On the occasion of International May Day

Spirited demonstrations organised all over the country by workers

On the occasion of May Day, workers organised demonstrations in support of their longstanding demands and in honour of those who have sacrificed their lives for the cause of the working class, in the capital cities of the states, in towns, in the districts, in the tehsils, in industrial areas and at factory gates. On this occasion, they pledged to fight determinedly against the anti-worker, anti-national and anti-people policies of the authorities and against the capitalist system itself.

Spirited demonstrations organised all over the country by workers

On the occasion of May Day, workers organised demonstrations in support of their longstanding demands and in honour of those who have sacrificed their lives for the cause of the working class, in the capital cities of the states, in towns, in the districts, in the tehsils, in industrial areas and at factory gates. On this occasion, they pledged to fight determinedly against the anti-worker, anti-national and anti-people policies of the authorities and against the capitalist system itself.

Rallies and meetings were organised all over the country on May Day 2016. Workers from different sectors of the economy enthusiastically participated in these. Bank employees, mine workers, post and telecom employees, steel sector workers, workers working in sea, air, road and rail transport sectors, health sector workers, industrial workers and several others organised and participated in demonstrations and rallies.

Workers employed in various government welfare schemes such as anganwadi workers, ASHA workers, people employed in the mid-day meal schemes as also peasants took part in these and condemned the anti-national, anti-worker and anti-people policies of the government.

In the capital city of the country Delhi, workers participated in huge numbers in the rally organised by the “Joint May Day Committee” from Ramlila Maidan to the Town Hall. Holding aloft red flags and banners, workers lined up in the rally shouting slogans passionately as they moved out of Ramlila Maidan. The whole area reverberated with slogans like “Red salute to the martyrs of Chicago!” “Long Live May Day!” and “Inquilab Zindabad!” Workers were carrying banners and placards which read “Down with Capitalism!” “Utaro poonjipatiyon ka taj, lekar aao Mazdoor kisanon ka raaj!” (Dethrone the capitalists – bring in the rule of the workers and peasants!) “Stop privatisation!”, “Stop subsidies to the monopolies!”, “Those who create the wealth of the nation will have to become its’ rulers!”, “Only the working class can save Hindustan from the crisis!”, “This is not democracy, this is the rule of the capitalists” and so on.

As the rally proceeded through lanes of the thickly populated areas and onto the Lal Kuan Bazar Marg, the slogans of the marchers attracted the residents of these areas and enthused them to come out on the street as well. The orderly rally of the workers with its militant slogans attracted the attention of the shopkeepers and area residents. At some points police was seen regulating the crowds which thronged around the rally.

Comrades of the Communist Ghadar Party of India enthusiastically participated in the rally. The statement of the Delhi Regional Committee of the Party was widely distributed in the rally and amongst the people who thronged to see it.

The rally marched via Ajmeri Gate Marg, Katra Baria and Fatehpur Mosque towards the Town Hall, where it was converted into a public meeting. At the start of the meeting, Comrade Surendra Singh Negi and the team of Sanskruti of Kerala presented revolutionary songs to the audience.

Addressing the meeting, leaders of the trades unions severely condemned the anti-people, anti- national and anti-worker policies of the government. They also denounced the anti-worker actions of the Delhi government and the fact that it had reneged on its promise of regularising and making permanent the services of temporary workers in the various departments of the Delhi administration. All the speakers called upon the workers to make the strike being organised on September 2, 2016 against the anti-people, anti- national and anti-worker policies of the government a resounding success.

Among those who addressed the workers were Com Rajeev Dimri (AICCTU), Com Amarjeet Kaur (AITUC), Com Shankar Ray (UTUC), Com Anurag Saxena (CITU), Com Narayan Singh (Hind Mazdoor Sabha), Com Santosh Kumar (Mazdoor Ekta Committee) and Com Shatrujeet Singh (UTUC). At the end, all the speakers called upon the workers to step up their struggles against the capitalist-friendly and anti-worker policies of the government.

The following demands have been raised in the Declaration of the “Joint May Day Committee”:

  1. Repeal the anti-worker changes to the labour laws.
  2. End contract labour in jobs of a continual nature. Make workers permanent at the same jobs. Stop issuance of licences by the Delhi and Central governments to labour contractors.
  3. Declare Rs 20,000/- per month to be the minimum wage and implement this and implement this strictly at all workplaces and shops.
  4. Implement labour laws strictly and punish the violators.
  5. Give old-age pension to all workers
  6. Remove restrictions on eligibility and income limits for pension.
  7. Provide living accommodation to all workers.
  8. Implement the unanimous recommendation of the 45th Labour Conference to declare all welfare scheme-workers such as anganwadi, asha, mid-day meals etc. as workers
  9. Carry out surveys of hawkers and street vendors and give them licences, get rickshaw pullers and drivers registered.
  10. Stop privatisation of the public sector.
  11. Respect working women and give them equal pay for equal work.
  12. Make arrangements for the safety and security of women.
  13. Set up committees to oppose sexual harassment at workplaces.
  14. Implement welfare schemes for construction workers in a time-bound manner.

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