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The Hindu
09-07-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
Civil society groups stage protest as part of nation-wide strike in Kalaburagi
As part of the all-India general strike, a coalition of civil society organisations, including trade unions, farmers groups and scheme workers associations, staged a protest in Kalaburagi on Wednesday. The rally began at Jagat Circle, moved through SVP Circle and culminated with a public meeting in front of the Deputy Commissioner's office after a brief road blockade. The protesters raised slogans against the policies of the BJP-led Union government and the Congress-led State government accusing them both of neglecting the rights of farmers and workers while promoting corporate interests. The agitation was organised jointly the Karnataka Prantha Raitha Sangha, the Karnataka Rajya Raitha Sangha and Hasiru Sene, the Dalit Sangharsh Samiti, Welfare Party of India (WPI), Construction Workers Union, Agricultural Labourers Union, Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU), Anganwadi Workers Union, Federation of Medical Representatives Associations and other like-minded civil society outfits. Speaking at the gathering, district president of the Karnataka Prantha Raitha Sangha Sharanabasappa Mamshetti demanded that the Red Gram Board be strengthened along the lines of the Karnataka Milk Federation to ensure fair procurement and market support for red gram farmers. He also stressed the need for including pulses in school meal programmes under the Akshara Dasoha scheme and called for the legal implementation of the Swaminathan Commission's MSP formula. CITU district secretary M.B. Sajjan criticised the Union government's labour reforms saying that they strip away hard-earned protections and force workers into conditions of economic subjugation. He emphasised the plight of unorganised and informal sector workers, including scheme workers, and called for minimum wage guarantees and better legal protections. Among the prominent demands raised are the enactment of a law to guarantee Minimum Support Price based on the C2+50% formula of the Swaminathan Commission, comprehensive farm loan waivers, immediate release of crop insurance compensation and a rollback of the Electricity Amendment Bill and other agrarian and labour law changes. The protestors also sought an end to the installation of smart meters for irrigation pumpsets, regularisation of land occupied by landless families and tenant farmers and a state-level minimum wage of ₹36,000 for all categories of workers, including scheme employees and contract labourers. They urged the government to reinstate the Old Pension Scheme and provide a monthly pension of ₹9,000 for all unorganised workers, while strongly opposing the privatisation of public sector units and essential services. A memorandum addressed to both the Prime Minister and the Chief Minister was submitted, outlining a range of concerns and demands.
The Hindu
08-07-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
July 9 strike likely to hit normal life in Kerala
The nationwide general strike called by major trade unions on Wednesday (July 9) protesting against the 'anti-worker, anti-farmer' policies of the Union government is likely to assume the dimensions of a bandh in Kerala, affecting services across sectors. With the major trade unions, including the CITU, INTUC, AITUC supporting it, the 24-hour strike is expected to disrupt the functioning of Central and State government offices, banks, government-run educational institutions, and public transport, including the Kerala State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC). The managements of the KSRTC and the Kerala State Electricity Board (KSEB) have declared that unauthorised absence by their employees on Wednesday will be treated as dies non. Wednesday's salary of absentees will be deducted from the monthly salary for July. The KSEB has also directed its offices to put the power utility's scheme for maintenance of supply during emergencies into operation. Fault repair teams should be deployed at 'all important locations' to meet emergencies without delay, a July 5 KSEB circular said. Trade unions have, among other things, demanded the Centre to summarily withdraw the Labour Codes, the Electricity Amendment Bill, and halt the privatisation of public sector institutions. The State-level joint committee of trade unions has appealed to the general public and workers in Kerala to make the nationwide strike a success. The Joint Council of State Service Organisations and the NGO Union said on Tuesday that government employees in the State would participate in the strike. The council urged the employees and the general public to make the July 9 strike a success. Essential services such as hospitals, ambulances, media, milk supply and other emergency services have been exempted from the strike.
The Hindu
05-07-2025
- Business
- The Hindu
UDFT seeks people's support for national strike
UDFT, a collective of trade unions affiliated to the United Democratic Front (UDF), has said that around 64 crore workers in the country are facing a nightmarish life. Addressing the media here on Saturday (July 5, 2025), INTUC State president and UDFT chairperson R. Chandrasekharan sought the whole-hearted cooperation of people for the 24-hour-long national strike called by UDFT on July 9. 'The Union government has turned the Labour department into a mere scarecrow. Layoffs have become widespread. Public sector undertakings and airports are being sold to corporates,' he said. Mr. Chandrasekharan accused the Central and State governments of exploiting workers alike. The strike has been called raising 17 demands, including the scrapping of the four labour codes, declare ₹27,900 as minimum wages, declare basic pay and Dearness Allowance to ASHA and anganwadi workers and palliative care and literacy preraks, withdrawal of the Electricity Amendment Bill, and increasing corporate tax and income tax of the wealthy.
