Farmer and labor groups to intensify protests against Centre’s policies

The Convention called for the abolition of the Labor Code and Rules and the legalization of the minimum support price according to the formula prescribed by the MS Swaminathan Commission report. (Representative image) | Photo credit: Getty Images/iStockphoto

Days after student and youth protests resulted in the resignation of former union education minister Dharmendra Pradhan, the joint convention of the Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM) and the Central Trade Unions (CTU) platform held in New Delhi on Wednesday (July 29, 2026) decided to intensify protests against the Centre’s labor and agriculture policies.

The National Assembly of Workers and Farmers, held for the second time after a similar meeting on 24 August 2023, decided to extend solidarity with students and youth who are agitating against the National Education Policy 2020. The convention also called for the organization of coordinated programs and joint programs of workers and peasants. “The growing unity of these major productive forces of the country is of the utmost importance at this time when the country is facing deep economic, political, social and cultural crises. The central government continues to implement policies in favor of large corporations, both national and foreign, while inequalities continue to persist among the people in general and among the vulnerable and poor masses in particular,” said a resolution adopted by the convention.

The meeting was told that despite six general strikes in the last six years, the Union government has notified four labor codes and their rules. “This aims to weaken and cripple unions, making it more difficult to register and recognize unions, while deregistration and recognition is facilitated while legalizing violations by employers,” the statement added. Regarding the proposed trade deals with the United States of America, the European Union and some other countries, the statement said they are designed to disadvantage India’s agriculture sector and small and medium enterprises. “It will certainly set the stage for doom for our country’s farmers, small businesses, trade and supply chain. Farmers’ right to seeds and the scientific innovation of our agricultural universities to benefit our domestic agricultural growth is being undermined and threatened,” he added.

Criticizing the NEP, the meeting pointed out that the rotten examination system for admission to several professional courses and recruitments has upset the students and youth of our country. “Unemployment is unprecedented. Sanctified posts in various ministries and public sector services remain unfilled; rather, sanctioned posts are being given up as in the recent case of the railway notification,” they said, adding that they would intensify their fight for a change in the government’s “anti-labour, anti-farmer and anti-national” policies to save the people.

They demanded repeal of the Labor Code and Rules and legalization of the minimum support price as per the formula prescribed by the MS Swaminathan Commission report. “Modernize agriculture under producer cooperatives, agricultural industries under PSUs and cooperative sector. Stop privatization or disinvestment and sale of PSUs and public utilities, stop National Monetization Pipeline 2.0, plunder of natural resources, outsourcing and contracting,” they demanded.

Published – 30 Jul 2026 01:40 IST