The Tamil Nadu government, initially unwilling to respond to the growing unrest, eventually intensified efforts to mediate between the workers and the management. This culminated in a tentative settlement, ending the 37-day strike. Samsung committed to engaging with the workers’ demands and promised no punitive action against those who participated in the strike. For the workers, this was a significant step forward, even though full recognition of their union is yet to be achieved.

“We are really happy,” said a 34-year-old Samsung worker while speaking to Frontline, “though we would have been happier if the government had given us the registration number. But we are assured that we will win the case in court.”

The genesis of the strike: Union recognition and better conditions

The root cause of the strike was the workers’ demand for Samsung to recognise their union, Samsung India Workers Union (SIWU). This demand was central to their hopes of securing better wages and working hours. Multinational companies like Samsung often shy away from recognising independent unions, preferring to deal with internal unions that remain under the management’s control. According to labour rights activist Akriti Bhatia, many such companies in India sidestep labour laws, which allow workers the right to association and collective bargaining.

Samsung, like other multinational firms, has been reluctant to recognise unions backed by external political bodies like CPI(M)-affiliated Centre for Indian Trade Unions (CITU), fearing that such associations could disrupt operations. A source within Samsung earlier stated that while the company supports unions, it does not engage with those backed by third-party organisations.

Notably, the protesting workers’ demands extended beyond union recognition. They sought higher wages, better working conditions, medical insurance, and improvements in workplace facilities. The factory, located in the industrial hub of Sriperumbudur near Chennai, employs nearly 2,000 workers and is one of two Samsung plants in India. The facility plays a critical role in Samsung’s operations, contributing around a third of the company’s $12 billion annual revenue in India through the production of home appliances as per a report of The Quint.

 The role of the state and political implications

The strike posed a significant challenge to Tamil Nadu’s ruling Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) government, which initially took a passive stance on the issue. As the strike entered its second month, concerns grew about the political and economic fallout. The strike’s timing was particularly sensitive, coinciding with Chief Minister M.K. Stalin’s international tour aimed at attracting foreign investment to the state. The pro-business image of Tamil Nadu was at risk, especially since Samsung is a major foreign investor.

Despite its political alliance with CITU, the DMK government struggled to find the right approach. For much of the strike, key ministers failed to engage directly with the workers, and efforts to resolve the issue were handled through bureaucratic channels rather than direct political intervention. The state’s reliance on these channels, without a clear political strategy, only contributed to the deadlock.

It was only after sustained pressure that the government ramped up its efforts to broker a resolution. Chief Minister Stalin instructed senior ministers to intervene, and negotiations involving multiple ministries—including Labour Welfare, Industries, and Public Works—were held. These efforts eventually led to a breakthrough, though not without setbacks along the way.

Amidst the hard-fought struggle of Samsung workers in Tamil Nadu, one of the most disturbing aspects of the protest was the detention of several workers who participated in the strike. As the workers stood firm in their demands for better wages, union recognition, and improved working conditions, their rights to peacefully protest and voice their grievances were met with state repression. The detention of these workers not only highlights the broader challenges faced by labour movements in India but also underscores the precarious state of workers’ rights in the face of corporate and state interests.

The crackdown: Arrests and disbanding of protest camps

As the strike reached its second month, the tensions between the workers and the management escalated, with the Tamil Nadu government coming under increased pressure to resolve the issue. Instead of supporting the workers’ cause or facilitating meaningful dialogue, the state resorted to heavy-handed measures, including the arrest of workers and the dismantling of their protest camps.

On October 9, after the Tamil Nadu government prematurely announced that the strike had been resolved, a group of Samsung workers who were part of the protest refused to accept the terms of the settlement. These workers argued that the agreement had been signed by employees who were not part of the striking group, thus undermining the legitimacy of the resolution. In response, state authorities moved in to break up the protests, leading to the detention of several workers.

Police arrested more than a dozen workers, including prominent union leaders, as they attempted to stifle the ongoing protest. Law enforcement officials also forcibly removed the tents set up by workers outside the factory in Sriperumbudur. This aggressive approach to silencing the workers’ voices drew widespread condemnation from labour unions, political allies, and human rights organisations, all of whom decried the violation of the workers’ constitutional rights.

The detention of the workers was not merely an administrative action—it was a blatant trampling of their fundamental rights. Article 19(1)(a) of the Indian Constitution guarantees the right to freedom of speech and expression, while Article 19(1)(c) protects the right to form associations and unions. By arresting workers who were exercising their right to peaceful protest, the state infringed upon these constitutional guarantees, aligning itself with corporate interests rather than protecting the rights of its citizens.

This crackdown on Samsung workers mirrored a troubling pattern in India, where labour rights and peaceful dissent are increasingly being met with state repression. Over the past few years, protests by workers, farmers, and activists have often been quelled through the use of arrests, intimidation, and, in some cases, outright violence. The situation involving Samsung workers in Tamil Nadu is yet another example of how the state can prioritise economic interests and corporate pressure over the rights and welfare of its citizens.

Akriti Bhatia, a labour rights activist, commented on the situation and told Frontline that “This is yet another case where the state machinery is used to suppress the demands of workers. Instead of addressing the genuine concerns of labourers and ensuring compliance with labour laws, the government is using force to dismantle legitimate movements.”

Solidarity in many forms was shown:

AIKS Extends Revolutionary Greetings to the Samsung Workers for their Historic Victory!

The All India Kisan Sabha (AIKS) extends its revolutionary greetings to the struggling workers of Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU) led Samsung India Workers’ Union (SIWU) on (1/n) pic.twitter.com/g5IR7kY65r

— AIKS (@KisanSabha) October 16, 2024

We condemn the detention of protesting Samsung workers in Tamil Nadu. pic.twitter.com/uUIS0l7l4l

— CPI (M) (@cpimspeak) September 16, 2024

The #CPIM, CPI and CPI(ML) Liberation held a solidarity protest in #Chennai supporting the workers of #Samsung who have been on strike demanding recognition of their union, wage revision and regulated working hours.@tncpim state secretary Comrade K. Balakrishnan, CPI state… pic.twitter.com/NrOh4lfI0U

— CPI (M) (@cpimspeak) October 5, 2024

Leaders of AIDWA extended support to the Samsung India Workers Union at the protest site pic.twitter.com/MNO9mtw3y6

— Greeshma Kuthar (@jeegujja) October 5, 2024

One also cannot forget the role of multinational corporations and complicity of the state in choking the voices of the people protesting for dignity and rights. The detention of Samsung workers also highlighted the influence multinational corporations wield over local governments. In their quest to maintain operations without disruptions, companies like Samsung exert immense pressure on state authorities to curb dissent and maintain a “pro-business” environment. This pressure often manifests in the form of government action against workers who dare to challenge these corporations. For Samsung, which plays a key role in Tamil Nadu’s industrial sector, a prolonged strike posed not just a financial threat but also a reputational risk. The state’s pro-business image was on the line, and the DMK government’s initial reluctance to intervene aggressively can be seen as an attempt to maintain its investor-friendly facade. However, as the strike dragged on, the government resorted to coercive measures, leading to the detention of the workers.

The actions of the state during this strike raised critical questions about the role of governments in protecting workers’ rights. In theory, the government should be a mediator between labour and capital, ensuring that workers are treated fairly and that laws are upheld. However, in practice, the government’s actions in Tamil Nadu revealed a deeper complicity with corporate interests, as it attempted to suppress the legitimate demands of the workers instead of addressing their grievances. 

International Labour Standards and the Need for Accountability

The detention of workers during the Samsung strike is not just a domestic issue—it also reflects poorly on India’s adherence to international labour standards. India is a signatory to several International Labour Organisation (ILO) conventions, including those that protect the rights to freedom of association and collective bargaining. The state’s actions during the Samsung strike violated these international commitments, casting doubt on its commitment to upholding basic labour rights.

In recent years, India has positioned itself as a key player in the global manufacturing supply chain, with companies like Samsung, Apple, and Foxconn establishing major operations in the country. While these companies contribute significantly to India’s economy, they also bear responsibility for ensuring that their workers are treated fairly and that labour laws are followed. The crackdown on Samsung workers during this strike is a stark reminder that corporate social responsibility must extend beyond profit margins and production goals. 

A Call for Justice

The release of detained workers and the cessation of legal action against them was one of the key conditions in the eventual settlement between the workers and Samsung. However, the fact that these detentions occurred in the first place serves as a chilling reminder of the risks workers face when standing up to powerful corporations. For many of the Samsung workers, the fear of reprisal remains, even as they prepare to return to work.

Labour rights activists and political allies have called for greater accountability in the aftermath of the strike. They are demanding that the Tamil Nadu government ensure that no further punitive action is taken against the workers and that steps are taken to address the broader issue of labour rights violations in the state. Additionally, they are calling on multinational corporations like Samsung to adopt more transparent and accountable practices when dealing with labour disputes.

For the workers of Samsung’s Sriperumbudur plant, their struggle has not ended with the resolution of the strike. While they have achieved several key concessions, including improved working conditions and a commitment from the company to engage with their demands, the fight for union recognition continues. More importantly, the fight for dignity and respect in the workplace, free from state repression and corporate exploitation, is far from over.

Frontline shared the words of one worker who was detained during the strike, who had said “We only asked for what is fair. We didn’t expect to be treated like criminals for standing up for our rights.”

Big lesson from Samsung Strike: Present trend of inter state competition to promote casual workforce, low wages,high workload,strenuous overtime targets and non-recognition of unions will be resisted. Everything can be negotiated but right to unionisation is nonnegotiable. pic.twitter.com/BDKaxdCv4G

— Thomas Isaac (@drthomasisaac) October 18, 2024

Resolution and the Road Ahead

By October 16, both sides reached a settlement. Samsung agreed to meet most of the workers’ key demands, except union recognition, which remains under judicial review. In return, the workers agreed to return to work on October 17 and cease all protest activities. Crucially, Samsung assured that no action would be taken against workers who had participated in the strike.

Historic Victory in Samsung Struggle@cituhq has congratulated the workers in a statement :

In the contemporary history of class struggles, the Samsung India Workers Struggle is the greatest direct class action against the Rule of Capital.
The greatest saga of 37-day-long… pic.twitter.com/kEajHleWjg

— CPI (M) (@cpimspeak) October 16, 2024

KITU salutes the Samsung India Workers Union (CITU) for their inspiring and courageous strike action which led to a historic victory pic.twitter.com/yAt6FNoQsu

— Karnataka State IT/ITeS Employees Union (@kitu_hq) October 16, 2024

Samsung, in a statement, welcomed the decision to end the strike, saying, “We will not take action against workers who merely participated in the illegal strike. We are committed to working closely with our workers to make the Chennai factory a great place to work.”

The strike, one of the largest the South Korean technology giant has faced in recent years, also holds broader implications for India’s manufacturing landscape. Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government has been positioning India as a viable alternative to China for global manufacturing activities. The Samsung strike, along with other labour movements in the region, including a one-day strike by workers at an Apple supplier in Tamil Nadu, underscores the importance of addressing labour rights and working conditions as India seeks to attract more foreign investment.

Earlier this year, unionised workers in South Korea staged a massive strike over pay and benefits, which added further pressure on Samsung. Meanwhile, in India, workers at a Foxconn facility in Tamil Nadu, a major assembler of Apple iPhones, also went on strike, demanding union recognition and better working conditions. These incidents reflect the growing assertiveness of workers in the face of multinational corporations that seek to maximise productivity while minimising costs.

As the dust settles on the Samsung strike, the workers’ struggle stands as a testament to the power of collective action, even in the face of multinational corporations. While the road to full union recognition may still be long, the workers of Samsung’s Sriperumbudur plant have demonstrated their resolve and ability to bring about meaningful change.

In the end, the Samsung workers’ strike in Tamil Nadu marks a significant chapter in the ongoing struggle for labour rights in India’s rapidly expanding industrial landscape. While much work remains to be done, the victory at Samsung offers hope for workers in other sectors and sets a precedent for future labour movements across the country.

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The post Victory for Samsung workers in Tamil Nadu: A hard-fought struggle pays off, brings key wins appeared first on SabrangIndia.

Strongly condemning the decision and demanding immediate withdrawal of the gazette notification, the CITU said such a decision would encourage private sector employers/owners to default on their statutory obligation.

“The recently sworn-in NDA government has wasted no time in exposing its true face. The government has allowed private corporate owners/employers to play with the workers’ contribution and their share of provident fund and pension funds. Through this, employers/owners are being encouraged to default on their statutory obligation, which includes depositing workers’ contribution, EPF, pension and EDLI funds in EPFO ​​on time,” the CITU statement read.

Commenting on the gazette notification issued by the Union Labour Minister, CITU said it was a “very draconian gazette notification dated 14th June 2024, substantially reducing all penal charges on all employers/employers for not depositing the contributions including workers’ contribution to the Employees’ Pension Fund (EPF) and Employees’ Deposit-Linked Insurance Scheme (EDLI) on time. The extent of reduction in the penal charges has been reduced to less than one-fifth of the prescribed charges.”

It said “if an employer makes any default in payment of contribution to EPF or EDLI or delays or defaults in payment of any charges payable under the provisions of the EPF Act, 1952 or the schemes framed under this Act, the EPFO ​​may recover the same amount from the employer by imposing penalty, damages at different rates for different periods of default.”

According to the statement till now the provision was that penal charges were calculated at 5% per annum for a default period of less than two months, 10% for a default period of two months and above but less than four months, 15% for four months and above but less than six months and 25% for six months and above.

Now, according to a new notification, “all penalty rates have been reduced to 1 per cent per annum – which means that all schemes have been reduced by 12 per cent per annum. This has been done, clearly, in the name of promoting ease of doing business at the cost of making the lives of our working people easier, who are already losing their hard-earned money.

CITU reminded the Centre that “out of about 48 crore 70 lakh 9 thousand working people entitled to EPF/pension, only about 11 crore 80 lakh working people are covered under the EPF, which highlights the pro-employer violation of the EPF Act by the enforcement machinery of the government.”

It said further, “those covered under the EPF scheme are being squeezed even more by way of promoting default by employers and thereby allowing employers to unauthorisedly siphon off the lifelong savings of workers in EPF by drastically reducing the penalties for wilful default. Defaults are increasing even against those who were brought under the Act and coverage.”

The statement further added, “Paragraph 5 of the Employees’ Pension Scheme, 1995 and Paragraph 8A of the EDLI Scheme, 1976 are the only deterrent provisions against such defaults and moreover, were the only means to ensure compliance with the Act passed by the sovereign Parliament. Now it has been almost abolished through these amendments.”

The CITU has, therefore, demanded that the Centre should immediately withdraw this “anti-worker and pro-employer” notification and called upon workers and working people to be ready for “fierce protests” across the country against these changes.

Courtesy: Newsclick

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Virender Gaur, president, Centre of Indian Trade Unions Delhi, who was addressing the meeting said that it is very essential to understand that both governments, Delhi Government led by the Aam Aadmi Party and the Union government of the Bharatiya Janata Party, are taking anti-workers measures at an unbridled pace.

He said, “The question of privatisation is looming large on our heads. If we take the examples from the Delhi-NCR region, we saw a successful struggle at Central Electronics Limited (CEL) where workers won their fight to save this precious public sector undertaking from privatisation. We are witnessing similar struggles at Container Corporation of India, Life Insurance Corporation of India, New Delhi Municipal Corporation, and even Delhi Jal Board where I worked for 38 years.”

Talking to NewsClick at the protest, he said, “The most prominent example that we are witnessing of imposition of privatisation is through companies being deprived of human resources. There is no direct employment even when it is clear that 100 average employees are retiring per month.”

“When I started my job at Delhi Jal Board, it had a 35,000-strong workforce. Now, it has been reduced to 14,000 workers. It is happening at a time when the length of water and sewage pipelines has multiplied several times. The needs of the city have multiplied. It is interesting that it has a workforce of 14,000 workers whereas it has 17,000 pensioners. So, we held this convention to finalise the charter of the campaign and mobilise thousands of workers at Jantar Mantar where students, young people and people from all walks of life will join us,” said Gaur.

When asked about the efficacy of Jantar Mantar as a site for Mahapadav to build pressure, Gaur emphasised that it does have an impact and government will have to listen. “Wrestlers have been sitting at Jantar Mantar peacefully and its impact is such that PM Modi who would speak for hours on trivial issues has not uttered a word on the women wrestlers and their accusations regarding sexual harassment. It will be a historic struggle to remember in Delhi.”

Birju Nayak from Mazdoor Ekta Committee who is representing unorganised sector workers at the convention told NewsClick that the workers in Delhi are facing a strange phenomenon post-pandemic where wage rates have reduced significantly forcing both men and women in the family to seek work.

Talking to NewsClick, he said that the minimum wage in Delhi for unskilled workers is Rs 17,234 per month whereas they are only getting only Rs 9,000-Rs 12,000 per month. It has forced women in the family to seek work. “It is perturbing for the workers as health and education of them and their children are impacted. We just had a story of one worker who said that he has been visiting Employees State Insurance Hospitals since childhood. In childhood, he never heard that workers were asked to come again to campus to get medicine or buy them from chemists from their own pocket. Now, it is quite rampant,” he claimed.

Nayak added that the denial of rights to workers has exposed their children to the world of crime. He explained, “We are seeing increasing cases where young people in bastis are resorting to crimes to meet the ends. It’s a less discussed topic but children are ending up in Tihar Jail and becoming professional criminals. Had their parents been paid well and their health and education taken care of, we could have saved them.”

Dharamender Kumar Verma, general secretary, Trade Union Coordination Centre (TUCC), told NewsClick that the living and working conditions of women workers are more exploitative when it comes to the unorganised sector. “We know that women are very much affected by inflation as they handle household chores. Gas cylinders are expensive, grocery items are expensive and so are even matchbox sticks. When they move to factories, they face discrimination and received lower payments. Domestic workers have told us stories that they cannot use the toilets in apartments which they clean. Does PM Modi not know about our plight? He says he used to sell tea. We never saw it but we know that he is selling railways. Workers are infuriated and coming to Jantar Mantar on August 9 in large numbers.”

Sidheshwar Shukla, who coordinates among the unorganised sector workers, said that the central trade unions and federations have been finalising plans to hold dharnas at labour commissioners’ offices and district magistrate offices in the next three months and finally hold a Mahapadav in the month of August to oppose labour codes, privatisation and for other demands. “It’s the first anniversary of the Mundra fire where workers died. There are questions about the safety of workers, their livelihoods and conversion of perennial posts turning into contract jobs, displacement of workers in contract-based jobs. All trade unions felt that we should come to a stage to call for action. Today we held this convention as part of a larger plan and we will hit the streets in large numbers,” added Shukla.

Courtesy: Newsclick

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On March 13, the Safai Shramik Union wrote to MLA Vinod Nikole, CPI(M)), highlighting the lack of legal protection afforded to the Valmiki Samaj, which traditionally indulges in sanitation and cleaning work in our society, and demanded that a new legislation be drafted to establish and protect sanitation workers’ rights. The letter emphasised the ill-treatment of sanitation workers by moneylenders and contractors, who treat the workers like slaves and even use casteist slurs. Workers face threats of termination because they have no job security, even after working for the same people for the last 10-15 years.

A sanitation worker (or sanitary worker) is a person responsible for cleaning, maintaining, operating, or emptying the equipment or technology at any step of the sanitation chain. Presently, labour laws –recently truncated into labour codes—are supposed to, but have been found wanting to address needs of workers in workplaces. For example, it is mandatory for factories to have separate latrines and urinals for men and women under the Factories Act, 1948.

For the worst of the jobs in this sector, manual scavenging, a central law already in place  that is meant to protect the rights of manual scavengers who use buckets and brooms to clean human excreta is presently completely ineffective, with the Indian Railways as the greatest violator. This law, the Prohibition of Employment as Manual Scavengers and Their Rehabilitation Act, 2013, ten years down lacks implementation. According to Section 2(g) of the latter Act, the definition of Manual Scavenger was expanded to A detailed look into the jurisprudence governing manual scavenging, researched consistently by Citizens for Justice and Peace, can be accessed here.

Furthermore, this letter of the Safai Shramik Union, drew attention to the lack of support shown by police, who refuse to file complaints or take action, making justice inaccessible. The letter also describes how, despite legal prohibitions, manual scavenging has continued in our country, providing a way for the community to earn money and make ends meet. However, as this work becomes more mechanical, the community is facing an abyss of unemployment. This community is now buried under debt from private moneylenders as it suffers from the taint of unemployment and gross ignorance.

The letter likewise points out the sanitation workers’ inability to advance due to a lack of government and cooperative facilities, as well as a lack of education, job security, and financial support. Considering the aforementioned issues, the workers have demanded a law that includes provisions for providing shelter, education, business, job, and respect to sanitation workers, as well as an employment guarantee, so that unemployment does not rise and the practice of contractual work, which is exploitative in nature, is discontinued. The said letter was signed by Santosh Makwana, President of the union, Kuldeep Kagra, General Secretary, K. Narayan, Executive Officer, Rajendra Kumar Kagra, Treasurer, and Raju Laliram Kangra, President, Mira-Bhayander.

The entire letter may be read here:

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The thirteenth state conference of Life Insurance Corporation Agents Organisation of India (LICAOI), West Bengal, was held on September 21-22 at Taki in North 24 Parganas district with a resolve to transform the united movement of all agents, employees, and policyholders into a mass movement to “save LIC”. All India president of the organisation, Basudeb Acharya was present at the conference.

The voices of various delegates of the conference, like Shubra Pal of Sodpur, Sultana Khatun of Airmari village in Murshidabad district, and Kanika Majumdar of Behala, echoed that the organisation must be strengthened at any cost. 

Basudeb Acharya said in the public rally at the ground of the Taki Biblabri Sangh at the beginning of the conference that, “The Central government’s policy of killing people has started to weaken the LIC. We have to take up the challenge of saving LIC. Forty-two crore people in the country are policyholders. We have to save our country. The danger is not only for LIC; we are all in danger.”

Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU) state secretary Anadi Sahu said that the BJP is ruling the country in the same manner as British-ruled India. “The politics of division is pushing the country to destruction and privatising state-owned enterprises. The unemployment rate is growing. Workers’ safety is decreasing. No social security. Working hours are increasing. The new labour code law must be stopped. If not, the lives of the workers will be in dire danger.”

On the second day of the conference on Thursday, delegates were divided into three groups to discuss the report and discuss the commission’s paper and exchange views. Sushant Samaddar addressed the topic of ‘Life Insurance Corporation, Changed Situation, Responsibilities and Duties of Agents’.

Ishita Mukherjee discussed the ‘Cancel LIC Privatisation Plot’, while Anvika Ganguly discussed the topic of ‘The historical role of women since the dawn of civilisation.’

From the conference, ten resolution was raised, including against LIC disinvestment, saving nationalised industries and saving the country’s economy, cancelling the four labour codes, ensuring social security of LIC agents, full status for women in all fields to build a better society, for better business and better organising, against communalism and separatism, against corruption, fraud and looting, against price hike, protection of the environment for better livelihood, etc.

Two hundred seventy-five delegates from 8 divisions attended the conference. In the discussion, delegates said that there was no alternative but to fight fiercely by taking responsibility from past experience and standing on the ground of reality. The conference resolved to regularly publish the organisation’s mouthpiece ‘Jiwan Barta’, and hold education camps.

CITU North 24 Parganas district secretary Gargi Chatterjee, former MP Nepaldeb Bhattacharya, and the zonal secretary of the organisation, Manoranjan Sarkar, gave congratulatory speeches.

Courtesy: Newsclick

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New Delhi: Amidst the country’s economy and its manufacturing capacities, along with its democratic and federal political system, under “serious attack”, the fight to “Save India” will be jointly waged by workers, peasants and agricultural workers – the three “wealth-producing” classes.

This was the message that came out from a joint national convention– “Mazdoor-Kisan Adhikar Mahadhiveshan” –by the Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU), All India Kisan Sabha (AIKS) and All India Agricultural Workers Union (AIAWU), on Monday at New Delhi’s Talkatora Stadium.

The meeting, attended by thousands of delegates from across the country, was addressed by leaders of the three organisations and presidents of multiple employees’ federations in the country.

Addressing the convention, Tapan Sen, general secretary, CITU, said “today’s message” was to  “extend support and solidarity in all possible ways to each others’ independent struggle and building strong direct joint actions”, which must be spread by all the units, up to the lowest level, through extensive campaigns in the coming months.

Tapan Sen of CITU said on Monday that the convention’s message must be spread by all the units, up to the lowest level. Image clicked by Ronak Chhabra 

The  three organisations also gave a call to hold a ‘Mazdoor Sangharsh Rally 2.0’ during the 2023 Budget session of Parliament early next year.

Workers, farmers, and agricultural workers led by these organisations, came on the same platform for the first time in September 2018, when a march near Parliament was held to press for a joint charter of demands.

Among the demands that the three organisations pressed on the fourth anniversary of the 2018 march was the withdrawal of the four Labour Codes, legalisation of minimum support prices at C2+50% for all farm produce with guaranteed procurement, minimum wages at Rs 26,000/month, along with the provision of 200 days under the rural employment guarantee scheme.

They also demanded that privatisation of public sector enterprises be stopped and the new military recruitment scheme, Agnipath, be scrapped.

Hannan Mollah, general secretary, AIKS, in his address, said that the Narendra Modi government was “destroying” whatever the people built “brick by brick through their labour” during the last 75 years.

“At the time of Independence, farmers and workers dreamt of a prosperous nation and look how it is now being destroyed through anti-people policies; students dreamt of a good education system, and look how it is being destroyed through NEP (New Education Policy); women dreamt of a safe environment but see how that is not available under the present government,” he said.

B Venkat, general secretary, AIAWU, while addressing the convention, highlighted the latest report of the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB), published earlier last month, which said 5,563 agricultural labourers died by suicide last year – the figure is more than that of farmers for the second consecutive year.

“The distress within the rural economy is acute today with high unemployment levels and major problems like lack of rural development fund and money for MGNREGA (rural employment guarantee scheme) further aggravating the situation,” said Venkat, adding that this is also giving rise to multiple social problems within villages.

Later in the day, in a press statement, the three organisations said that Monday’s convention unanimously decided to conduct extensive joint campaigns from October 2022 to February 2023 at state and district levels across the country.

“This convention asserts that the struggle today is not only for our immediate demands of livelihood and living and working conditions but also to save the country’s economy and the secular democratic character of our society from this communal and authoritarian BJP-RSS regime,” added the press statement.

Several delegates who attended the national convention said that a “united front” fighting against the “pro-corporate, communal” government of the BJP was the “only way to defeat” the latter.

“Prices are rising, and wages are decreasing. Work opportunities are drastically reduced in my area. How long can we expect workers like me to survive under such conditions?” asked Jaskaran Jeet, 42, while speaking to NewsClick.

Jeet, hailing from Punjab’s Jalandhar district, said he is an agricultural worker and will participate in union campaign programmes in the coming months.

Bhupal (who goes by a single name), state secretary, CITU-Telangana, told NewsClick on Monday that exactly when the majority of the country’s population is “burdened”, the Modi government is extending bonanzas to the “big monopoly companies”.

“This shows who the government represents. Therefore, we will jointly expose them,” he said.

Courtesy: Newsclick

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New Delhi: Leaders of the Central Trade Unions seek holding of the Indian Labour Conference (ILC) — an apex tripartite consultative committee that advises the government on worker-related issues – as they accuse the central government of “deceiving the public” through the ongoing series of stakeholder discussions before the Labour Codes are rolled out.

The Centre is not serious about discussing the far-reaching implications of the four Labour Codes with trade unions, leaders of two national unions told Newsclick on Thursday. According to them, the so-called multi-stakeholder consultations planned by the former cannot replace ILC meetings, whose sessions have not taken place since 2015.

After facing stiff opposition from the farmers’ bodies over the agriculture reforms, which eventually had to be withdrawn, the Narendra Modi-led central government is keen on bringing all stakeholders on board before the roll-out of the controversial Labour Codes. The four codes are set to subsume 29 central legislations. In this backdrop, a series of meetings have been scheduled with different representatives of employers, employees, and state governments.

On Thursday, a two-day National Labour Conference comprising all states and Union Territories formally began at Andhra Pradesh’s Tirupati. The conference, which will have a virtual address by the Prime Minister, is set to dwell upon “framing of rules under four Labour Codes and modalities for their implementation,” along with other labour-related issues.

Apart from this, the Centre has planned to hold “one-to-one” meetings with central trade union representatives, Newsclick has learnt. A meeting with the RSS-affiliated Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh was already convened earlier this week, according to The Economic Times. Similar meetings are being held with the representatives of employers.

Tapan Sen, general secretary of the Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU), confirmed on Thursday that the central trade union has been invited by the Centre for a “one-to-one” meeting that is proposed to take place on August 31. “We haven’t yet received any confirmation on the meeting date. However, one thing must be said is that the unions are not happy with this format,” Sen said.

He demanded the Centre convenes a session of the ILC, 46th Session of which was last held in 2015. “No serious tripartite consultations, with trade unions’ participation, have taken place even before the passage of the Labour Codes. The government is now only deceiving the public by holding conferences with state governments and one-to-one meetings with the unions,” he said.

Likewise, Amarjeet Kaur, general secretary of the All India Trade Union Congress (AITUC), also argued that the ongoing multi-stakeholder consultations cannot replace ILC. She highlighted that India is a signatory to ILO convention 144, which calls for tripartite consultations among the government, employers and workers.

Last year, multiple rounds of tripartite consultation were held over the framing of rules for the four Codes, albeit in virtual format. Calling them a “farce”, ten CTUs had boycotted these meetings and instead proposed a face-to-face meeting. 

Asked about the proposed “one-to-one” meeting with the Centre, Kaur said that the ten CTUs have agreed to raise some “common points” in these meetings, including the withdrawal of the four Labour Codes and pressure to hold the ILC.

Meanwhile, the Union Labour Ministry is looking to take a final call on the timing of the implementation of the Labour Codes after the latest stakeholder discussions, according to media reports. Incidentally, since the passage of the three Codes – Industrial Relations Code; Code on Social Security; and Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions Code – in 2020 and the Code on Wages in 2019, their implementation has been deferred multiple times over the past months.

Labour being a concurrent subject, it is required for both the Centre and the states to have framed laws and rules for the rollout of the Labour Codes. With most states having pre-published the draft rules for at least The Code on Wages and The Code on Social Security, there are indications that the Centre is setting the stage with the latest round of consultations for a staggered implementation with an initial rollout of two Codes.

Trade unions have warned the Centre that they will resort to protest actions in case the government moves ahead with the implementation of Codes. The unions fear that the four Codes, touted as reforms, will dilute workers’ rights.

Courtesy: Newsclick

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Thousands of workers, farmers, and agricultural workers participated in protests across the country against the anti-people policies of the Bharatiya Janata Party-led (BJP) Union government.

At the call of the Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU), All India Kisan Sabha (AIKS) and All India Agricultural Workers’ Union (AIAWU), the workers held mobilisations, conventions, dharnas and demonstrations at district headquarters across the country.

The protest day was specifically chosen as July 8 also marks “Quit India Day” in the country. CITU, AIKS and AIAWU have used the day to mark similar protests in the last few years, highlighting people’s real issues.

In a statement, the unions said that this year is particularly pertinent as India is going to celebrate the 75th anniversary of its independence from the colonial regime. In that context, it is even more pertinent to highlight how Indian citizens have been tormented by issues such as price rise, unemployment, food security, inadequate housing, minimum wage, etc. Additionally, the Union government’s insistence on the privatisation of public-sector industries, repeal of four labour codes, inadequate allocation to MGNREGA, etc., have not helped workers and farmers.

Through their protest, the workers’ and farmers’ bodies highlighted that the Modi government is hell-bent on destroying the legacies of its predecessors.

“The day also highlighted the anti-national design of the Modi Government to wipe out whatever could be developed and built up by the people during these seventy-five years- in the economy, democratic political system and social development,” the statement read.

The three organisations demanded the “withdrawal of the anti-people “electricity bill 2020,” and as a part of the protest, on the day when the bill was placed in Loksabha, a call for burning the copies of the bill was also given.”

“In the solidarity of nationwide protest, a symbolic programme was jointly organised by CITU, AIKS and AIAWU at Jantar-Mantar, New Delhi, which was conducted by CITU General Secretary Tapen Sen and addressed by AIKS General Secretary Hannan Mollah, AIAWU General Secretary B Venkat and CITU Delhi state president Virender Gour. A copy of the Electricity Bill was also burnt in the demonstration. Although in Loksabha the electricity was placed today, the bill has been sent to a parliamentary standing committee. This reflects the pressure built by the workers-peasants movement demanding the withdrawal of this bill,” the statement read.

Courtesy: Newsclick

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Around 50,000 railway stations across India witnessed demonstrations by trade worker unions on March 15, 2021 Anti-Privatisation Day to protest the anti-people policies of the central government.

Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU) General Secretary Tapan Sen told SabrangIndia that all states across India sent in reports of demonstrations outside railway stations and public sector companies, in addition to the demonstrations held in front of public sector banks. In some areas, protests continued on till Monday evening to decry the central government’s plans to privatise the public sector and to corporatise sectors like agriculture by introducing new farm laws.

“CITU congratulates bank employees and officers for the complete strike of public sector banks. CITU also congratulates the workers, farmers, agricultural labourers for the successful observance of Anti-Privatisation Anti-Corporatisation Day with the support of people from all walks of life. The call was given jointly by the Joint Platform of CTUs and the Samyukt Kisan Morcha,” said the union in a press release.

Similarly, farmer leaders also joined the agitations outside New Delhi railway station where All India Kisan Sabha (AIKS) Finance Secretary Krishna Prasad and CITU Delhi General Secretary Anurag Saxena spoke against labour codes, the three farm laws – the Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance & Farm Services Act, the Farmer’s Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, the Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act – and a demand for legalisation of Minimum Support Price (MSP).

In Ghaziabad district of Uttar Pradesh, a protest meeting was held in front of Central Electronics. CTUs and SKM leaders addressed the meeting. States like West Bengal, Assam, Telangana and Punjab were some of the places where farmers and peasants came together to decry the central government’s laws.

Specifically in Punjab, Contract Employees Struggle Morcha leaders participated at the district and tehsil-level in response to trade unions’ calls. State leaders such as Varinder Singh Momi demanded that both central and state governments should back away from privatisation policy.

“The central and state government are forcing unnecessary catastrophic changes in the new labor and agricultural laws in the name of economic reforms under the imperialist guidelines and new economic policies. All government institutions like government thermal, electricity, water, health, education, transport, insurance, banks, airports, etc., have already been set up by the central government to give huge benefits to corporate houses,” said the workers union.

This agitation against privatisation will be continued on March 16 as well by bank employees who have long since been voicing their distress regarding the privatisation of PSUs. As per a joint workers pamphlet, March 17 will observe a general insurance strike and March 18 will witness a strike by LIC employees.

All Images are from CITU’s fb page

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Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU) units in Assam, Tamil Nadu and various northern states responded to the organisation’s call for local protests on December 30, 2020.

CITU had given a call to over one lakh workplaces of India on December 29 to show support for the farmers’ struggle opposing the repeal of the three farm laws – the Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance & Farm Services Act, the Farmer’s Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, the Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act and the Electricity Bill 2020.

In response, various workers units in Tamil Nadu observed enthusiastic dharnas across the state.

Similarly, CITU General Secretary Tapan Sen told SabrangIndia that as many as 26 centres in Assam amassing nearly 1,000 people at the local level denounced the three laws passed by the Centre.

In Uttar Pradesh, Lucknow worker units observed agitations while farmer leaders in Delhi continued talks with the central government.

Earlier, CITU had reported protests in industrial areas of Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh and similar areas in Chhattisgarh.

On Wednesday morning, workers also assembled near the Ghazipur border of Delhi. According to Sen, all of the protests were carried out by workers working at the ground-level to show their solidarity with farmers who are asserting their rights against the central government.

Along with voicing farmers’ demands, protesters also condemned the anti-people laws of the Union government and warned against the privatization of the public sector. In light of recent sufferings due to coronavirus and related lockdown, workers also demanded:

1.       Rs. 7,500 monthly monetary relief to poor and unorganised workers, agricultural workers
2.       10 kg free food grains per person per month
3.       Expansion of employment guarantee, universal free health and social security
4.       Enhanced minimum wage
5.       Decent employment

Promising to intensify struggles further if the government continues to ignore peasant demands, the CITU called for a ‘Jail Bharo’ protest around January 8, 2021 as well wherein protesters across India will gherao District Collectorate offices.

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