The Bhumi Adhikar Andolan (BAA) alleged that the new labour code introduced by the Modi-led Bharatiya Janata Party showed that the ruling party was a “corporate agent”. BAA condemned the labour codes as a direct assault on the working class and demanded it to be immediately repealed.
The BAA, in a press meeting held on July 4 in All India Kishan Sabha, New Delhi, said it had joined hands with the Joint Platform of Central Trade Unions (CTUs) and independent federations in calling for a nationwide strike against the labour codes on July 9. The strike was called with a demand to repeal the four controversial labour codes introduced by the ruling government. BAA announced that it stands with the strike in “uncompromising solidarity”.
In the press release, BAA has alleged that labour codes exclude more than 90 per cent of India's informal workforce, contract, migrant, and rural workers from meaningful protections. It dismantles the workplace and legalises bonded labour through provisions that allow exploitative wage advances. It also added that the government has, on one hand, crushed unionisation and restricted the right to strike while also empowering employers to lay off workers at will.
“This is a war on the working poor,” the statement said, adding that the BJP's obsession with "ease of doing business" for corporates has also made them snatch justice from the people, as it has moved dispute resolution of farmers and workers from courts to bureaucratic tribunals.
“This is a government brought by corporate houses. That is why the first thing they tried to do after in power was to remove the labour laws, so that they can be exploited better,” said General Secretary of All India Union of Forest Working People, Roma. “The forest protection laws were also attempted to be nullified, fortunately, they failed due to mass protest,” she added.
Bhumi Adhikar Andolan (BAA) is a united platform of grassroot organisations, All India Kishan Sabha (AIKS), forest dwellers, Adivasis and Dalits. It was formed in 2015 in response to the BJP government's attempt to amend the Land Acquisition Act. The movement is backed by left-wing political parties and has successfully driven campaigns like Jail Bharo and protests against forest policy rollbacks.
The press conference was addressed by the Former CPI(M) MP Hannan Mollah and other leaders of the movement, including Prem Singh Ghelawat, Satyavan, Ashok Chaudhary, Roma, Krishna Prasad, and Sanjeev Kumar.
