Left trade unions tie up with Muslim League

KASARGOD: The Left-leaning headload workers in Kasargod town are facing  a tough choice-- to be a member of either  the STU or the BMS.  Else, they have to quit the field.  

The Swathanthra Thozhilali Union (STU) is the trade union of IUML and BMS (Bharatheeya Masdur Sangh) that of BJP. There is no unit of CITU, AITUC or INTUC for  the headload workers in the town.  

Caught between the two  choices, many  workers have preferred STU over the BMS. From Cherkala to Kasargod railway station, STU has 200 members  of whom  30 per cent are non-Muslims. Interestingly, the  majority of them are CPM supporters.

“We have no other choice. Sometime back a worker was sacked from the membership of STU and he called himself  CITU headload worker. But he didn’t get work and was forced to quit,” one among them  told DC. But the STU leader dismisses the allegations of an authoritarian working style.

“We did not prevent anybody from working. Kasargod, being a stronghold of IUML,  has a lot of STU members. That’s quite natural,” responded STU district joint secretary Muthaleef Parakkatta.  CITU district general secretary T.K. Rajan said that the issue should be discussed by the public.

“The labour department cannot issue a labour card for a CITU worker as it requires the consent of local headload workers’ board. The board is filled with STU and BMS members and they unitedly work against CITU membership,” he pointed out.

The ‘untouchability’ towards Congress, CPM and  CPI trade unions is in the headload workers’ field only. “As the job here is a group activity, one cannot float a new union alone. So, many keep silent and join the  mainstream unions,” said a headload worker.