Left unions to launch joint campaign against Centre from October

The Joint National Convention called upon crores of workers, peasants and agricultural workers across the country to extend support and solidarity in all possible ways to each others' independent struggles and build strong direct joint actions.

New Delhi:Thousands of workers, peasants and farmers Monday gathered at Delhi's Talkatora stadium at a Joint National Convention called by left affiliate organisations All India Kisan Sabha, Centre for Indian Trade Unions and All India Agriculture Workers Union. The convention announced to intensify the joint combative actions against the policies of the Narendra Modi Government.

The convention called upon crores of labourers, peasants and agricultural workers across the country to extend support and solidarity in all possible ways to each others' independent struggles and build strong direct joint actions. After the joint convention, leaders of all three organisations announced a massive mobilization of workers, farmers and agricultural workers in 'Mazdoor Sangharsh Rally 2.0' during the 2023 budget session of Parliament.

“The National Capital will witness the biggest ever mobilization of wealth-producing classes in the history of independent India. This joint convention also unanimously decided to conduct extensive joint campaigns from October 2022 to February 2023 to make the workers, peasants and agricultural workers combat ready to unleash offensive direct resistance struggles against the neo-liberal policy onslaughts,” said Tapan Sen, General Secretary of CITU after the event.

“We at this convention have noted that the present Modi-led BJP regime controlled by the RSS is destroying whatever we, the people have built brick by brick through our labour and whatever we have achieved through our struggles and sacrifices, during the last 75 years. It is trampling under foot the dream of our freedom fighters, of an India free, not only from British colonialism but all forms of oppression and discrimination on the basis of class, caste, creed, religion or gender, of a nation where its people can live with freedom and dignity,” he added.

Through the mega joint convention, the organisations have called upon the workers, peasants and agricultural workers all over the country to rise unitedly to fight for their demands. “We have to fight for basic demands of the working people of this country such as ensure minimum wages of Rs 26,000 and pension of Rs 10,000 to all workers, legally ensure MSP with the formula of C2+50 for all farm produce with guaranteed procurement, scrap the four labour codes and Electricity Amendment Bill 2020, provide 200 workdays at wages Rs 600 per day under MNREGA with expansion to urban areas and one-time loan waiver to poor and middle peasants and agricultural workers.

The joint convention also raised the demands to stop privatisation of PSUs, scrap NMP, scrap Agnipath, arrest price rise and strengthen and universalise PDS, pension of Rs 10,000 for all workers and tax the super-rich,” said Dr Ashok Dhawale, President All India Kisan Sabha.

In order to take their demands to the workers, peasants and agricultural workers across the country, the three organisations have called upon all their units to take up an extensive campaign from October 2022 to February 2023, through the distribution of leaflets, posters, wall writing, group meetings, jathas, and processions.