New Delhi: A joint platform of various trade unions have announced a nationwide two-day general strike to protest against various issues on 23 and 24 of February 2022.
The trade unions participating in the strike include INTUC, AITUC, HMS, CITU, AIUTUC, TUCC SEWA, AICCTU, LPF, UTUC and Independent Sectoral Federations.
The list of demands being raised by the unions, include scrapping of Labour Codes and privatisation of any form. Trade unions have already been supporting the farmers agitation and thus 6-point charter of demands of Samyukta Kisan Morcha is also included in the agenda.
Other demands of the unions include food and income support of Rs7,500 per month to non-income tax paying households; 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.
They also demanded insurance coverage for frontline workers serving pandemic, increase in public investment in agriculture, education, health and other crucial public utilities by taxing the rich through wealth tax; substantial reduction in Central Excise duty on petroleum product and concrete remedial measure to arrest price rise, regularisation of contract workers, scheme workers and equal pay for equal work for all and cancellation of NPS and restoration of old pension; substantial increase in minimum pension under Employees’ Pension.
The organisations have also decided to hold joint preparatory public meetings in co-ordination with the Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM) leadership, especially in the states that are to go to polls in the beginning of 2022.
The state units of the Joint Platform will carry out intensive campaign jointly through various forms,such as state conventions, human chains, torchlight processions, signature campaigns, sectoral and area-based joint campaign and agitation to oppose current government's policies.
The Joint Platform of Central Trade Unions and Independent Sectoral, All India Federations and Associations, has extended their support to the two-day countrywide strike of banks on 16-17 December and also Electricity Employees’ strike on 1st February 2022 against privatisation move.
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