THE Centre of Indian Trade Unions, All India Kisan Sabha and All India Agricultural Workers’ Union have decided to organise a massive ‘Mazdoor Kisan Sangharsh Rally’ before parliament on September 5, against the government’s anti-worker, anti-peasant and anti-people policies of the government. In a press conference held jointly by the CITU, AIKS and AIAWU in New Delhi on June 21, it was declared that workers, employees, farmers and agricultural workers from all over the country will participate in the rally.

The living conditions of the vast majority of the toiling people of the country have been deteriorating because of the policies being pursued by the government at the centre. While the workers and the common people find it difficult to balance their meagre budgets because of the price rise, particularly of the food items, the peasants are not getting remunerative prices for their produce. The agricultural workers do not get work in the villages. Employment situation has been worsening. While new employment has been meagre, lakhs of existing jobs are being lost.

The government is on a privatisation spree. Not only the public sector undertakings, including those in the strategic sector like defence, insurance etc, but all essential services like health, education, transport etc are being privatised. Education and health are increasingly becoming the preserve of the rich. 100 percent FDI is being allowed in almost all sensitive sectors. National interests are being sacrificed to favour the MNCs.

Land is being forcibly grabbed from the peasants and handed over to the corporates and land mafia. Adivasis are being displaced and driven out from the forests. Farmers, particularly the poor farmers do not have access to cheap institutional credit. Thousands of peasants continue to commit suicide.

The basic rights of the workers are being attacked by amending the labour laws in favour of the employers, in the name of improving the “Ease of Doing Business’. The democratic rights of all sections of people are being attacked. Attacks on dalits, minorities, women and children have increased across the country. Communal forces are spreading hatred among the people. They are trying to dictate and control the lives of people and impose their way of thinking on the entire country. Instead of taking firm measures to control these forces that divide and disrupt the unity of the people, the government is actively patronising them.

The government has been totally ignoring the demands of the workers, peasants and the common people being repeatedly raised through their respective joint platforms. On the whole, the policies of this government are against the interests of the workers, peasants and all sections of toiling people as well as against national interests.

The September 5th ‘Mazdoor Kisan Sangharsh Rally’ is to demand reversal of these policies that only benefit a few big corporates, domestic and foreign, and the landlords and the rural rich. It is to demand implementation of alternative pro-people policies.

Representing the toiling people, the workers, peasants and agricultural workers, who generate the GDP and the wealth for the country, the true patriotic people concerned about welfare of all sections of toiling people, CITU, AIKS and AIAWU will strive to build broadest possible unity of all sections of toiling people to strengthen the united struggle against the anti-people policies.

Among others, the ‘Mazdoor Kisan Sangharsh Rally’ will highlight the following demands:

1. Curb price rise; universalise public distribution system; ban forward trading in essential commodities
2. Concrete measures for generation of decent employment
3. Minimum wage of not less than Rs 18,000 per month for all workers
4. Stop anti-worker labour law amendments
5. Remunerative price for the peasants as per Swaminathan Committee recommendations; ensure public procurement
6. Debt waiver for poor peasants and agricultural workers
7. Comprehensive legislation for agricultural workers
8. Implementation of MGNREGA in all rural areas; amendment to the Act to cover urban areas
9. Food security, health, education, housing for all
10. Universal social security
11. No contractorisation
12. Redistributive land reforms
13. Stop forcible land acquisition
14. Relief and rehabilitation for the victims of natural calamities
15. Reverse neoliberal policies