Thousands of Workers Converge on Jantar-Mantar to Present Their Charter of Demands, 3 Year Long Program of Struggle Launched

New Delhi, 1 May. Thousands of workers coming from Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana, Delhi, Noida, Ghaziabad and Chhattisgarh have warned the central government that if the demands of the 80 crore toiling masses are not urgently paid attention to, the increasing dissent among the workers could take a rebellious turn.

While announcing the launch of country-wide ‘Workers’ Satyagrah’ in the workers’ assembly hich continued till late evening yesterday on the occasion of the 125^th anniversary of the May Day,  it was stated that if the government does not take action on the 26- point charter, the toiling masses from every nook and corner of the country will be mobilized by holding worker Panchayats in all the industrial regions, workers’ settlements and villages and after 3 years, lacs of workers will lay siege to the national capital.

The main demands of the charter which was presented to the government include: enforcing an 8 hours working day, stop forced overtime, increase minimum wage to Rs. 11,000 per month, abolish contract system, make proper safety arrangements in factories and payment of proper compensation in case of accidents, ensure equal rights to women workers, safeguard interests of migrant workers, registration of all domestic and independent daily wage workers and construction workers, put an end to the corruption in the labour departments and  effective implementation and review of labour laws. It was announced in the meeting that it was a beginning of a long drawn battle for the political and economic rights of the workers.