The State Level Convention was held today (3rd May 2025) at Budha Mandir Auditorium, Bhubaneswar by the Confederation of Central Govt. Employees and Workers, Odisha State Coordination Committee (CoC) under the Presidentship of Com. Rabindranath Dhal, State President of the CoC and discussed on “The present attacks on the workers, employees and pensioners and the role of working class”.
At the outset, Com. Bruhaspati Samal, General Secretary of the State CoC briefed the purpose of the Convention which is based on the Declaration of the National Convention of Workers held in New Delhi on 18th March 2025 and participated by the major Central Trade Unions and Independent Federations with unanimous resolution to go for a Nationwide General Strike on 20th May 2025. This Convention is a step forward to mobilize the grass root level leadership for massive participation in the above strike to defend the rights, dignity and future of workforce.
Inaugurating the Convention, Com. Janardan Pati, State President, CITU, Odisha briefed the attacks on the workers both nationally and internationally and urged the working class to rise to the occasion. The Four Labour Codes passed by the Central Government without adequate discussion or consultations with stakeholders are designed to favour employers while severely curtailing the rights of workers. The massive push towards privatization of PSUs, closure of sick units without revival packages, and monetization of public assets is systematically destroying secure employment and turning permanent jobs into contract-based, low-paid, insecure work. Prices of essential commodities have skyrocketed. Fuel prices, despite global moderation, continue to rise due to high excise duties. Subsidies on LPG, fertilizers, and food grains have been slashed drastically. The Union Budget 2025-26 shows a 17% reduction in food subsidy allocation and a 12% reduction in rural employment guarantees under MGNREGA. These cuts directly affect the working poor and marginal populations.
Addressing the Convention as Chief Speaker, Com. S B Yadav, Secretary General, Confederation CHQ told that the Central Government, through a series of regressive policies and legislative measures, has been persistently attacking the hard-earned rights of the working class. In the guise of reform and modernization, the government is systematically dismantling the social security architecture that once guaranteed the dignity, protection, and well-being of government employees and workers at large. After segregating the employees into three distinct groups, i.e.; beneficiaries under the Old Pension Scheme (OPS), contributors under the New Pension Scheme (NPS), and a new category under the Unified Pension Scheme (UPS), now the Finance Act 2025 introduces a new layer of discrimination among government employees and pensioners by institutionalizing multiple categories based on retirement date and the implementation of Central Pay Commission (CPC) recommendations which violates the fundamental principle of equality enshrined in Article 14 of the Constitution.
Among others, while Com. Chittaranjan Pattnaik, General Secretary, ITEF, Ishwar Ch. Sahoo from GSIEA, Com. J K Mishra from IoPPA, Com. Debabrata Mohanty, Com. Sapan Mohanty and Com. M C S Rao, Com. Lopamudra Bhoi from NFPE and Com. Purnendu Ku. Dash and Co. Srikant Ku. Mallick from AIPRPA have addressed the Convention, more than one hundred leaders and representatives from many affiliates of the CoC like, RMRC, CPWD, CWC, CGWB, AIAIT, AG Audit, DAG, CIFA, AIGDSU etc. have also attended. Com. Dipti Ranjan Mohanty, Financial Secretary of the CoC gave the vote of thanks.
The Convention unanimously resolved to actively participate in the forthcoming Nationwide general Strike called by CTUs and Independent Federations on 20th May 2025.
B SAMAL
General Secretary
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