Trade unions set to intensify protests against labour laws, monetisation plan

After the PM's announcement that the controversial farm laws will be repealed, central trade unions have decided to intensify their protests against the labour laws, national monetisation pipeline (NMP) and disinvestment in public sector companies.

The joint committee of 10 central trade unions have also decided to call a two-day strike during the budget session of Parliament in February. The unions have supported the Samyukt Kisan Morcha's agitation against the farm laws and, on different occasions, tried to forge a worker-peasant unity for a common cause.

"We reiterate our resolve to strengthen worker-peasant joint actions and struggles to change the anti-worker, anti-kisan and anti-people policies of the central government," Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU) general secretary Tapan Sen told ET. CITU is a labour union affiliated with CPM and is part of the 10 central trade unions who have formed a joint forum.


Sen says that there is a difference between the agitation of farmers and workers. "While farmers can sit on agitation for a year and when they go back, they would have their land waiting for them. For workers, it's not the case. We have to find a balance between work and agitation," he added.

Kisan Mazdoor mahapanchayat to be held in Mumbai on November 28 is likely to be attended by leaders of SKM and different trade unions.

Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh, the RSS-affiliated labour union, is not part of the committee of 10 unions.

"We are not with other trade unions. We have 40 federations under BMS and currently protests are going on in the public sector against disinvestment," former BMS chief Saji Narayan told ET.

The BMS federations are likely to hold a convention from January to June, where they "will take a call on further action plans and agitations, based on the issues in their respective sectors", he said.