We have been following with great concern the alarming situation facing workers in India.

We are disappointed by the attitude of the Minister of Labor who after calling a meeting on 2nd January 2020 to apparently defuse the crisis, simply failed to guarantee the fundamental demands of workers. Hence, none of the issues which have been continuously raised by the Central Trade Unions, including the basic issues of unemployment, minimum wages and social security were ever addressed by the Minister.

Furthermore, we are very concerned about all the undemocratic practices occurring in the country since it is more than 4 years that the government convened the tripartite Indian Labour Conference. The last meeting in August 2015 from which nothing evolved was with the Group of Ministers established to discuss the 14-point claims charter.

This attitude of the Government is indeed that of contempt towards labour.

We, workers from Africa, therefore stand with you, comrades from India, in your protest again such anti labour policies of your Government. We support the countrywide General Strike on 8th January 2020 and we are calling on the Modi government to restore an appeased social climate by engaging in negotiations with the Trade Unions with the aim to agree on a peaceful and constructive way out of the current economic crisis having the full respect for human and workers’ rights.
In solidarity,

Kwasi ADU-AMANHWAH
General Secretary, ITUC-Africa