Eyeing Steady Support from SKM, Central TUs Draw ‘Confidence’ from Repeal of Farm Laws

The "historic victory" of the farmers' movement following Prime Minister Narendra Modi's announcement to repeal the contentious agriculture laws will instil the much-needed "confidence" in other ongoing struggles in the country, trade unionists believe.

Leading a nationwide protest campaign themselves to demand the withdrawal of the Labour Codes, among others, the union leaders on Saturday told NewsClick that they would continue with their protest programmes for the upcoming months and hope to receive the "support" as before from the farmers' organisations.

In a major move, PM Modi addressed the nation on Friday morning and announced that his government at the Centre has agreed to repeal the three "reform-oriented" agriculture laws – the demand at the heart of the farmers-led agitation since last year.

Prompted by the passage of the controversial legislation in the Parliament last year, thousands of farmers, at the joint call of their unions, had marched to Delhi on November 26 last year. It led to what has since turned into a sit-in protest, with the agitating farmers squatting at the border gates of the national capital – mainly at Singhu, Tikri and Ghazipur.

Since then, even as it is the farmers' bodies, which subsequently came together to form Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM), that has enjoyed much of the media attention, with them, in "unstinted solidarity", were also the Central Trade Unions (CTUs), who represented the interests of the country's working population.

The trade unions flay the codification of the 25 central labour enactments that will purportedly tilt the labour regime in the country in favour of the employers while diluting the protective regulations of the workers.

Three of the total four Labour Codes, which too were touted as "reforms" by the Modi Government, saw their passage, alongside agriculture laws, in the Parliament last year, prompting the CTUs to jointly call for a one-day general strike on the same day of the farmers' march.

Since then, building on the idea of charting out a "united fight" against a "common enemy", multiple joint programmes were held in the country by the SKM and the CTUs – even though they remained under the shadow of the farmers' movement.

On Saturday, trade union leaders did "welcome" the news of the repealing of the agriculture laws but also maintained that "their struggle will go on" and that the workers-farmers "unity" must be "carried forward".

PM Modi's announcement on repealing the agriculture laws is not just farmers' victory, but "our own win too," Tapan Sen, general secretary, Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU), told NewsClick over the phone.

"The backing down by the Modi government on the farm laws will surely instil confidence in other ongoing movements too. The trade unions have already announced a series of actions for the upcoming months. Our struggle will go on," he said.

The CTUs called for a two-day nationwide general strike during the Budget Session of Parliament next year, a declaration adopted in a national convention held earlier this month and attended by workers' federations from across the country and the SKM leadership.

Moreover, preparations were already underway for a workers-farmers joint protest programme this month to mark the first anniversary of the farmers' sit-in agitation at the national capital border gates.

Amarjeet Kaur, general secretary, All India Trade Union Congress (AITUC), said that the November 26 programme would be held, as planned earlier. "There has been a conscious effort since last year to form a united struggle against the anti-people policies of the Modi government. As far as that is concerned, not all the issues are resolved yet – which includes the question of MSP (minimum support price), Electricity Amendment Bill, and of course, the Labour Codes," she said.

To be sure, a day earlier, farmers' organisations too had said that the protesters "will not go back home" right away, not until "all demands" of the cultivators are met, despite PM Modi's appeal on Friday.

"...There are several pending demands even now, and the Prime Minister Mr Modi knows about these pending matters. SKM hopes that the Government of India… will go the full length to fulfil all the legitimate demands of protesting farmers, including statutory legislation to guarantee a remunerative MSP," the morcha said in a press statement on Friday.

The farmers are mainly demanding legislation to ensure minimum support price (MSP) for all crops and the withdrawal of the amendment to the Electricity Law of 2003.

While it was noted that in their Friday's statement, SKM didn't choose to press for the withdrawal of the Labour Codes, Kaur on Saturday, when asked about it, cautioned against drawing any conclusion out of it. "The Trade Unions will wait for the SKM to decide their future course of action," she said, adding that the CTUs are planning to also meet the SKM leadership before the beginning of the winter session of the Parliament, scheduled at November-end.

"The unity forged between the workers and the farmers since last year must be carried forward to strongly challenge the anti-people policies of the present regime. The trade unions have played a conscious role in developing the farmers' agitation into a pan-India movement. We are expecting that the SKM takes a reciprocal position in this regard," she said.

The SKM leadership is scheduled to meet on Saturday at the Singhu border to decide the future course. Among the other demands that have earlier found support from the farmers include a stop on public sector companies' privatisation, rolling back of National Monetisation Pipeline (NMP), and scrapping of the Labour Codes.

Meanwhile, the repealing of the agriculture laws has also energised the Delhi units of the CTUs, who have given a call to stage a one-day work strike on November 25 in the city. Public meetings, in this regard, are scheduled to take place on November 23 and 24 in the industry areas including in Mayapuri and Mangolpuri, respectively.

On Saturday, Narayan Singh of Hind Mazdoor Sabha (HMS) – Delhi told NewsClick that the main theme of the public meetings would be to "draw lessons" from the farmers' movement and their victory. "If the farmers can make Modi government relent, then why not the workers," he said.