The joint platform of 10 Central trade unions on Thursday announced their plan for demonstrations on November 26 and a two-day general strike during the Budget session of Parliament in 2022 to protest against the “anti-people” policies of the Government.
The unions held a national convention here to decide the course of action, including efforts to coordinate with the farmers’ protests. The demonstrations will mark the anniversary of the last general strike and farmers’ march to Delhi. The unions called on workers to join the general strike the dates for which are yet to be decided.
The unions passed a declaration demanding the scrapping of the four labour codes, which were passed by Parliament in 2019 and 2020 and are yet to be implemented, repeal of the farm laws, stopping privatisation and the National Monetisation Pipeline and reduction in the Central excise duty on petroleum products among others.
Protection of the right to work
The unions also called on political parties to incorporate “protection of the right to work, living wage, free quality education to all citizens and all legitimate constitutional rights” in their manifestos for the 2022 Assembly polls and elections in 2024.
The unions that issued the declaration were the Centre of Indian Trade Union, the All-India Trade Union Congress, the Indian National Trade Union Congress, the Hind Mazdoor Sabha, the All-India United Trade Union Centre, the Trade Union Coordination Committee, the Self Employed Women’s Association, the All-India Central Council of Trade Unions, the Labour Progressive Federation and the United Trade Union Congress.