Mahapadav: Fight for Better Wages and Against Privatisation Will Continue on These Streets

Workers from all the sectors of work and sections of society are still flooding into Parliament Street in the national capital Delhi to take part in the Mahapadav. The three-day mass dharna, Mahapadav, is to mark the protest against BJP-led Centre’s anti-worker, anti-people and anti-national policies.

Amidst reverberating slogans and songs, the workers emphasized their demands and need for unity among all the working class communities. More than 70,000 workers who hail from the different regions of the country have reached here in small or big groups, under the banner of different trade unions.

Addressing the workers, Tapan Sen, General Secretary of Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU), put forward the major demands of workers.

“We are ready to talk to Govt. if they want but if they don't agree to our demands, the battle for our rights and demands will continue on the streets,” Tapan Sen said.

The 12 point charter of demands includes minimum wage, social security and regular workers’ status and accompanying benefits for scheme workers, the constitutional and statutory provisions for ensuring ‘same wages and benefits for same work’, etc.

“Minimum wage should actually be Rs.26000 but we are demanding just Rs.18000. If we will not be given that, the struggle will only intensify”, asserted the CITU general secretary, appealing for one of the basic demands of the workers.

Pointing out the Centre’s pro-corporate agenda, Tapan Sen said: “We have stopped many PSUs from getting privatized on these very streets and we will stop them here again.”

Putting the workers into hardship, the government has already expressed its affinity towards corporate giants allowing Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) and privatization of public utility services including health, education, transport, Indian Railways, financial services, electricity and water. FDI was allowed in almost all sensitive sectors including defence production, railways, oil, minerals, port and dock.

The mahapadav will continue on 10 and 11 November. It is expected that the future course of action will be announced on the final day.