May Day call for unity against far-right, corporate 'assaults'

By A Representative 

Marking International Workers' Day, the New Trade Union Initiative (NTUI) released a powerful statement calling for united resistance against what it terms a "relentless assault on the working class" worldwide. Highlighting global and domestic crises, the NTUI warned that only solidarity and organisational unity among workers can counter the mounting threats of authoritarianism, corporate exploitation, and democratic erosion.

In a sharply worded statement, the NTUI condemned Israel’s ongoing actions in Gaza as genocide, blaming Western governments and media for complicity and silence. "This is a systematic campaign of extermination," the statement read, urging the global working class to demand an end to the violence and stand in solidarity with the Palestinian people.

The union also decried the rise of far-right ideologies across the globe, citing the resurgence of Trumpism in the U.S., authoritarian tendencies in Europe, and the BJP-RSS alliance in India. “From xenophobia to suppression of dissent, these forces aim to dismantle democracy and divide people along religious and ethnic lines,” it said.

Domestically, the NTUI criticised the Indian government’s push to implement controversial labour codes, calling them "an unprecedented assault on workers' rights." The codes, the union argues, dilute hard-won protections and pave the way for exploitative corporate practices, including proposals for excessively long working hours.

The statement also drew attention to violent state-backed actions against Adivasi communities in mineral-rich regions, describing them as “murderous attacks” aimed at clearing land for corporate exploitation under the pretext of countering extremism.

Reaffirming its commitment to internationalism and solidarity, the NTUI urged all trade unions in India to overcome internal divisions and unite under a single banner. “The fight for an independent Palestine, the defense of democratic rights, and the struggle for workers’ dignity are one and the same. We must strike together, march together, and build a just and democratic world for all.”

Concluding with a call to action, the NTUI declared: “May Day Zindabad! Workers of the world, unite!”