The National Convention of Workers on 18th March 2025 organised by the platform of Central Trade Unions and Independent Sectoral Federations and Associations adopted a Declaration with a call for two-month long campaign to culminate in a Nationwide General Strike on 20th May 2025.
The participants included the leaders and activists from the unions of the PSU and Govt Sectors such as those from Banks, Insurance, Coal, Steel, Port and Dock, Electricity, Telecom, Postal, Railways, Defence, Roadways, Education, Health, Water, Civil services etc and private formal sector including the contract workers of those sectors, those from the informal/unorganised sectors- industrial as well as contract, outsourced workers and self-employed in piece rate work, domestic workers, gig and app based workers, scheme workers-from Anganwadi, ASHA and Mid-day Meal schemes, beedi and construction sector, loaders-unloaders etc.
Voices rose in unison, in a chorus of condemnation against the central government that deliberately maintains more than a decade long deaf ear to the consistent demands of the Trade Unions on the one side and their collective rejection of its policies on the other.
The leaders who addressed the convention endorsed the Declaration. Among those who addressed included Ashok Singh from INTUC, Amarjeet Kaur from AITUC, Harbhajan Singh from HMS, Tapan Sen from CITU, Harish Tyagi from AIUTUC, K Indu Prakash Menon from TUCC, Lata Ben from SEWA, Rajiv Dimri from AICCTU, Jawahar Prasad from LPF, and Ashok Ghosh from UTUC.
Unified and determined voice of “enough is enough”, sending a resounding “NO” to the government’s anti-people policies, the convention gave out a clarion call for one day’s national strike on 20th May 2025.
The convention sent out a scathing attack on the brazenly pro corporate policies in favour of the crony capitalists, creation of monopoly and duopoly capitalists that are detrimental to the working people and overall economic well-being of the country. In an unequivocal tone and unwavering conviction, the convention sent out a firm message that the central government cannot continue unrelenting to the united voice in a war cry of the working masses. The convention emphasised that the working people of India, the real wealth makers shall not allow the loot of their creation by the crony capitalists.
The convention showcased the trade unions as a united force to reckon with. The working people shall prepare to take on the challenge of this government. May 20th shall be the launching pad towards series of nationwide decisive struggles of workers and peasants in the future. The convention ended with an invigorated energy to resist exploitation, deepening income inequality, denial of constitutional rights and overall injustice meted out on the people of India.
The convention unanimously adopted a declaration that indicts the NDA government for inflicting the downward spiral of miseries on the working people, for the pro corporate and anti-worker policies that have resulted in a perfect storm of joblessness, poverty and inequality.
The declaration of National Convention of workers besides reiterating its uncompromising demand to scrap the labour codes, reaffirming its 17-point charter of demands also lays down the alternative to the disastrous policies of neo liberalism.
The convention sent an unmitigated voice of unity that would thwart all the ugliest attempts of the NDA government to divide workers in terms of religion, region, caste, culture, language etc.
Battle lines are drawn, drums of protests are beating, war cry of the working people of India shall be demonstrated in fullest throttle on 20th May 2025.
The Convention was presided by O.S Tomar from INTUC, Mohan Sharma from AITUC, Member of presidium is J R Bhosle from HMS, K Hemlata from CITU, Vijay Pal Singh from AIUTUC, G Shivshankar from TUCC, Asha Ben from SEWA, Santosh Roy from AICCTU, R.K Maurya from LPF, Shatrujit Singh from UTUC.
