Today, while Prime Minister Narendra Modi sets off on his four-day, two-nation tour, over 18 crore workers across India have gone on a 24-hour general strike. All central major trade unions (CTU), except Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS)-affiliate Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh (BMS), have called for the strike against the “anti-labour policies of the government”. The central and state government departments, telecom and banking sector employees have joined hands with the struggling workers.
This is 17th general strike since India began the process of economic liberalisation in 1991. This is the second consecutive year when a general strike has been called by the CTUs.
The workers are demanding “no-unilateral” changes in policy of the labour laws. They’re asking to be involved in the discussions regarding topics like pay revision and the status of “apprentice” (or contract workers).
The CTUs are demanding minimum wages of Rs 18,000 per month with provisions of indexation (or the revision of wages according to price rise). Initially, trade unions were demanding Rs 15,000 monthly income, but it was revised after the announcement of seventh pay commission. The CTUs have rejected the Centre’s suggested revised minimum wages of Rs 350 per day, which would amount to Rs 9,100 per month for unskilled workers.
They are also demanding stoppage of disinvestment in the central and state public sector banks. The CTUs are against the foreign direct investment in defence and insurance sector and railway.
Considering the price rise and no indexation, the workers are demanding urgent measures to containing price rise by universalisation of the public distribution system.
Also, 12 representatives of the Workers Solidarity Center have been reportedly detained by the Haryana police in the industrial hub of Manesar. The members were picked from the gates of Maruti Suzuki India Limited plant in industrial area as they for campaigning for the agitation.
Meanwhile, nurses in government hospitals have gone on a pan India-strike from Friday demanding pay revision.