Trichy Hosts State-Level Conference to Mobilize for February 12 All India General Strike
In a significant show of unity, central trade unions and the Farmers' United Front organized a state-level preparatory conference in Trichy on Friday. The event aimed to galvanize support for the upcoming All India general strike scheduled for February 12, which is being staged in protest against the Union government's policies.
Broad Coalition of Unions and Farmers Gather at Uzhavar Sandhai
The conference saw participation from a wide array of labor and farmer organizations. Representatives from LPF, CITU, AITUC, INTUC, HMS, AICCTU, LLF, UTUC, and SKM attended the meeting held at Uzhavar Sandhai. In a unified voice, they labeled the government's policies as 'anti-worker', 'anti-farmer', 'anti-people', and 'anti-democratic'.
Six Key Resolutions Passed Unanimously
The attendees unanimously passed six resolutions, demanding the immediate withdrawal of what they termed detrimental policies. A central demand was the complete repeal of the four labour codes. The unions argued that these codes push nearly 80% of the workforce outside the scope of legal protections, while disproportionately benefiting large Indian and multinational capitalists and enabling unchecked business operations.
Specific Demands on Agriculture, Electricity, and Social Schemes
On agricultural issues, the conference termed the seed bill as detrimental to farmers and called on the central government to establish a remunerative Minimum Support Price (MSP) for all agricultural produce.
Regarding electricity reforms, delegates demanded the scrapping of the Electricity (Amendment) Bill, which aims to privatize power generation and distribution.
Concerning social welfare, the conference condemned the removal of Mahatma Gandhi's name from the MGNREGA scheme, along with the reduction in central funding and the shifting of the financial burden to states.
Opposition to FDI in Insurance and Warning of Future Actions
Additionally, the conference urged the reversal of the decision permitting 100% foreign direct investment in the insurance sector. Union leaders emphasized that the February 12 general strike serves as a warning to the Centre, hinting at more intensified actions in the coming months if their demands are not addressed.
This mobilization in Trichy underscores the growing discontent among workers and farmers, setting the stage for a nationwide protest on February 12.
