A state-level seminar organised by the Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU) on the theme "The Ongoing Assault on the Working Class in India and the Rising Resistance" was held on Wednesday evening at the Makineni Basavapunnaiah Vignana Kendram. The seminar was presided over by CITU State President C H Narsinga Rao.

Addressing the gathering as the chief guest, CITU All-India General Secretary Elamaram Kareem alleged that millions of workers across the country are being forced to work 12 to 13 hours a day for meagre wages. He stated that since the Modi government introduced the labour codes and adopted pro-employer policies, workers have been subjected to deteriorating workplace safety, increased workloads, and growing health problems.

Kareem stated that capitalist forces in India are facing a deepening crisis. He said that the people are bearing severe hardships due to the combined impact of global devastation caused by American imperialism and the opportunistic policies of India's ruling classes.

Unable to endure these burdens any longer, workers have begun rising in protest, even in industrial regions such as Noida where trade unions had little presence. He described these developments as the beginning of a new chapter in the country's history and asserted that similar struggles are likely to emerge across the nation. He called upon CITU cadres to stand firmly with these fighting forces and intensify class struggles.

He pointed out that workers' families are struggling to cope with soaring prices while surviving on stagnant wages. According to him, more than 700 million working people are enduring these conditions, yet those in power remain indifferent to their suffering.

Kareem alleged that the Labour Department had effectively abdicated its responsibilities even before the labour codes were fully implemented. As a result, employers, emboldened by the lack of accountability, presided over more than 240 industrial accidents across the country in 2024, leading to the deaths of around 400 workers.

Referring to the recent accident at the Visakhapatnam Steel Plant, he alleged that nine workers lost their lives due to the negligence and anti-worker policies of the ruling establishment. Condemning the tragedy, he argued that these were not ordinary deaths but "government-sanctioned killings" resulting from policy failures and administrative neglect.

He recalled that even before the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) formally implemented the labour codes, the Chandrababu Naidu government in Andhra Pradesh had shown eagerness to adopt them and introduce a 12-hour workday.

Kareem observed that workers' struggles and protests have intensified across Andhra Pradesh, with CITU playing a leading role in many of these movements.

Kareem further argued that despite repeated crises within the capitalist system, India's economy had not collapsed because of the strength of the public sector. Using several examples, he claimed that the Modi government was systematically attempting to weaken public sector enterprises and hand them over to corporate groups such as Ambani and Adani.

He argued that repeated increases in petrol and diesel prices have affected every aspect of ordinary people's lives, resulting in a steep rise in the cost of essential commodities. Workers, he said, are struggling under the combined burden of inadequate wages, longer working hours, and increasing workloads.

Highlighting the plight of farmers, Kareem said that rural India is trapped in a cycle of distress and hardship. He stressed the need for workers and farmers to unite and wage a common struggle in the coming period.

Kareem also pointed to growing discontent among the youth and referred to developments in neighbouring countries where youth-led movements had challenged established governments.

He said that CITU welcomed youth-led protests and would stand in solidarity with democratic struggles seeking social and economic justice.

Speaking on the occasion, CITU State General Secretary A V Nageswara Rao sharply criticised the policies of the Chandrababu Naidu government, alleging that they were detrimental to the interests of the working class. He noted that the government had completed two years in office without addressing many of the promises made before the elections to permanent employees, contract workers, scheme workers, and workers in both the organised and unorganised sectors.

He further accused the government of suppressing dissent through repressive measures and alleged that cabinet meetings had effectively become forums for land allocations. He warned that if the state government failed to change its policies, workers would be compelled to launch militant struggles in defence of their rights.

CITU All-India leader Baby Rani, along with state leaders Subbaravamma, Muzaffar Ahmed, Obulu, R V Narasimha Rao, Ramadevi, N C H Srinivas, Kandarapu Murali, N Roy, Nagaraju, Anji, Teja, K Venkateswara Rao and others, participated in the seminar.