CITU to Launch Indefinite Protest at Jantar Mantar on December 1 Over Labour Codes

Over one lakh workers from across the country will gather at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi for an indefinite protest starting December 1. The agitation is organised by the Centre of Indian Trade Unions to oppose what it calls anti-worker labour codes.

Demands

CITU State unit president S. Varalakshmi announced the protest during a press conference in Kalaburagi. Workers have already booked around 40,000 travel tickets from Karnataka and other States. The union is demanding the repeal of new labour codes, a minimum monthly wage of ₹42,000, and a monthly pension of ₹21,000. Other key demands include recognizing scheme workers with statutory benefits, comprehensive social security for unorganised-sector workers, filling vacant government posts, regularising contract workers, and ensuring equal pay for equal work.

Welfare And Rights

Speaking about worker conditions, Ms. Varalakshmi cited Article 21 of the Constitution, which protects the right to life and livelihood. She noted that National Crime Records Bureau data recorded 52,910 suicides among unorganised and daily-wage workers in 2024. She also highlighted poor public health numbers, pointing out that 29% to 35.5% of children suffer from stunted growth, and 57% of women are anaemic. The union also raised concerns over the victimisation of workers who protest workplace deaths and livelihood violations through dismissals, criminal cases, and arrests. Additional demands include workplace safety, protection of natural resources, land cultivation certificates for bagair hukum cultivators, scrapping the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls, and the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.

Context

Labour unions in India frequently organise large-scale protests in the national capital to press for policy changes affecting employment and wages. The Centre of Indian Trade Unions is one of the country's major trade union bodies, representing workers across various industrial and unorganised sectors. These agitations typically highlight ongoing debates between worker representatives and policy makers over legal protections, social security benefits, and the implementation of labour reforms.