The All India Joint Convention of Workers and Farmers, organised by 10 Central Trade Unions (CTUs) and the Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM), has decided to launch protests against the Union government’s policies ahead of the General Elections scheduled in 2024. The organisations resolved to work for the defeat of the Narendra Modi government at the Centre and various BJP governments in the States.
The convention also called for unity of workers and peasants to address the “alarming situation created by the aggressive pro-corporate policies”. “The convention highlighted the agricultural crisis in India due to the pro-corporate and anti-farmer policies of the Union government, which has resulted in falling incomes and rising indebtedness and suicides among the farmers,” a release said.
The convention discussed the challenges such as rising unemployment, declining job security and increasing prices of essential goods. “The erosion of workers’ rights through the new labour codes, and the deteriorating condition of agricultural and migrant workers, who lack social security and are pushed into poverty, was also highlighted,” the release added.
A joint declaration adopted at the convention said as a result of the Centre’s policies, mass poverty had increased, industrialisation and economy had slowed down, and medium and small enterprises had suffered. “There is a phenomenal increase of wealth and incomes of the big corporate class and impoverishment of the mass of the toiling people: top 10% and top 1% in India hold 72% and 40.5% of the total national income respectively,” it added. India was falling behind when it came to indices like child care, women safety, freedom of expression and human rights, it said.
Between December 2023 and January 2024, the organisations decided to hold protests across the country and the form of action will be declared at a later date.
