging in wrongful activities along with the government and are trying to change the laws in the country. In fact, the Minimum Wage law, they are trying to bring about changes in that," added Banerjee.

The first May Day or the Labour Day was organised in India for the first time in Chennai in 1923 during which the red flag was used for the first time in the country.(ANI)