New Delhi: The countrywide strike called by central trade unions. in protest of laws detrimental to workers, commenced in pre-dawn hours of the day. Over 25 crore workers are participating in the 24-hour long strike. The strike is also backed by farmers and farm workers in their protest over anti-farmer laws the Modi govt enacted based solely on their strength in the parliament. The enormity of the protest in terms of participants is firs-of-its kind witnessed by the nation. Trade union leaders congratulated the workers at Delhi’s Parliament Street early in the morning. Roads were blocked and trains stopped amid rallies and meetings at scores of places
In several areas, workers began their strike as early as last evening. Those joining the protest included employees in banking, insurance, postal, telecom and defence sector apart from construction workers, wayside eateries, Asha-Anganwadi staff, schools and colleges teachers, central govt employees and those from the un-organised sectors. Rail employees endorsed solidarity for the strike at meetings they held to mark the event.
Unions calling on their members to trike includes CITU, INTUC, AITUC, HMS, AIUTUC, TUCI, SEVA, AICCCTU, LPF and UTUC. This is the 5th mass strike at national level since Modi govt coming to power. Key demands include a relief payment of of Rs 7500 pm to every household outside the income-tax bracket owing to crisis from the pandemic that’s unprecedented, 10 kilo free ration to all such homes, raising guaranteed labour days to 200 under employment scheme, increase in wages, withdrawal of anti-worker and anti-farmer laws, halt privatisations, withdraw govt circular seeking govt employees to undergo forced retirement, restoration of old pension system and so forth.
Farmers's Agitation Begins Today
In Delhi, lakhs from the farm community launched their extended strike this morning, calling upon Modi government to end its pro-corporate leaning and withdraw the extremely detrimental agricultural laws it enacted on that line. Though police permissions were denied for protests in the Delhi, hundreds of thousands continue to pour into the capital city to join strike there. The united forum of trade unions lend solidarity to farmers’ protests, whose main demands comprise withdrawal of the three agricultural laws passed recently and withdrawal of Electricity Bill. Earlier, there were widespread arrests of farm union leaders in Haryana in a bid to prevent farmers from reaching Delhi. If police put blocks, protesters will sit at the spot and continue their strike, the All India Kissan Sabha General Secretary had said.
State Comes To Standstill
The strike in response to nationwide call struck off brilliantly in Kerala with protesters assembling at workers’ centres and mandalams and area centres at midnight on Wednesday. Torch marches were held at several of these sites. Protests were sounded at 25,000 centres across state with participation from Action Council of State Employees and unions of teachers and other service organisations too.
Health workers, employees assigned election duties, and other staff too ticked their attendance. Milk supplies, newspaper, hospitals, Sabarimala pilgrimage, election related works, tourism destinations, and weddings are exempted from the strike, even as the life in the state has come to halt with nearly all workplaces and businesses shuttered.
