Leftist trade unions demand strict enforcement of eight-hour workday

Leftist trade unions on Wednesday demanded strict enforcement of the eight-hour workday at a gathering to mark International Workers' Day.

Left Front chairman Biman Bose was present at the flag hoisting ceremony at the Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU) state headquarters in Kolkata on the occasion.

Addressing a congregation at the city's iconic Shahid Minar grounds, the unions emphasised the importance of maintaining an eight-hour workday for labourers, expressing concerns over potential efforts to extend daily working hours.

They advocated for preserving the dignity of labour by guaranteeing eight hours of rest, eight hours of recreation, and eight hours of work each day.

Addressing the gathering on the occasion, CITU West Bengal state president Subhash Mukherjee urged upon workers to make informed choices in the Lok Sabha polls, stressing the need to halt the privatisation of government entities.

He emphasised the importance of generating employment within Bengal to prevent migration to other states in search of work.

Claiming that education was going beyond the reach of the poor owing to rising costs, Mukherjee demanded that the government take steps to ensure that it remains within the reach of all sections of society for their all-round development.