The Platform of Central Trade Unions (CTUs) and the Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM) have strongly condemned the state repression on agitating workers and demanded unconditional release of arrested workers and withdrawal of cases against them.

Groundxero | April 28, 2026

The Platform of Central Trade Unions (CTUs) and the Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM) have strongly condemned the repression let loose on agitating workers fighting for raise in wages pending for years, eight-hour workday, legal entitlements of overtime allowance and deteriorating working conditions across industrial hubs in India.

In a joint statement issued on Tuesday, the trade unions and farmers’ groups demanded the unconditional release of arrested workers, withdrawal of cases, and an end to “illegal house arrests” of activists and trade union leaders. They also called for urgent measures to ensure basic amenities, including cooking gas, especially for migrant workers facing acute distress. They also demanded urgent calling of the Indian Labour Conference (ILC) pending since 2015.

The statement comes amid a series of worker agitations erupted over the past few months in industrial regions including Bihar, Haryana, Gujarat, Rajasthan, and Uttar Pradesh. Workers in Baruni, Panipat, Surat, Manesar, Noida, Bhiwadi, and Neemrana have mobilised around common demands such as an eight-hour workday, double overtime wages, improved workplace safety, social security, and basic facilities. According to the joint platform, these protests reflect widespread discontent over stagnant minimum wages, which in many states have not been revised for nearly a decade despite rising living costs.

The statement pointed out how being rattled by the unprecedented rebellion of workers on their genuine demands, the protests were met with police action, including lathi-charges, arrests, and the imposition of serious criminal charges, particularly in Noida, where hundreds of workers were detained, with families left without information and bail reportedly denied in several cases. The trade unions and the farmers’ groups criticised attempts by the UP administration to attribute the spontaneous eruption of labour agitations to “anti-national forces” or external conspiracies, calling such claims as a tactic to delegitimise genuine labour struggles.

The CTUs and SKM warned that continued denial of labour rights and restrictions on unionisation could threaten industrial peace. They reiterated their demand for the scrapping of the four labour codes, which dilute existing legal protections to workers, weaken collective bargaining, and make union formation more difficult. The CTUs also urged the government to urgently call the Indian Labour Conference (ILC), India s top-level tripartite body, which last met in 2015 in New Delhi.

The statement highlighted how growing rural distress alongside urban labour unrest, both as consequences of “corporate-driven policies” are threatening livelihoods and economic sovereignty. The CTUs and SKM appealed to farmers across the country to participate in May Day processions on 1st May – the International Workers’ Day to mark the growing worker-peasant unity in India against the corporate driven policies of the Modi regime.

The full text of the statement is published below.

Joint statement issued by the Platform of Central Trade Unions (CTUs) and the Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM) on 28th April 2026

• Strongly Condemn the Repression Let Loose on Agitating Workers Fighting for Raise in Wages Pending for Years, Eight-hour Workday, Legal Entitlements of Overtime Allowance, Weekly Off and Other Workplace Issues

• Demand Unconditional Release of Arrested Workers, Withdraw Cases, No illegal House Arrests, Basic Amenities and LPG for Workers, Especially Migrant Workers

• Call Indian Labour Conference (ILC) in Urgency Pending Since 2015

• Demand MSP for Farmers’ Produce with Guaranteed Procurement  Compensation for Crop Loss

• No to Trade Deal with the US detrimental to the National Interests

• Joint CTUs-SKM meeting at New Delhi on 13th May to consider a plan of action

• SKM Appeals Farmers to Join May Day Processions

The joint meeting of CTUs and SKM held on 24th April took note that minimum wages have not been revised in many states for the last 10 years despite the price rise in basic essentials. In most industrial hubs, contract, casual, or fixed-term workers are migrant workers living in precarious conditions devoid of basic amenities. They are not allowed to form unions and are victimised if they attempt unionisation. The meeting also noted that the series of spontaneous worker agitations were not isolated incidents.

Just two months ago, thousands of contract workers in the Baruni refinery areas in Bihar resorted to agitation. Most of them were kept on contract, lived with the threat of losing their jobs if they raised their voices, yet they took to the streets demanding justice: an eight-hour workday, double overtime wages for extra hours worked, increased minimum wages, workplace safety and dignity, leave equivalent to regular workers, social security, job cards, and pay slips.

Thereafter thousands of workers agitated in Panipat, again on the same demands which also included a raise in the city’s ‘grade’ for wage calculations. Then followed similar protests in Surat, where several thousand workers took to the streets for agitation on similar demands; most of these workers were migrants from other states.

The workers came out at their respective factory gates in Manesar, Haryana, demanding a raised minimum wage as per the recommendation of the state minimum wage board constituted after a ten-year gap. Other issues included working hours, overtime, workplace safety, no ill-treatment of workers, and basic amenities. Despite the trade union joint council meeting with labour department officials in Manesar to support the workers’ demands for early resolution, the police lathi-charged the workers and arrested hundreds, imposing serious charges. It is only after massive struggles did the Haryana Government say they will implement what it has notified. The notification is for a lower amount than the recommendation of the state Minimum Wage Board.

Workers from several factories in Noida followed suit, demanding a raise in minimum wage, 8 hours of work, double overtime wages for extra work, social security, basic amenities, leave, and no harassment. It should be noted that no revision of minimum wage took place in UP since 2012 despite the immense rise in the cost of basic essential goods and services. The workers’ protest regarding life and death questions for their families was met with a brute police force, several hundreds were arrested, beaten and injured. Families were left wondering where to find them. Serious charges were imposed on them and bail was denied.

Rattled by the unprecedented rebellion of workers on their genuine demands, completely exposing the governments at the Centre and in UP,  false propaganda about UP making all-round progress, they are trying to blame it on the so called Urban naxals, Pakistani Conspiracy, thus justifying brutal police action against them, just the way  the Central government tried to discredit  the militant farmers’ movement as driven by Khalistanis in order to prepare the ground to brutally suppress it subsequently.

CTUs – SKM completely reject this false narrative about the involvement of anti-national forces and Pakistan in the workers’ spontaneous uprising. And demand that the Central and the State Government of UP own up their criminal neglect of the workers’ genuine demands and fulfil them immediately.

Soon after, workers in Bhiwadi and Neemrana also protested at factory gates on similar demands, they were attacked by hooligans in addition to the police. This trend is growing and catching up in other cities as well. It reflects the reality that if the labour codes are implemented to contain and cripple the unions, the Government will be responsible for the threat to industrial peace.

Meanwhile, an exodus of workers toward their hometowns is being witnessed as they find it hard to live on low wages amid the sudden increase in fuel prices due to West-Asian developments and the Central Government total failure to check and prevent black marketing of cooking gas and inflation of essential commodities.

CTUs and SKM deplore and reject the narrative spread by the Minister of labour in UP and the Police Administration about anti-national forces and Pakistani interference in the worker’s unrest.

The ‘Double Engine” Governments of UP are always branding and alleging falsified narratives to suppress the voices of workers and farmers, and they term activists struggling for justice as masterminds for provocation. The Noida Police putting activists and trade union leaders under “House Arrest” is illegal since there is no explicit provision for “House Arrest” in the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) or the Bhartiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BSS).  All political parties must oppose and rally against the illegal House Arrests, which amount to the murder of democracy and suppression of the constitutional right to protest.

The central trade unions have repeatedly stated that labour law violations are common at workplaces, inspections do not take place, and apart from overwork and non-payment, workplace safety is compromised, resulting in the loss of precious lives and many workers losing their work capacities. Union formation is not allowed, and those who attempt to unionize lose their jobs, in effect, there is a total denial of labour rights, absence of social dialogue and collective bargaining.

Instead of addressing these issues raised on several occasions the central government introduced four draconian labour codes to legalise violations, finishing 15 central labour laws and repealing another 29 central laws to convert them into 4 labour codes. These codes are to push the labour force to slavery, increased working hours, literally ending right to strike, fix term employment as a norm, no job security, with threshold increased throwing out the protected workers also out of the labour law protections, unionisation a difficult process and de-registration and de-recognition very easy, end to inspection and proposals of Facilitators to facilitate the employers/businesses etc.

The joint meeting observed that what the nation witnessed in these three months is the desperation of workers, which leads to unrest when the industry does not allow unions and no dialogue occurs, disturbing industrial peace. The CTUs reiterate the demand to scrap the four labour codes and urge the Government to urgently call the Indian Labour Conference (ILC), India s top-level tripartite body, which last met in 2015 in New Delhi.

The joint meeting asserted that workers will never allow to abolish the Constitutional rights for unionisation and collective bargaining.

The farmers have been betrayed of all the promises made to them when the three farm laws were withdrawn after the sustained agitation for more than a year. Apart from the denial of MSP@C2+50% with guaranteed procurement and loan waiver, the government started using other means such as the National Policy Framework on Agricultural Marketing, the Seed Bill 2025 etc. to bring back the essence of those farm laws. Above that the threat of US, UK, and European Union trade deals, all against the interest of the agricultural and MSME sectors will be a severe attack on our country's self-reliance and sovereignty. The unrest in rural India is also growing.

In this context, the Platform of Central Trade Unions, independent Sectoral Federations and Associations along with Samyukt Kisan Morcha will meet on 13th May in New Delhi with all leaders present for detailed discussions and to determine the further course of action until all crucial demands are achieved.

SKM and CTUs jointly appeals to farmers across India to participate in the May Day processions on 1st May – the International Workers’ Day to mark the growing worker-peasant unity in India against the corporate driven policies of the Modi regime. We assert that fighting to realise demands by workers, farmers or any sections of people are constitutional democratic rights.

We reiterate and affirm that only those societies and nations that allow unions and associations of various sections, along with their right to raise their demands and fight for their achievements, can be called democratic.

Jointly issued by

The Platform of Central Trade Unions

AND Samyukta Kisan Morcha

Issued by –

Media Cell | Samyukt Kisan Morch

Contact: 9447125209 | 9830052766

samyuktkisanmorcha@gmail.com