Indian workers hold ‘biggest’ labour rally in decades

Thousands of Indian workers took to the streets of New Delhi in a protest against what they have called the anti-people policies of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government.

Some have claimed that the march as the biggest rally of working people that Delhi has seen in decades, as workers demand the effective implementation of labour laws.

The Communist Party of India, which is leading the protest near parliament, said that workers are demanding better wages, more jobs, and the banning of labour law amendments.

The protesters also want the minimum wage to be no less than INR18,000 (US$250) per month and for the universalisation of the Public Distribution programme, which aims to give subsidised food and non-food items to the country’s poorest.

Hannah Mollah, general secretary of All India Kisan Sabha, one of the organizing groups, said workers want the government to change its policies so that the people will benefit from them and not just big business.

In 2014, Modi promised tens of millions of jobs for young people.

That promise is said to have helped him to secure the largest mandate in three decades.