Joint International May Day Statement in solidarity with protesting workers

On this May Day, we, the undersigned international organisations and civil society groups, express our strongest condemnation of the arrest of over 1,000 worker leaders and activists across New Delhi Capital Region, in India on fabricated charges of “criminal conspiracy” for participating in protests demanding basic labour rights.

These arrests are part of a broader and deeply troubling pattern in which the Government of India is systematically dismantling labour protections through the dilution and consolidation of labour laws into anti-worker labour codes, prioritising the interests of capital over the rights and dignity of workers. At a time of escalating prices of essential commodities - further intensified by global instability and India’s alignment with imperialist aggression against Iran - workers are being pushed into deeper precarity while being denied the right to organise and resist. While some sections of media portrayed the strikes and protests in Noida as only a response to the global crisis sparked by the war on Iran - this is actually part of a steadily rising wave of workers’ militancy in India against exploitation. We have seen successful strikes by delivery/gig workers in December/January and the massive strikes across the power and construction industry from Panipat in the north to Anantapura in the south in February/ March.

Instead of addressing legitimate grievances around poverty wages and rising costs of living, the state has chosen to criminalise dissent, branding workers and their allies as “urban naxals,” agents of “foreign conspiracy,” or influenced by Pakistan. Such rhetoric is a dangerous attempt to delegitimise democratic protest and justify repression.

We note that these developments are not isolated. They form part of a continuum of attacks on people’s rights, including the anti-trans legislation, the now-repealed farm laws, and other regressive measures such as SIR. Simultaneously, Adivasi lands are being increasingly militarised to facilitate corporate extraction, displacing indigenous communities and eroding their rights over land and resources.

We stand in solidarity with all workers, farmers, Adivasi communities, and marginalised groups resisting these injustices.

We echo demands made by united trade fronts and Mazdoor Adhikar Sangarsh Abhiyan :

Immediate and unconditional release of all arrested workers and labor activists.
Immediate withdrawal of all fabricated and grave criminal cases.
Repeal of the four anti-worker Labor Codes.
Ensure permanent employment for permanent work and the total abolition of the contract system.
Minimum wage of ₹30,000 per month for an 8-hour working day.
Abolition of laws compelling women workers to work night shifts.
Legal action against the officials and police personnel responsible for the lathi-charge on workers and women laborers.

And in addition, also demand:

An end to the criminalisation of dissent and democratic protest
Protection of Adivasi land rights and demilitarisation of affected regions
Accountability for policies contributing to rising living costs and economic hardship

We call on trade unions, civil society organisations, and international solidarity networks to support this call and amplify the voices of workers in India.

Signed by

India Labour Solidarity (UK)

Indian Workers Association (GB)

Brighton Ambedkar Reading Circle (UK)

Hindus for Human Rights UK

Sofia Karim, Turbine Bagh UK

Young Struggle Britain

Anti-Imperialist Front GB

South Asian Liberation Movement (UK)

Students Federation of India UK

Red Flag News editoral committee (Britain)

Revolutionary Communist Group (Britain)