Workers, farmers unions to protest in Delhi on April 5 for wages, pension

Guaranteed procurement of all farm produce and scrapping of 4 labour codes are among their other demands

Three unions said on Tuesday thousands of workers and farmers will march in Delhi on April 5 to demand more as minimum wage, pension, and guaranteed procurement of all farm produce.

“Enhancing minimum wages to Rs 26,000 per month and universal pension to Rs 10,000 per month along with the scrapping of the contractualisation of work and legally ensuring minimum support price (MSP) at the C2 + 50 per cent formula are going to be our primary demands,” said Hannan Mollah, vice president of All India Kisan Sabha (AIKS) at a press conference.

The protest by AIKS, Centre for Trade Union (CITU) and All India Agricultural Workers' Union (AIAWU) will demand the scrapping of four labour codes that propose to liberalise employment rules and the Electricity Amendment Bill. It will call for the universalisation of the public distribution system and the withdrawal of the amendments to the Forest (Conservation) Act.

“To ensure job security, expand the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) workdays to 200 days with minimum wage of Rs 600. Also, enact a National Urban Employment Guarantee Act,” said a charter listing the unions’ demands.

Economist Prabhat Patnaik said that more than 300,000 farmers and labourers have committed suicide in the last two decades, as a declining per capita expenditure hurts rural India. “It is necessary that peasants and workers come together on a single platform and raise their voice,” said Patanaik, who heads the reception committee for protesters in Delhi.

“The proposed stir has been met with unprecedented enthusiasm as stagnant wages, earnings, unemployment and price rise are some of the issues that are causing hardships to the common people. Hence, the proposed rally will see participation from people across the different walks of life,” said Tapan Sen, general secretary of CITU.