Thousands rally in Delhi against 'anti-worker' labour codes, privatization, for job security

By A Representative 
Thousands from across the country took part in a workers' rally in Ramlila Grounds in New Delhi, demanding withdrawal of the four new anti-worker labour codes passed by the Indian government; an end to the privatisation drive of public industries and assets; permanent and secure employment for all; Rs 26,000 as minimum monthly wage; and a monthly unemployment allowance of Rs 15,000.
Organised by the Mazdoor Adhikar Sangharsh Abhiyan (MASA), a labour rights network consisting of several trade unions and civil rights groups, it also demanded declaration of lay-offs, closures and retrenchments as illegal; abolition of the contract system and various kinds of temporary employment; recognition of domestic-gig-scheme workers under labour laws; housing, healthcare, child care for all migrant and rural workers and universal PDS.
Called Mazdoor Aakrosh Rally, students and teachers too took part in the rally. Workers had come from 18 states, including Delhi NCR, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Uttarakhand, Punjab, Rajasthan, Bihar, Bengal, Assam, Himachal, Chhattisgarh, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Maharashtra and Gujarat.
Confronted with heavy police deployment and barricading, efforts were made to block the workers' march to the rally site by installing two rounds of barricades on the main Jawaharlal Nehru Marg. A delegation submitted a memorandum to the President’s office. The rally concluded with a pledge to continue struggle against the neoliberal policies of the government.
The constituent organisations in the rally included All India Workers Council, Grameen Mazdoor Union (Bihar), Indian Council of Trade Unions (ICTU), Indian Federation of Trade Unions (IFTU), IFTU (Sarwahara), Inqlabi Mazdoor Kendra, Inqlabi Mazdoor Kendra Punjab, Jan Sangharsh Manch Haryana, Karnataka Shramika Shakthi, Lal Jhanda Mazdoor Union (Samanvay Samiti), Mazdoor Sahayata Samiti, Mazdoor Sahyog Kendra, New Democratic Labour Front-State Coordination Committee (NDLF SCC Tamilnadu), Socialist Workers Centre (Tamilnadu), Struggling Workers Coordination Centre (SWCC, West Bengal), and Trade Union Centre of India (TUCI).

The protest was joined by the struggling terminated workers of Maruti Suzuki, the Maruti Suzuki Workers’ Union, the Belsonnica Employees Union, contract workers from Sunbeam and Hitachi in Haryana, Daikin Air Conditioner Workers’ Union, Daido Mazdoor Union from Neemrana (Rajasthan), workers from Hindi Motors, Kanoria Jute Mill, Bauria Cotton Mills and other units from West Bengal, and steel and molding workers union (Punjab).
There were also workers associated unions in Bhagwati Micromax, Nestle, Parle, Rocket Riddhi Siddhi, Karolia Lighting, Voltas and Intrark and other unions from Uttarakhand; workers from public sector enterprises including BHEL (Uttarakhand), BSNL (WB), Eastern Coalfields Limited (WB), Singareni Collieries Company Limited (Telangana) and Indian Railways (Eastern UP).
Tea plantation workers from Jakai, Nahorkotia, Gotonga, Naginijan, Jaipur, Samuguri, Hautley, Furkating and Missamara Tea Estates in Assam and Margaret’s Hope, Dhotrey, Baghrakote, Phulbari and Peshok Tea Gardens from Darjeeling also participated.
Unions of rural workers and urban unorganized sectors that took part in the rally included Anganwadi Workers and Helpers Union (Haryana), MGNREGA and Sarva Kamgar Union (Himachal Pradesh), Chhattisgarh Mukti Morcha Mazdoor Karyakarta Samiti (Chhattisgarh), Nirman Mazdoor Sangharsh Union (Bihar), and Rural Employees Union (Haryana).
The programme was the culmination of a four month long agitational campaign carried out both jointly and independently by the constituent organizations of MASA at factory gates, labour lines, fields, mines and industrial areas across the country. Three regional conventions were held in Kolkata, Hyderabad and Delhi in the build up to the march.