On January 8, the all China Federation of trade unions of India launched a two-day national strike, involving ten national trade union organizations in banking, agriculture, communications and public services.
The union said that the strike was supported by almost all major government employees and employees in banking, insurance, telecommunications and other service sectors, and about 200 million people participated in the protest.
This is probably one of the largest strikes in human history. John Dayal, general secretary of the All India Christian Church, said in an interview with Asia News that this is a very special action:
This is one of the largest events in India's history. Every detail is planned in advance.
In John Dayal's view, the most important significance of the strike is that it took place on the eve of the general election, which will determine the political fate of prime minister modi.
India will hold a general election in May. The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party is facing fierce competition. Modi seeks to be re elected prime minister.
The union threatened to hold an indefinite strike after last week's strike if the government did not listen to their demands and respond to the workers' demands.
Protest against the government
The strike was the largest in Haryana, Chhattisgarh, Punjab and Rajasthan.
In Maharashtra, more than 5000 workers blocked a major highway. In puducheri on the east coast, protesters threw stones at a bus. Transportation services in Kerala were closed and railway services were interrupted. In Orissa, shops, schools, offices and markets were closed for 48 hours. In West Bengal, protesters burned a statue of prime minister modi.
The times of India said on the 9th that protests in some areas turned violent and caused casualties. Vicious incidents such as smashing shops and even robbing banks have occurred in West Bengal, Orissa and Kerala.
The strike was mainly a protest against a new legislation passed by modi's Government on January 2. The strikers protested against a series of policies described by the strikers as "anti state" and "anti labor" such as the privatization of public sector enterprises and the proposed amendment of the trade union law proposed by modi government, which are considered to harm the interests of workers and trade unions.
The All India Federation of trade unions said that the government failed to create enough employment opportunities and seriously ignored the 12 point requirements put forward by the trade unions. All these government decisions, such as amending the trade union law, went against the interests of workers.
Workers believe that the new law adopted by the government gives the central government discretion in confirming the ILO, which essentially eliminates the current employment negotiation process involving employees, employers and the government.
Tapan Sen, Secretary General of the Indian trade union, criticized the modi government for stifling the working culture and atmosphere in the public sector by supporting private enterprises in major manufacturing contracts.
Protesters raised demands for raising the minimum wage and pension, strengthening social security and unemployment assistance. The Union asked the government to enact the social security act to protect the interests of workers and provide a minimum wage of 24000 rupees (more than 340 US dollars) for employees in the unorganized transport sector.
social contradictions
The large-scale strike in India is at a key turning point. The reason for the outbreak is actually the result of the accumulation of social contradictions in India to a certain extent. The modi government's amendment of the trade union law is only a catalyst or fuse.
As one of the world's fastest-growing economies, India does not provide enough jobs for educated young people. A recent article in the Washington Post estimates that India's population aged 15 to 34 is expected to reach 480 million by 2021. Their educational level is higher than that of their parents.
However, employment in India remains depressed. Not long ago, the Indian railway system announced recruitment, released 63000 job vacancies, and the number of applicants for employment was as high as 19 million.
An analysis by azim premji University shows that the unemployment rate in almost all States increased from 2011 to 2016. Ajit ghose, an economist at the Institute for human development in Delhi, said India had about 104 million 'surplus' workers.
According to Ajit ghose's calculation, the government not only needs to create 6-8 million jobs every year, but also needs to create job opportunities for women with low salary levels so that they can get decent wages.
However, it is still a mystery how many jobs modi government has created since taking office. Because modi government has not released national employment data since 2016. India's Ministry of labor and the Ministry of national statistics have conducted household surveys, but the survey results have not been published so far.
Amit basole, an economist at azim premji University, said: "everyone is guessing whether we will release employment statistics before the 2019 election."
However, expanding the labor market and providing sufficient jobs is a difficult task for any government, not just India.
In addition, a large number of ordinary people in India are under great pressure from high prices. Indian farmers have been protesting for months against poor rural conditions, their heavy debt and a wave of suicide.
From a broader perspective, according to the comments of zerohedge, an American financial blog:
The global outbreak of populism and public dissatisfaction with the government is spreading rapidly, not only in developed countries, but also in developing countries.