The AITUC council report mentions the Central government’s shameless withdrawal of orders for providing wages for the lockdown period, no eviction from rented accommodations, and no retrenchment from jobs, after failing miserably in implementing the orders and some employers knocking the doors of the Supreme Court against the orders.The demands of trade unions for giving universal coverage of ration without any documents, cash transfer of Rs 7,500 to non-tax paying families were ignored by the govt.Not only that, the government brought in anti-farmer and anti-worker policies apart from disinvestment of public sector and their privatisation.The council’s report said that the COVID-19 relief packages announced by the govt only allowed business houses/ corporates to make huge profits, while the common people, vendors and small businesses kept suffering.This was allowed to happen through further concessions by the govt, lowering corporate taxes and on procedures, no wealth tax on them, even as it reduced interest benefits on the savings of senior citizens, widows and pensioners who live on that money, increased indirect taxes and various cess on the already suffering poor, vulnerable masses, lower and middle classes.The report also exposed the way the packages were made attractive and bigger by including even the Budget allocations already made for farmers, the workers’ money in construction welfare boards disbursement and that of the mineral workers’ welfare money, and many more as such.The packages were in reality camouflaging exercises by the government to hoodwink people and to benefit its corporate friends.
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