Panipat’s battle for labour rights shows why workers across India are going on strike today
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Central trade unions have called for a national strike on April 1 demanding that the four labour codes passed in November be repealed. Worker unions and worker rights organisations have raised concerns about how the new labour codes, which are likely to come into effect in April, will further dilute their rights. In the midst of this struggle are the broader ramifications of the US-Israel war on Iran, which have affected workers all over India.
The life and death battle being waged by workers in industry and corporations in Haryana’s Panipat illustrates what is at stake for basic labour rights and dignity.
Workers at the Indian Oil Corporation Limited’s Panipat Refinery and Petrochemical Complex, the largest public sector undertaking in the country, have been protesting since late February.
On February 24, two workers of the Indian Oil Corporation died in an industrial accident, say news reports. As they lay bleeding, fighting to stay alive, the management allegedly took some time calling an ambulance to take them to a hospital. The third worker survived but his leg was amputated.
Angered by this perceived indifference, but also years of injustice, around 30,000 to 40,000 workers went on strike on February 26.
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