Atleast 50 people donated blood at a blood donation camp organised by the Defence Coordination Committee and the Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU), celebrating May Day week on Wednesday at the Mother Blood Centre near Jagadamba in Visakhapatnam.

Addressing the participants, Defence Coordination Committee convener Reddy Venkata Rao and CITU district general secretary R.K.S.V. Kumar said the organisations had been conducting blood donation camps, sports competitions and cultural programmes every year as part of May Day observances.

They called upon workers to prepare for future struggles to safeguard labour rights on the occasion of the 140th May Day celebrations.

The speakers alleged that the Centre had weakened labour protections by replacing existing labour laws with four labour codes. They urged workers to uphold the spirit of the May Day martyrs and continue struggles for an eight-hour workday, protection of public sector undertakings, job security and implementation of minimum wages.

The organisers said CITU had been striving not only for the protection of labour rights but also for uniting workers and undertaking social service activities. Blood donors were presented with certificates and mementoes.

Mother Blood Centre chairman Kiran Kumar, Venkatesh and several trade union leaders participated in the programme.