AIAWU to hold nationwide protest against union government on April 2

AIAWU to hold protest against Narendra Modi government on April 2. It says the government did not give anything to downtrodden people in the union union budget and has failed on several other accounts.

New Delhi: The All India Agricultural Workers Union (AIAWU) has announced a nationwide protest on April 2 against the central government on several issues, including the union budget.

AIAWU, which claims to have a membership base of over 71 Lakh people across the country, in its central committee meeting, discussed several issues related to agricultural workers, Dalits and other downtrodden people in the country.

The union budget for the year financial year ahead was one of the main agenda of the meeting.

Addressing media after the meeting, A Vijayaraghavan, president AIAWU said the budget was "pro-corporate and anti-people".

"The budget ignores the concerns and interests of the rural workers and socially and economically deprived sections of the society. It doesn't address the persistent economic crisis and agrarian distress but only furthers the neoliberal economic reform agenda by advancing the interest of finance capital and promoting disinvestment of public infrastructure and flagship PSUs", Vijayaraghavan added.

He said the government has decreased the amount for the National Rural Employment Guarantee (MGNREGA) in the budget.

"Allocation for the MGNREGA was Rs 71001 crore in the revised budget for the year 2019-20, which has been reduced to Rs 61,500 crore in this budget. We will mobilize rural masses on the state-specific issues to mount pressure on authorities to provide work on demand and timely payment of wages on the prescribed rates," he said.

The AIAWU also announced to hold protests asking for government intervention on the issue of reservations for SC/STs and OBCs in government jobs and promotions.