Hyderabad: The Samyukta Kisan Morcha and the joint platform of trade unions have called for a protest against the Central government’s anti farmer and labour policies on November 26. They said the new labour codes introduced have made minimum wage, job security, social security and eight hour working day a thing of the past.
In a release they said the Centre is raising minimum support prices by two to seven percent while input costs of crops are rising by 12 to 15 per cent. The MSP of paddy was raised by 5.35 percent and fixed at Rs 2,300 per quintal while the farmers are demanding 50 percent price in addition to the input cost as per Swaminathan Committee recommendations. The protest is happening in 500 districts across the country against all these measures.
The centre has taken up the digitalization in agriculture to benefit the corporates to encourage contract farming.
Putting forth demands it sought cancellation of agreements reached between ICAR (Indian Council of Agriculture Research) and multinational companies, rescind giving of ware houses belonging to FCI and Central Ware Housing Corporation and market yards to Adani and Ambani and other corporates. The labour codes are devoid of provision for PF, ESI, welfare board and plans are afoot to bring back 12 hour working days. This will push around 40 crores working in the unorganized sector to slavery.
The centre they said has waived Rs 16.5 lakh crores of corporate debts while refusing to even consider the same for farmers as agreed in a written agreement with the SKM on 9 December 2021.
