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Indian unions resolve to fight precarious work and strengthen union power

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29 November, 2017IndustriALL India affiliates gathered in Delhi on 26-27 November to take stock of this year's organizing and union building initiatives, and decided to intensify the fight against precarious work and strengthen union power.

The IndustriALL India Council meeting on 26 November and the unity meeting of Indian affiliates the following day, witnessed frank discussions on challenges faced by Indian trade union movement and ongoing initiatives of Indian affiliates.

Jenny Holdcroft, Assistant General Secretary of IndustriALL said:

In moving forward, IndustriALL aims to intensify its efforts to support workers in the supply chains across the manufacturing sector. IndustriALL will provide strategic support to its affiliates through global framework agreements, fight to stop precarious work, fight for a living wage, capacity building on sustainable industrial policy, industry 4.0 and just transition.

Strengthening women’s participation and their rights, and the campaign to stop violence against women will be integral part of IndustriALL’s work in future.

G. Sanjeeva Reddy, President of INTUC and IndustriALL Executive Committee member said:

The Indian trade union movement is facing extraordinary attacks from the pro-corporate and anti-worker policies of the Indian government. We have launched countrywide mobilizations of workers to fight these unjust policies. It is paramount that the international trade union movement extends concrete solidarity to millions of working people in India.

R Kuchelan, President of WPTUC, said:

India is facing many challenges, including erosion of democratic norms and secular values, unprecedented attacks on union rights, and a proliferation of precarious work and unemployment. Given the challenges, the trade union movement ought to build unity to resist anti-workers policies of the government. We need to strategically work to build union power across the manufacturing sectors.

The meeting discussed the achievements, hurdles and the way forward in union organizing in IndustriALL sectors, including steel, shipbreaking, textile, garment, leather and shoes sector, the fight against precarious work in India, strengthening women participation and to stop violence.