Sun May 04 17:11:59 UTC 2025: ## Nationwide Strike Planned in India to Protest Corporatization and Protect Livelihoods
**Visakhapatnam, India (May 4, 2025)** – A nationwide general strike is planned for May 20th to protest the growing corporatization of India’s economy and its impact on workers and farmers, according to N. Kanaka Rao, national president of the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC). In a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Union Minister of Labour and Employment, Rao highlighted the plight of workers and farmers facing rising prices, job insecurity, and inadequate social security.
Rao cited the lack of affordable crop prices and insufficient support for farmers, leading to widespread debt. The strike, organized in solidarity with the Samyukta Kisan Morcha, aims to unite workers and farmers in demanding better wages, improved working conditions, and the protection of their rights. Specific demands include a national minimum wage of ₹26,000 for all workers, equal pay for equal work for contract workers, and comprehensive social security for all, including those in the unorganized sector.
The ITUC also calls for a halt to the privatization of public sector enterprises, including coal mines, banks, insurance companies, and the Vizag Steel Plant. The letter further emphasizes the need for India to respect international labor standards and adhere to ILO conventions and recommendations. The strike is seen as a major challenge to the current government’s policies.
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