The May Day 2025 is a day to resolve to wage a veritable counter war against the war of Modi government on the working class of the country and to make the 20 May all India Strike a great success. It is not only a strike of the working class but a strike in shoulder to shoulder with the farmers and agricultural labourers. Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM) is also joining the strike to fight against the anti-farmer, pro-corporate, agricultural market reforms and with a call to organise protests on 20 May. All India Agricultural and Rural Labour Association (AIARLA) and All India Kisan Mahasabha (AIKM) extending their support to the strike have called for protests in rural areas across the country. All India Central Council of Trade Unions (AICCTU) is joining the strike as a part of the call of the Platform of Ten Central Trade Unions of the country.

The latest news is that the Modi government is planning to release manuals on Labour Codes. It has assigned the BMS (Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh, an affiliate of RSS) and the CII (Confederation of Indian Industries) to prepare manuals explaining the Labour Codes for and from the angle of, an employee and an employer. Thus, the Modi machine is preparing to unleash a Goebbelsian propaganda to create a consensus among common workers on Labour Codes. BMS has been praising the Code on Wages and the Social Security Code and has extended complete support to the government. They only want to act as a buffer to reduce the dissent and anger of workers. The employee threshold limit of 300 workers strength for closure of factories is being removed by the Labour Codes so as to make the ‘Hire and Fire’ a norm. In order to minimise the impact of such a draconian clause, the government is also alleged to be planning to introduce the Codes in phases spanning some years. The idea appears to introduce the Codes in companies employing more than 500 workers first, then in establishments of 300 and above workers strength and then to implement the same in companies employing less than 300 workers. In the meanwhile, the propaganda machinery will keep repeating lies after lies so that lies themselves can become a truth.

The miseries of the working people have reached a limit under 11 years of the Modi regime. With joblessness, destitution and inequality skyrocketing, the wages have nosedived, and the rights and social security stands totally eliminated. There is a corporate clamour for 70 to 90 hour work-week.  On the other hand, in the name of “Ease of Doing Business”, the corporates are given free hand to loot the property and resources of the country. The profits of corporate sector grew by 22.3 percent in last few years. 5 percent of upper echelons of the population own 70 percent of the wealth whereas 50 percent of the population at the lower rungs share only 3 percent of total wealth. The third term of Modi regime has brutally intensified its attacks on the lives and livelihood of the people and further pushed the corporate servile policies. In essence, the achievements of freedom struggle against British rulers are being systematically done away with – from constitution, rights to welfare state, public-government sector and secured jobs.  

After doing away with all hard-earned labour laws and replacing them with 4 Labour Codes, the Modi government claims that it is all set to implement them now. The implementation of labour codes will reduce the working class into slaves of the corporate class. These codes snatch away all rights and entitlements - including working hours, minimum wages, social security, etc.; the hire and fire becomes the law; The right to unionization, recognition, collective bargaining and all forms of collective expression of protests including the right to strike are being smashed. The enactment of 3 new criminal laws including Bhartiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), coupled with UAPA, PMLA etc., are aimed at criminalizing the collective action  of working class. We have already started witnessing it in various degrees. Three criminal codes combined with 4 labour codes are bound to prove disastrous to the lives of the working class in the country. Simultaneously, the Police Raj and the Bulldozer Raj have become the mode of governance that brutally bulldoze the lives and livelihood of the poor and the downtrodden. The future of the “working class without any rights” is completely darkened.

While wages of the workers is drastically falling, the social security in any form is being eroded. The welfare boards are being diluted towards being dismantled, as in the case of sectors like Beedi, construction, etc. The pension as a third benefit, like OPS (Old Pension Scheme) is eliminated and is replaced with NPS/UPS. The EPS pension still stands paltry and humiliating. The Labour Code on Social Security spells the doom on workers’ right to any meaningful social security.

Already, crores of workers under social schemes of the central and state governments-honorarium/incentive based ASHA, Anganwadi, MDM, etc. - are made as “Forced Labour without wages”. Moreover, these schemes are facing the danger of extinction, as the Modi government is slashing the budgetary allocation year after year in order to privatize the services of the government.

The unbridled Privatization is making Adanis and Ambanis the owners of the country while the real owners, the working people of the country, are being pushed to the margins. The National Monetisation Pipeline (NMP) only facilitate the handover of the country’s infrastructures, including lands of Public and Government sector, to corporates at a throw away price.

After being forced to withdraw the three draconian farm laws, the Modi government is attempting in a nefarious way to bring back the same through the recently released Draft National Policy Framework on Agricultural Marketing that snatches away the farm lands from farmers and hands it over to the corporates. 

While continuing the attacks on all sections of common people to serve the interests of their corporate masters, Modi-BJP-RSS combine is leaving no stone unturned to stoke up communal hatred and polarization aimed also at diverting the peoples’ attention from basic issues and to divide the peoples’ struggling unity. The enactment of Waqf Board Act is the latest in the series of brutal attacks on Muslims, including the UCC. The Modi-BJP-RSS combine is doing everything to establish a Corporate, Communal - Manuvadi Rashtra.   

The Modi government has severely hurt India’s national pride and sovereignty by meekly surrendering to the Trump administration’s arrogant arm twisting and humiliation, in spite of the claim of Modi’s special friendship with Trump and the rise of India as Vishwa Guru under Modi rule. Modi’ complete silence on deportation of Indian workers with handcuffs and shackles from US and his acceptance of Trump’s move to force the Indian government to lower import duties on American goods and increased tariffs on Indian goods to the US - are the glaring examples of Modi’s capitulation to the US.

Defying the people’s mandate against the BJP in the last Lok Sabha elections, defying the message of the powerful movements on the streets, the Modi government is desperately intensifying its corporate-communal offensive.

The need of the hour is a more powerful, determined movements, heightened resistance of the working people. Let us rise to the occasion, prepare to give a befitting reply to the anti-people, anti-worker Modi government. Make the 20th May all-India general strike a resounding success!

The Charter For the May Day and the General Strike

• Halt the implementation and Scrap 4 Labour Codes.
• Stop unbridled Privatization/ Corporatization, Stop Selling of the national wealth and infrastructure; Scrap the National Monetisation Pipeline (NMP); Withdraw the Electricity Bill and Scrap the Smart Pre-paid Electricity Meter Scheme.
• Declare Rs 41,000/- as Minimum Monthly Wage, 15,000/- as monthly Pension with DA. Ensure strict implementation of declared minimum wages and existing labour laws.
• Restore OPS, Withdraw NPS and UPS.
• Provide the status of govt. employee with all associated benefits to the honorarium/ incentive based (scheme) workers, and till then, grant the status of “Worker” and minimum wages to them; Stop privatisation and NGOisation of schemes. Recognise gig/platform workers as “Worker”.
• Stop Dismantling of Welfare Boards including construction, bidi, etc.
• Stop rampant contractualisation, outsourcing, closure; Withdraw Fixed Term Employment, Employment Linked Incentive Scheme (ELI); Abolish contract labour system and trainee - apprenticeship system; Equal wages, benefits and service conditions for the same and similar kind of work; Bring an exclusive act for the conferment of Permanent Status to all irregular workers, including contract workers.
• Strengthen MGNREGA by increasing the work days to 200 and wages to 600/day; Extend Employment Guarantee Act and schemes to urban areas.
• Strengthen and Implement the act for migrant workers.
• Immediately fill sanctioned vacant posts in government departments and PSUs and Withdraw the ban on recruitment and creation of new posts. Revive sick and closed Industries and Plantations.
• Withdraw the pro-corporate, anti-farmer Agricultural Marketing Policy; Implement Statutory MSP.
• Roll-back the price increases of all essential commodities. Universalization of food security and inclusion of all unorganized workers in the BPL (below poverty line) list.
  Ensure equal wages for equal work for women workers and strict implementation of the act against sexual harassment at workplaces.
• Put an End to Manual scavenging.
• Enact a comprehensive central legislation for Domestic workers; Strict Implementation of the Street Vendors (Protection of Livelihood and Regulation of Street Vending) Act, 2014, ensure Zero-eviction policy and social security for all street vendors.
• Repeal 3 criminal Laws (BNS), all draconian laws. Withdraw EDSA.
• Repeal the divisive Waqf Act.