After the Modi government has accepted the demands of farmers who were on a prolonged strike of over a year, the labour unions of the country are now planning for the nation-wide agitation for their demands under the banner of Mazdoor Adhikar SangharshaAbhiyan (MASA).
In support of their demands, the unions have called for a march on December 19 from Railway Station to Freedom Park in Bengaluru.
Describing the Modi government as fascist and anti-people, in a release, MASA said that the Modi government has no concern for people as it has become a dictator. BJP is ruling the nation by propagating fake nationalism. The life of the common man has become worse during the Modi government. The working class and labour class have been affected most, the release said.
“ Only with the clear intention of benefiting the corporate sector, the Modi government has been sacrificing the agriculture sector under the pretext of bringing significant reform in the field of agriculture. In reality, they are not reform but death-knell mainly to small and marginal farmers of the country. But the farmers who realized the ill-intentions of Modi, did not allow the government to succeed in its plans of making farmers scapegoat for corporate friends of Modi. They launched the longest protest of Indian history against any elected government and showed their powers by making the government kneel down before the humble farmers”, the release said.
MASA said that now a large section of laborers working in the country are coming together to fight for their rights against the adamant Modi government. The challenge is pretty big before the labour unions, MASA said.
The Modi government has removed 44 different labour laws they were meant to protect the interest of the laborers. Those laws were achieved after decades of struggle.
But the Modi government, in the name of strengthening the laws, abolished all of them and brought four labour codes which are only harmful to the working class of the country.
The fact is that the government has made clandestine efforts to snatch away the constitutional rights of the labourers. This will keep them at the mercy of the owners.
The government wants to sever its ties from the trilateral relation of employee-employer and the government.
In total, the government is making efforts to remove all legal clauses that were meant to protect the interest of over 50 crore people working in the unorganized sector of India.
Therefore, a nation-wide protest has been planned to exert pressure on the Modi government to repeal the four labour codes like it repealed farm laws.
The MASA said that the working class is suffering between decreasing earnings and increasing prices of essential commodities.
Demands of Workers Movement
For the survival of the family of a labour, he should be paid minimum wage of at least Rs. 25,000/month. The government should remove the contract system where there is a provision for regularizing the services.
The MASA has demanded the government to provide Provident Fund Scheme, Social Security Benefits and Life Insurance to people working in the construction sector, civic services, plantations, mines, domestic works etc.
The government should also establish Welfare Boards for Weavers and Migrant Workers.
As part of its plan to hold nation-wide agitation secure constitutionally given rights, MASA will launch the agitation in Bengaluru on December 19.
On that day, the protestors will start their march at 1:00 pm from the Railway Station and will reach Freedom Park where an open convention will be held.
The convention will be joined by civic workers, water supply workers, porters working in Anna Bhayga scheme, construction workers, migrant workers, mine workers, weavers, domestic helps etc.
They would be addressed by Senior High Court Judge and Leader of workers, S. Balan, TUCI State president, R. Manasaiah, Shramik Shakti’s office bearer, Varada Rajendra and others.
Activists from West Bengal, Amitabh Battacharya, Mumbai’s Sanjay Singhvi, Telangana’s Venkateshwar Rao would be among the prominent leaders who would be attending the event, the release added.
