Trade unions lend support to 'Bharat Bandh' call by farmers on December 8

New Delhi: A joint platform of 10 central trade unions has extended its support to a call of 'Bharat Bandh' by farmer organisations on December 8.

The unions had called a nationwide strike on November 26 to protest against recently passed labour codes as well as farm laws, among other issues.

The joint forum is of 10 central trade unions — Indian National Trade Union Congress (INTUC), All India Trade Union Congress (AITUC), Hind Mazdoor Sabha (HMS), Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU), All India United Trade Union Centre (AIUTUC), Trade Union Co-ordination Centre (TUCC), Self-Employed Women's Association (SEWA), All India Central Council of Trade Unions (AICCTU), Labour Progressive Federation (LPF) and United Trade Union Congress (UTUC).

The Joint Platform of Central Trade Unions and Independent Sectoral Federations/Associations reiterate their "wholehearted support to the ongoing united struggles of the farmers demanding scrapping of draconian agri laws", a joint statement said.

The joint platform takes note with satisfaction that from November 27, 2020 onwards, workers and employees and their unions have been fully active in holding numerous agitations in solidarity with the ongoing farmers' struggles, in all the states throughout the country braving arrests and intimidation from many of the state administration/police.

It welcomes the firm resolve and determination of the united platform of farmer organisations to intensify the struggles countrywide and extends all support to their call for 'Bharat Bandh' on December 8, 2020, it added.

Meanwhile, five Left parties came together to extend support to the farmers' organisations who have called for a 'Bharat Bandh' on December 8 and have called upon other political parties too to come forward to stand with the farmer's cause.

"The Left parties condemn the RSS/BJP's malicious campaign, on preposterous charges, against the struggle of our 'annadatas' to safeguard Indian agriculture and the country's food security," the joint statement read.

The statement is signed by Sitaram Yechury, general secretary of CPI(M), D Raja, general secretary of CPI, Dipankar Bhattacharya, general secretary of CPI(ML), Debabrata Biswas, general secretary of AIFB and Manoj Bhattacharya, general secretary of RSP.

The spokesperson for UN chief Antonio Guterres and a group of 36 cross-party UK parliamentarians have also come out in support of the agitating Indian farmers, saying people have a right to demonstrate peacefully and authorities should let them do so.