Farmers’ Protest: Central Trade Unions Reiterate Support, Call December 8 Bharat Bandh a Success

Reiterating their support to the Farmers’ Protest against the three Farm Laws, the Joint Platform of Central Trade Unions and Independent Sectoral Federations/Associations said that the Bharat Bandh call on December 8 had been successful. It added that the agitation could not be called one of Punjab alone any longer, mentioning that Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s meeting with the farmers “is an acceptance of this fact.”

“The Joint Platform of Central Trade Unions and Independent Sectoral Federations/Associations are closely following the machinations of the Centre, such as planting alleged NIA reports of instigation by SJF from Canada, alleged letter bearing lakhs of signatures of the Haryana Farmers backing the Agri-laws, offer to amend laws and many other such deceitful diversionary tactics have failed to make any headway against the demand to repeal the three Agri-laws that itself has become a material force,” their joint statement said.

The ten central trade unions are Indian National Trade Union Congress (INTUC), All India Trade Union Congress (AITUC), Hind Mazdoor Sabha (HMS), Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU), All India United Trade Union Centre (AIUTUC), Trade Union Co-ordination Centre (TUCC), Self-Employed Women's Association (SEWA), All India Central Council of Trade Unions (AICCTU), Labour Progressive Federation (LPF) and United Trade Union Congress (UTUC).

The unions and associations reiterated their “wholehearted support to the ongoing united struggles of the farmers demanding scrapping of draconian Agri-laws, Electricity (Amendment) Bill 2020 and legislation guaranteeing MSP.”

“We have once again received letter from the Samyukta Morcha of Kisans for their appreciation of continued support from the Central Trade Union organisations for their justified struggle. They have informed us the next phase of their action programmes with request to extend support,” it added.

Their statement also mentioned that the Samyukta Morcha had decided on a future course of action, mentioned below:

· “From 12 December to block the Delhi- Jaipur National Highway.

· From 12 December to open Toll Plazas throughout the country.

· State/local level actions of the farmers on 14th December 2020.

· Boycott the Products of Ambani and Adani like Jio, Reliance Malls, Adani Fresh etc.”

The joint platform called upon workers, employees and their unions, to extend their solidarity to the call of a joint struggle, keeping aside their difference in what the unions believe is a “coming crucial period”.

On November 21, close to thirty farmers’ organisations from Punjab allowed the Indian Railways to run its passenger trains in the state, apart from its goods trains, and had preparations for a march to Delhi (“Dilli Cooch”) later that month.

The farmers have since braved barricades, tear gas and water cannons and have camped at Delhi’s borders even as talks with the government have not yielded results.