The 11th All India Conference of the All India Central Council of Trade Unions (AICCTU) (24-26 February 2025) began with an Open Session on the morning of February 24, 2025, in New Delhi. A well decorated Talkatora Stadium, the largest hall in Delhi, was filled to capacity with thousands of workers. Various trade unions, organized and unorganized workers, public and private sector workers joined the Open Session. The conference delegates from across the country also attended the Open Session.
Open Session
“Reclaim Workers’ Rights," and "This Land is Our Land, We, the People of India" were the main theme of the Open Session.
The All India President of AICCTU, Comrade Shankar, presided over the Open Session. The General Secretary Rajiv Dimri invited the guests to the stage. Sucheta De introduced the central theme of the session and called upon to free the country from the clutches of Modi led company raj. Sucheta De and Maitreyi coordinated the session.
AICCTU Delhi President Santosh Roy welcomed the participants. In his speech, he stated that the political power of the country should be in the hands of the workers. He emphasized that factory workers, agricultural labourers, and urban toiling masses must unite to fight for their rights.
Inaugurating the Open Session, Comrade Dipankar Bhattacharya, the General Secretary of the party, CPI (ML) (Liberation), recalled the 1998 All India Conference held at Delhi when he was the General Secretary of AICCTU. He regretted that we lost some of the leading comrades since then. He pointed out that the situation of workers today is similar to the situation before the independence and before the adoption of the constitution and the pro-labour legislations. Rights that were secured through hard earned battles are being snatched away. The right to an 8-hour workday is being taken away. Equality, dignity, and respect for labour are being undermined. Workers are being forced to work for more than 12-hours a day. The future of workers, and the future of the country, has become a huge question mark. We have to prepare for a long battle.
He further stated that whenever the working people demand their rights, the ruling class becomes fearful because workers would demand education, healthcare, equality, and dignity. Hence, the ruling class oppresses workers and suppresses their struggles. However, workers rise up against these injustices and fight back. The true owners of this world, and of this country, are the workers. This world belongs to us. Instead of honouring workers and their contributions in the nation building, the ruling class demolishes their homes with bulldozers. Indian workers are being expelled from the United States, and Indian workers are being exported to the frontline of genocidal war being waged by Israel against the people of Palestine.
Even after 75 years of independence, we are forced to fight for our rights, education, health care and freedom once again. This country is ours, it belongs to the working people, and we must wage a sustained battle again to make it truly ours.
We must fight for our rights. We must fight for women workers' rights, safety, and rights at workplaces. We must fight against injustice, against Hindu-Muslim division, against communal hatred, and against the politics of hate and violence. We must fight to protect the unity of the people. Comrades from various parts of the country have gathered here. They are, the people are, and the people's struggles are our only hope. We should raise our voices for our rights, for the unity of the people. We will unite, we will fight. The struggles should continue. Let AICCTU raise the banner of struggle!
Comrade Dipankar concluded by saying that we must rise and fight against communal hatred, caste discrimination, and exploitation. He also greeted the conference to become a huge success and declared it open. [Full speech is annexed at Page 24]
The Honorary President of the World Federation of Trade Unions (WFTU) and President of International Workers Institute, George Mavrikos, was supposed to attend the conference. However, the Modi government refused to issue him a visa. His message of greeting was read aloud. In his greeting message, he condemned the Israel’s genocidal war on Palestinians, which is backed by the European Union and the United States. He also emphasized the need to fight against capitalist exploitation.
Comrades Krishnaman Shrestha, Senior Vice President, and Dhruba Prasad Paudel, Treasurer, of the Confederation of Nepalese Professionals (CONEP), Purna KC, a Central Committee member and Padam Rijal, a Province Committee Member, of the General Federation of Nepalese Trade Unions (GEFONT), Mahbubur Rahaman Moznu, Foreign Affairs Secretary, and Idris Ali, GS, Dhaka City committee, of the Bangladesh Trade Union Centre (BTUC) also joined the occasion and extended their solidarity greetings for the success of the conference.
Several European trade union leaders, including from France, shared their messages of solidarity. Trade unions from Assam, defence sector unions, and others also extended their greeting messages.
The leaders of various central trade unions, including INTUC, AITUC, CITU, AIUTUC, TUCC and UTUC addressed the Open session of the conference.
Ashok Singh, the Vice President of INTUC, criticized the Modi government for the injustices meted out to workers. He said that anti-worker laws are being passed without any debate. Real wages drastically fall due to inflation. He appealed to workers to prepare for another round of struggles.
Amarjeet Kaur, the General Secretary of AITUC, highlighted the importance of protecting pluralism and mentioned that, in the current situation where workers' rights are being taken away, the slogan "This Land is Our Land, We, the People of India" is more relevant than ever. She warned that the workers of the country will resort to a major strike if the Modi government implemented the anti-worker Labour Codes. She also said that workers are the creators of wealth and they will intensify struggles if the same is denied to them.
K.N. Umesh, All India Secretary of CITU, said that the capitalists implemented neo liberal policies in order to evade their crisis and thus have burdened the workers with their crisis. He also said that workers and farmers must unite to resist attacks of the capital.
Ramesh Parashar, All India Secretary of AIUTUC, spoke about the increasing imperialist attacks on democracy and the need to defeat fascism. He emphasized that in the given objective situation, economic struggles alone are not sufficient and we must also wage political struggles.
Indu Prakash Menon, the president of TUCC, said that the united struggles should be intensified to counter the attacks of the Modi led BJP government at the centre.
Ashok Ghosh, General Secretary of UTUC, expressed hope that this conference would mark the beginning of a new path for workers' struggles. The right to life should be unconditional and we should march with the red flag to snatch it.
The economist Atul Sood said that neo-liberal policies, unemployment, informalisation, exploitation, elimination of government and public sector are the challenges before the workers movement today.
Bezwada Wilson of Safai Karamchari Andolan (Sanitation Workers Movement) called the conference a historic one. The exploitation and communalism can be fought out only through united struggles. The country’s wealth is being looted by the corporates. The children of sanitation workers shall not be allowed to continue the same family job. He also asserted that the workers movement is the only hope today.
The General Secretary of All India Kisan Mahasabha (AIKM) and a Member of Parliament of CPI-ML, comrade Rajaram Singh recalled the dead in the genocidal war on Palestinians by Israel. He protested the export of Indian workers to the war torn Israel by the Modi government. BJP is hell bent on securing overwhelming majority in the Parliament to change the constitution. All sectors are being handed over to the private corporate houses on a platter. He also said that we should strengthen the unity of workers and farmers and increase the fire power of workers struggles to end the exploitation.
CPI-ML MP comrade Sudama Prasad said that the new Labour Codes lead to contractualisation and rampant informalisation of the workforce which should be stopped. It makes workers life and future uncertain but workers and their movement have a great potential and power to defeat it.
Bihar MLC and General Secretary of All India Scheme Workers Federation comrade Shashi Yadav demanded regularisation of the services of the scheme workers, including ASHAs, and workers engaged in Anganwadis and Mid-Day Meal programmes. She explained the struggles of scheme workers across the country to secure their demands and benefits. She appreciated that the women are at the helm of leadership in such struggles and asserted that such struggles will continue unabated.
Vakeel Hassan, a worker who saved miners trapped in Silkyara, spoke at the conference about the inequality in the country and the need for workers to unite and fight against it.
The leader of the All India Municipal and Sanitation Workers Federation, comrade Nirmala, explained that sanitation workers face triple oppression in terms of caste, gender, and class, and called upon to dismantle the structures that perpetuate this oppression.
General Secretary of the Indian Railways Employees Federation (IREF), comrade Sarvjit Singh, spoke out against the ongoing privatization and contractualisation in the Indian Railways. He also elaborated the IREF struggles against NPS and for OPS. He underlined the determination to make the Indian Railway Employees Federation (IREF), affiliated to AICCTU, as the centre of left and democratic forces in railways. He explained the emergence and victories of IREF as a third force, next to AIRF and NFIR, pushing the BRMS to fourth position in the recently concluded railway union elections for recognition. He also pointed out that railway workers have rejected the divisive politics of the BJP and RSS by rejecting BRMS which failed to win even a single zonal union elections in railways.
The representative of the Palestinian BDS (Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions) movement, Apoorva Gautam explained the problems being confronted by the people of Palestine in the genocidal war being waged by the Israel.
The Guests were felicitated in the session by AICCTU leaders.
Some Major Resolutions
The conference condemned the BJP government for the denial of VISA to comrade George Mavrikos, Honorary President of WFTU, to visit Delhi to attend the 11th all India conference of AICCTU.The conference condemned the Delhi police action of tearing off the poster in the conference venue expressing solidarity with the suffering people of Palestine without any logic or reason.
The conference passed a resolution for an unconditional release of comrades, Pricol workers’ leaders, Manivannan and Ramamurthy who are languishing in Tamil Nadu jails for almost 10 years under conviction for fabricated cases. The conference resolved to launch a campaign for their release.
The conference resolved to make the all India convention of workers of all trade unions in the country at Delhi on 18 March and to make the all India workers strike on 20 May against implementation of the anti-worker Labour Codes by the Modi led BJP government, a great success.
Delegates Session
On the evening following the conclusion of the Open Session on 24th, the Delegates session began with the election of a presidium to conduct the conference in a democratic manner. Comrade Shankar V was elected as the Chairman of the 15 member presidium for the conference comprising comrades Shyamlal Prasad, Shashi Yadav, Saroj Chaube (Bihar), Gita Mandal, Baijnath Mistri (Jharkhand), Atul Dighe (Maharashtra), Vijay Vidrohi (UP), Aruna (Andhra Pradesh), Nirmala (Karnataka), S. Balasubramanian (Puducherry), T. Sankarapandiyan (Tamil Nadu), Radha Kant Sethi (Odisha), NN Banerjee (West Bengal) and Sucheta De.
A Technical Team was also formed comprising Brijendra Tiwari, Saurabh Naruka, Ranvijay Kumar, Avani Choksi, Uday Kiran, Neha Tiwari and KK Bora.
More than 600 comrades (including observers) attended the conference against all odds due to obstacles created by Maha Kumbh Mela. Several delegates from major states like UP, Bihar, Jharkhand, West Bengal and Odisha could not make it to the conference either because the trains were cancelled or were unable to board or were unable to continue their journey up to Delhi.
All India Vice-President S. Balasubramanian read out the condolence resolution paying tributes to comrades who passed away since the last conference. AICCTU All India General Secretary Comrade Rajiv Dimri presented the conference draft report.
On the second day, the session resumed on the morning of February 25 with flag hoisting by AICCTU senior most leader comrade Shyamlal Prasad and after paying tributes to martyrs. The Nagar (City) was named after comrade Swapan Mukherjee, the hall named after comrades N. K. Natarajan - Ramkishan and the stage named after comrades Munna Yadav – Om Prakash Sharma. Delegates came forward to put forward their opinions and suggestions to enrich the draft documents. The whole day was spent on deliberations of the delegates.
On the morning of the third day, General Secretary Rajiv Dimri summarised the suggestions and debates of the delegates and explained the reasons for amendments to be accepted and rejected. The conference unanimously adopted the work report with the accepted amendments.
AICCTU All India President Comrade Shankar V delivered the concluding speech of the conference.
Election of Committees
An Election Commission was formed with comrade Shankar Lal Chaudhary, an observer, as the Chair-Person which comprised of Niraj Kumar, Abhigyan, Chanda and Dolan.
A National Council of 229 members was elected by the conference with full play of democracy. Of these, 78 members formed the Central Working Committee, and 37 members were elected as the Committee of Office Bearers. Comrade Shankar V was re-elected as the All India President, and Comrade Rajiv Dimri was re-elected as the All India General Secretary.
The conference formed a central advisory committee comprising senior comrades Shyamal Prasad, N. N. Banerjee and Dibakar Bhattacharya. The committee may be further expanded later. The conference honoured the volunteers who worked tirelessly day and night for the success of the conference. The 3-days conference was enthused with revolutionary songs by comrades from various states. A booklet "Bharat mein Asha Andolan" (Asha Movement in India) in Hindi was released in the open session.
The conference reaffirmed its determination to fight against caste domination and communal hatred, to protect the constitution and democracy, and to overthrow the corporate, communal, Manuvadi Modi led BJP government. In the struggle to achieve these goals, the conference resolved to build a militant, radical workers' movement across the country. It also vowed to unite with farmers and agricultural workers. The conference expressed its resounding commitment to heighten the workers’ struggles.
The 11th All India Conference of AICCTU concluded successfully with a pledge to continue the struggle to reclaim the rights of workers.
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STRIKE!
National Convention of Workers, convened by Central Trade Unions and Independent Sectoral Federations on 18 March 2025 in Delhi has announced a nationwide general strike on 20th May 2025, following a two-month-long mass campaign against the anti-worker, anti-farmer, and pro-corporate policies of the BJP-led government.
