Delhi sees protests by trade unions, farmer groups

At the AIKSCC conference

Thousands of members from 10 central trade unions have been protesting at Parliament Street for the past two days, demanding better wages, more jobs and pension. The protest was announced in August against the government’s “lax” attitude towards their problems and “inaction” to protect the interest of working classes. The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh-affiliated Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh did not join the protest.

The Centre of Indian Trade Unions had earlier come out with a 12-point charter of demands and presented it to the Centre. The government has held meetings with the unions, but they say their issues have not been addressed properly.

Meanwhile, on Thursday, the All India Kisan Sangharsh Coordination Committee (AIKSCC) — the largest nationwide coalition of more than 180 farmer organisations — announced its ‘Kisan Ki Loot’ campaign in the capital.

The organisation said the campaign intends to showcase how farmers are being denied remunerative prices. AIKSCC volunteers hope to “capture and share the stories of hundreds of farmers across the country, and across different crops, to convey how farmers are unable to recover even their cost of production”. A rally will be held in the city on November 20.