Farmers Movement Archive

Farm, trade unions to launch joint campaign

Farm unions under the Samyukt Kisan Morcha banner and 10 Central trade unions have agreed to carry out a joint campaign, combining their demands and planning common actions. The decision was taken at a meeting of representatives from both sides on Monday evening, but will need to be ratified by the wider SKM at its general body meeting on Tuesday. The SKM will also discuss the possibility of jointly campaigning against the BJP in the upcoming Assembly elections. Some members have already chalked out such plans, but others are not too keen. “The meeting decided to undertake a joint campaign, with five common demands: three demands from the farmers’ side — repeal of the farm reform laws, withdrawal of Electricity Bill and legal guarantee for MSP — and two demands from the workers’ side — to withdraw the labour codes and stop privatisation,” said All India Kisan Sabha treasurer Krishnaprasad, who attended the meeting. All-India Trade Union Congress general secretary Amarjeet Kaur said that farmers and workers’ representatives discussed coming out with a joint statement and programme, which would be announced after the farmers’ meeting on Tuesday. She said the trade unions suggested certain programmes, including observing March 15 as “anti-privatisation day”. The meeting was attended by representatives of Bharatiya Kisan Union-Rajewal and BKU-Ekta Ugrahan, two of the most prominent Punjab groups. The BKU’s Balbir Singh Rajewal is also likely to join in election campaigning against the BJP in Kerala, according to a farm leader who did not wish to be named. Gurnam Singh Chaduni, who heads another faction of the BKU in Haryana and is known to be close to the Aam Aadmi Party, is planning to campaign in Bengal, the leader said.

The Hindu

2021-03-02

NEW DELHI