The Aryavarth Express
Agency (New Delhi): Apprehensions and expectations of India’s Central Trade Unions (CTUs) have reached their climax at the completion of the Lok Sabha elections on June 1, 2024. Since the fate of trade unionism and the workers’ rights amidst the rising working poverty in the country much depends on the outcome of the election result on June 4, CTUs have reiterated their demands, especially withdrawal of the four controversial labour codes, and asked the workers to be ready to continue their struggle, if the newly constituted government does not meet their demands.
CTUs have been expressing their apprehensions during the election campaigns that PM Narendra Modi led BJP government, if voted to power again, would implement the four labour codes against which they have been agitating for the last four years since 2020.Their expectations are high from the opposition because INDIA bloc has been able to offer one-on-one close contests to PM Modi’s BJP in majority of Lok Sabha constituencies, and if they happen to come to power the sword of the labour codes hanging over them might be taken away.
Barring the government supported Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh (BMS) all the 10 Central Trade Unions are up in arms against the labour code which they call anti-worker and pro-corporate which is feared to bring economic slavery to the workers. Even BMS is not happy with the two labour codes, in which they have proposed certain amendments. It means whichever government comes to power – either NDA led by BJP or INDIA bloc –it would have to address the concerns of the CTUs.
The joint platform of the 10 CTUs have been complaining for a long time that Modi government has been favouring BMS against all others. Union government still gives BMS weightage as the largest trade union in the country on the basis of the two decades old data of membership, which does not reflect the present reality. It is a partisan approach of the government to favour BMS which in return favours the BJP government. In this scenario, the workers’ rights are being compromised. BMS is allowed by the BJP government to represent Indian workers at every national and international forum in violation of the rightful place of the other trade unions stifling their voice. The 10 CTUs therefore expect that the newly constituted government would stop suppressing the trade unionism in the country through numerous ways.
CTUs have reiterated all their demands, which include putting break of indiscriminate privatization of Public Sector Undertakings for the benefit of the private corporates and businesses, which includes the banking and insurance sectors. Identification of ‘scheme workers’ as government employee; fixation of minimum wage at Rs26,000; and scrapping of the Electricity Act amendments are other major demands of the CTUs.
There was a related development in Punjab, where a joint rally of 24 trade unions was organized last week. Punjab polled on June 1. Thousands of workers gathered in Barnala for a Lok Chetna rally with the theme that people need not have high hopes on electoral democracy. Not only industrial workers, but also farmers, teachers, students, and employees of government, power, and transport sector have participated.
“After every five years, people elect governments at the Centre and in states. But do these governments fulfil the demands for the masses? For that one has to struggle. So we always struggle,” said Sukhdev Singh Kokrikalan, general secretary Bharatiya Kisan Union Ugrahan.
Failing faith in election must be noted by the new government that comes into power after the June 4 election result. The organisers of the Punjab rally have a 30-point agenda, the chief of which is the demand to end outsourcing in government offices in Public Sector Undertakings, withdrawal from the WTO, and legal guarantee for MSP for all crops among others.
The year 2023 has been the year of workers struggle in India. The joint platform of 10 Central Trade Unions – INTUC, Left’s CITU and AITUC, and others such as AIUTUC, TUCC, HMS, SEWA, LPF, AICCTU and UTUC – along with the farmers unions including the Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM) continued their yearlong agitation against what they termed as PM Modi’s anti-worker, anti-farmers, and pro-corporate policies. Bank and insurance employees’ unions, electricity and transport unions, also joined in the struggle against Modi government labour and economic policies. They also campaigned during election with the slogan – Defeat BJP, Defeat Modi, Save India.
CTUs, barring the government supported BMS, have now not only reiterated their demands but also asked the workers to be ready for long struggle if the new government does not act to address their grievances. (IPA Service)
By Dr. Gyan Pathak