Declaration
The National Convention of Workers
9th January 2026
Harkishan Surjeet Bhawan, New Delhi - 110002
We, the Joint Platform of Ten Central Trade Unions, independent Sectoral Federations and Associations are meeting today in Delhi to deliberate on the ever worsening situation in the country on all fronts. This convention is taking place in a very critical situation, when the union government, in order to contain and weaken the trade unions and place the Indian Working Class Movement disarmed in face of the onslaught of capital, have come out with the four labour codes. Indian Workers observed 5 massive general strike during the period since the labour codes were brought and passed in the Parliament with brute force.
This has come in a background of a worrisome situation of deteriorating economy, growing unemployment, increased attack on the democratic rights of people, venomous campaigns of polarisation and hatred against the minorities, attack on all democratic institutions and filling them with blind supporters of the ruling party with dubious agenda of obliterating the rights of freedom of association, expression and dissent.
The government continues its agenda of privatisation and sale of all strategic Public Sector Undertakings and Public services such as railway, port and docks, coal mines, oil, steel, defence, roadways, airports, banks, insurance, telecom, postal, Atomic energy, electricity generation and supply etc. to the big corporates of Indian and foreign origin thus endangering indigenous industrial growth and self-reliant economy. Our demands of filling sixty five lakhs vacant posts, stopping of regular workers to private companies, lifting ban on creation of new posts etc. were totally ignored. The government is continuously pursuing the policies against farmers under different guise since after the agitating farmers forced the government to withdraw three agricultural laws which were brought to corporatise the agriculture and grab land to the advantage of the chosen few corporate houses. Still now the agrarian sector continues to be in crises resulting in distress migration to cities in search of livelihood.
Extreme corruption is coming to fore at the cost of basic services to the common people. The basic services are collapsing and people are dying with contaminated drinking water.
The commercialisation of education and health are severe jolt to the people as they can not afford the cost. The prices of essential commodities are rising unabated.
With inequalities growing, a very large number of people are getting pushed to a life below poverty line.
The trade unions have been continuously on path of agitation against the anti-worker, anti-farmer and anti-national policies of the Ruling regime in Centre. But the Union government in order to contain and weaken the unions, came out with four labour codes without any legitimate exercise of consultations with stake holders or holding Indian labour conference. The unions organised 5 major strikes during the period since the labour codes were brought to the Parliament ignoring International Labour Standards to which India as a Nation state is signatory.
The last general strike by the CTUs and Federations/Associations was organised on 9th July 2025 with participation of around 25 crore people. This was a grand General Strike with solidarity support from Samyukt Kisan Morcha in mass mobilisation in rural India also. The students, youth, women, people from other social movements and also journalists supported and participated in mobilisation. The issues of that strike included those of the workers, farmers and in general of common people. 26th November 2025 was also observed as a day of mobilisation by the workers and farmers on their demands.
The Central Government instead of responding to legitimate demands of the people, has increased its assault on all sections in the advantage of its cronies in the Corporate World. Rather the government is busy giving concessions and leverage to the foreign companies to the disadvantage of small businesses and trade, MSMEs which provide major chunk of employment. After Trump’s increased Tariff announcements, the government has been surrendering India’s Interest in the foreign trade.
The Joint Platform of Central Trade Unions and Sectoral Federations / Associations had met on 22nd December 2025. The meeting expressed deep anguish over the blatant attacks of the Central Government inside and outside Parliament during this intervening period post our General Strike of 9th July 2025.
The Government came out with Draft Labour Policy-Shram Shakti Niti-2025 on October 8th and placed it in the public domain for comments. Once again without talking to Stakeholders, the policy brought to push for implementation of the four labour codes and with clear direction of decimating the role of trade unions, the work/labour termed as dharma and not a right, changing/abdicating role of the Govt. from regulator and compliance/enforcement of laws to a vague, deceptive and undefined role of so called employment facilitator and besides undermining rather negating collective bargaining, abandoning of tripartism in the world of labour with proposed national body for review, usurping the role of state governments for concentration of power in the centre and riddance of inspections and compliances etc. In defiance of fundamental Constitutional values of liberty, equality, fraternity, fundamental rights and directive principles of state policy, the draft policy claims to have drawn inspiration from the archaic Manusmriti, Yagnavalkya smriti, Narada smriti, Arthashastra, Sukraniti, ShulkyaNayaya and so on.The unions under the joint platform of CTUs and Independent Sectoral Federations and Associations outrightly rejected it. The Labour Codes have been notified on 21st November, and the Government is trying to utilise all of its institutional machinery, media, and public sector managements to build a positive consensus around these Codes. Now the government has notified Rules for these codes, put these in public domain for comments/ suggestions. But the workers are determined to fight against the unilateral imposition by the Government and get the Codes repealed. We once again demand immediate convening of Indian Labour Conference (ILC) to discuss Draft Labour Policy, repeal of four labour codes and fresh discussions of labour reforms. The notified labour codes and the draft Rules are to crush the collective bargaining to take away the right to strike, almost 70 percent factories will be out of labour law coverage, regulation and employers’ obligations to leave workers at the mercy of employers, throw out vast majority of workers from the protection of occupational safety and also from social security, would virtually demolish the existing rights and wage protections through conciliation/adjudication procedures;wage definition itself is proposed for change, trade union act is proposed to be changed to make unionisation cumbersome/impossible towards arbitrary deregistration and de- recognition, vindictive punitive actions against collective trade union activities and license to employers to violate their statutory obligations at their whims. In totality the Labour Codes are articulately designed by the Govt. to impose conditions of slavery on the workers and their trade unions, to facilitate their corporate masters to continue their loot on the workers, people and the country. In contrary to the demands of CTUs to include construction workers, beedi workers, home-based workers, domestic workers etc. into ESIC and other social security coverage, the codes are throwing out the workers from their achieved rights due to threshold raise and no legal guarantee.
The Parliamentary process has been turned into mockery; the government get the bills passed with their brute majority without necessary without necessary discussions from the opposition benches. The democracy is being stifled. Election Act,2023 is a blatant example of “legally” doing away with free and fair elections in India.
In the last parliamentarysession the Bills passed include the following.
The “Sustainable Harnessing and Advancement of Nuclear Energy for Transforming India (SHANTI) Act”, which will allow private and foreign players to enter highly risky and hazardous nuclear power production with a motive of profit; it has withdrawn the liability of foreign and national suppliers of instruments in case of accidents/disasters – certainly, it is an attack on the nuclear security and sovereignty of our country.
The Mahatma Gandhi NREG Act has been replaced by the Viksit Bharat – Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) Act, 2025. This new Act replaces the rights-based rural employment guarantee, when the people are reeling under extreme joblessness, by discretion of the central authority and shifts the fiscal burden onto the States. It bans the operation of the Act during harvesting season.
100% FDI has been allowed in the Insurance Sector, practically giving foreign players the right to take over domestic insurance companies.
The Central Government has placed the Viksit Bharat Shiksha Adhishthan Bill, 2025, in both Houses of Parliament, though it could not be passed in this session.
The Government has floated the Draft Seed Bill and the Draft Electricity (Amendment) Bill, 2025. These Bills, if placed and passed, will create a disastrous impact on agriculture, domestic and MSME electricity consumers, and the public electricity sector of our country.
The Pension Validation Act 2025, is brought and the OPS denied. EPS 95 pensioners being kept at below poverty line level.
The Central Trade Unions took serious note of the current environmental crisis in the northern part of India, unbearable pollution in Delhi-NCR, and the dangerous Supreme Court order allowing the destruction of almost 90% of the Aravalli Hills, which have remained the protector of northern India from the expansion of the Thar Desert. The Supreme Court in the face of stiff opposition from all sections of society took suo motto the matter, taking back the earlier order and set up a committee for examination of the matter afresh.
The meeting of Central Trade Union had decided to give a strong message to the
Ruling regime in the Central Government by observing a “One Day Strike” on 12th February 2026 which we are formally ratifying today in the National Convention of Workers.
If the Government still tries to pursue the Rules under the Codes and does not repeal the Codes, the Central Trade Unions will be compelled to go for further strong actions, including a multiple-day General Strike, besides sectoral resistance actions.
The CTUs acknowledge and salute Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM) for their unconditional support to the General Strike.
The National Coordination Committee of Electricity Employees and Engineers (NCCOEEE) has also announced to hold its Sectoral National Strike on the same day with full strength and conviction.
Joint meetings and conventions with electricity employees and consumers will be held in the months of January and February 2026.
The SKM has decided to observe the Resistance Day on 16th January 2026 at villages and block levels against the Seed Bill 2025, Draft Electricity (Amendment) Bill 2025, VB-GRAMG Act, 2025, and in support of other demands. The CTUs will take part in this action with full strength.
CTUs call upon the entire working class and other sections of the toiling masses to gear up for the ensuing General Strike, start campaigning widely, and prepare their organisations for a heightened struggle.
While welcoming the protest action organised by the INDIA BLOC Parties in the premises of Parliament opposing the Labour Codes, we call upon them and various other sections of the people, especially the youth and students, to come forward in support and solidarity with this Strike to save the basic rights of the working people and protect the democratic – secular fabric of the country.
*Onward to National General Strike on 12th February 2026.
*Observe Resistance Day on 16th January at Village and Block level against the Seed Bill 2025, Electricity (Amendment) Bill 2025, VB-GRAMG Act, 2025, and in support of other demands.
The joint Platform of the Central Trade Unions And Sectoral Federations/Associations.
INTUC AITUC HMS CITU
AIUTUC TUCC SEWA AICCTU LPF UTUC
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