The Joint Platform of ten Central Trade Unions (CTUs) and various independent federations have decided to hold a general strike of two days on February 23 and 24. The slogan of the strike will be “Save the People and Save The Nation,” the CTUs said in a statement after a meeting here on Monday.
The main demand of the strike is to scrap the four Labour Codes and the Essential Defence Services Act. The CTUs are buoyed at the “success” of the farmers’ movement and said they have snatched a historic victory by forcing the “arrogant” Narendra Modi government to repeal the three farm laws.
“Now the cross-sections of the working people must heighten their united intervention further to demand a halt to this process of assault on lives and livelihood, employment, the alarming intensity of impoverishment and hunger, assault on democracy and also the unity of the people and thereby, save our dear nation from disaster,” the CTUs said.
Say no to privatisation
They urged the Centre to accept a six-point charter of pending demands of the Samyukta Kisan Morcha, which was given to Prime Minister Narendra Modi through a letter. The CTUs have also demanded the Centre to stop privatisation in any form and scrap the National Monetisation Pipeline.
They have also reiterated their demand for food and income support of ₹7,500 per month to non-income taxpaying households and increased allocation for MNREGA and extension of employment guarantee Scheme to urban areas.
Universal social security for all informal sector workers, statutory minimum wage and social security for Anganwadi, ASHA, Mid-day-meal and other scheme workers, proper protection and insurance facilities for frontline workers serving the people during the pandemic, increased public investment in agriculture, education, health and other crucial public utilities by “taxing the rich” through wealth tax etc. to revive the economy, a substantial reduction in the Central Excise duty on petroleum products, measure to arrest price rise, regularisation of contract workers, scheme workers, equal pay for equal work for all, cancellation of New Pension Scheme, restoration of old pension scheme and increase in minimum pension under Employees’ Pension Scheme are the other demands of the CTUs.
The CTUs will also support the two-day countrywide strike in banks on December 16-17 and also the strike decision by the electricity employees’ joint forum on February 1 against the privatisation move.