It is to be noted that the Central Committee of the Trade Union Centre of India (TUCI) had called upon the organized and unorganized workers across the country to observe the month from August 1 to August 30 as a month of anti-imperialist and anti-fascist struggle. On August 30, they had also called for organizing sit-ins, protests, rallies, and meetings at block, tehsil, district headquarters, as well as at panchayat secretariats, roads, and public places. In response to the national call of TUCI, hundreds of workers from TUCI and Uttar Pradesh MGNREGA Worker Union, under the leadership of Comrade Rampravesh Paswan (TUCI’s National Council Member and President of Uttar Pradesh MGNREGA Worker Union), Comrade Kanhaiya Shahi (State Secretary of TUCI and General Secretary of Uttar Pradesh MGNREGA Worker Union) and Comrade Usha Devi (Organizing Secretary of Uttar Pradesh MGNREGA Workers Union) took out a rally and staged a demonstration in front of the District Magistrate’s office in Ballia. They also held a sit-in protest . The protest was addressed by Comrade Kanhaiya Shahi, Comrade Anju, Comrade Parshuram Verma, Comrade Rampravesh Paswan, Shanti Devi, Geeta Devi, Reena Devi, and other leaders and workers, with Comrade Rajaram conducting the proceedings. A 15-point memorandum related to their demands was submitted to the District Magistrate of Ballia, addressed to the Honorable President of India, New Delhi.
Major Demands:
Repeal the four anti-labor codes.
Stop privatization and the sale of public assets.
No Hindu Rashtra (Nation); We are the builders of India.
Set the minimum wage at โน31,500 per month.
End the contract labor system and provide equal wages to all workers.
Repeal the CAA and protect the constitutional rights of minorities.
Do not recruit workers for export purposes.
Stop attacks on Dalits, Adivasis, and women.
End economic reservations, ensure caste census on all India level, and implement caste-based reservations.
Ensure MSP for all agricultural products with legal protection.
Provide work to MGNREGA workers; in the absence of work, provide unemployment benefits. Stop online attendance for MGNREGA workers. Linking job cards to Aadhaar should be optional, not mandatory. Link MGNREGA to agriculture.
Ensure 200 days of work per year for MGNREGA workers.
Set the daily wage for MGNREGA workers at โน1,000.
Construct permanent embankments using modern scientific techniques to protect villages like Sultanpur, Khadipur, Kotwa, Parvatpur, etc., from erosion by the Ghaghara River. Ensure a permanent solution.
Waive all types of loans of farmers and workers affected by the erosion of the Ghaghara River, waive electricity bills, and ensure employment.
The District Magistrate of Ballia assured that the memorandum would be forwarded to the Honorable President of India, New Delhi, and also assured to resolve demandsย atย theirย level.
