The country's unions are organizing a one-day, country-wide strike against the “the anti-people, anti-worker" polices of the Modi government.
Image from the All-India General Strike, Bengaluru, January 9, 2019 (via twitter). With as many as 150 to 200 million participants across India, the two day strike in 2019 is regraded as one of the largest strikes in the history of the world.
The Joint Platform of Central Trade Unions (CTUs) and Sectoral Independent Federations and Associations reaffirmed their commitment November 16 to a one day National General Strike in India on November 26.
This includes workers' formations like the Indian National Trade Union Congress (INTUC), All India Trade Union Congress (AITUC), Hind Mazdoor Sabha (HMS), Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU), All India United Trade Union Centre (AIUTUC), Trade Union Co-ordination Centre (TUCC), Self-Employed Women's Association (SEWA), All India Central Council of Trade Unions (AICCTU), Labour Progressive Federation (LPF) and United Trade Union Congress (UTUC).
The aim is to combat “the anti-people, anti-worker, anti-national and destructive policies of the BJP government led by Modi".
Demands include the scrapping of new, regressive labour laws, the ending of privatizations, and programs and supports to help workers and people effected by the economic devastation of Covid-19.
According to a statement released by the All India United Trade Union Centre earlier this month:
The Modi led BJP government has declared a veritable war on the working class. The first round of the battle of complete scrapping of labour laws and declarations of privatisation are over in Parliament. Now, the battlefield has shifted on to the streets and to the states. 26 Nov all India strike called by the platform of central trade unions in the country is only a beginning of a long-drawn battle against the corporate fascists in power.
The country and its history are pushed back by 100 years. Indian people and the working class shed their blood to enact the labour laws that were just scrapped and pro-corporate, pro-bourgeoisie codes enacted by the Modi led BJP government in power, in the monsoon session of Parliament, to facilitate brutal, inhuman exploitation by the capital.
