CITU National President Urges Support for All India Strike Against Labour Codes

CITU national president K. Hemalatha urges people to support the national strike on May 20 against the Centre's labour codes, which she believes favor corporate groups at the expense of workers. She calls for higher minimum wages, regularisation of contract workers, and stopping the privatization of public sector enterprises. CITU State general secretary Ch. Narasinga Rao also emphasizes the need for united struggles to safeguard workers' rights.

The Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU) has called for widespread support for a proposed national strike on May 20, aimed at opposing what they perceive as "anti-worker" and "anti-people" policies of the Union government. The strike is particularly focused on the recent labour codes, which CITU contends favor corporate groups at the expense of workers [1].

CITU national president K. Hemalatha, speaking at a seminar in Visakhapatnam, criticized the labour codes for weakening trade unions and stripping workers of their rights. She alleged that the codes would allow managements to avoid legal consequences for violations, and that the government is attempting to privatize public sector enterprises like Visakhapatnam Steel Plant (VSP), LIC, railways, defense, and mines [1].

Hemalatha demanded that the government set a minimum wage of ₹26,000 per month, taking into account the recent price hikes and workers' needs. She also called for a minimum pension of ₹10,000 and the regularization of contract and scheme workers [1]. CITU State general secretary Ch. Narasinga Rao echoed these sentiments, emphasizing the need for united struggles to safeguard workers' rights [1].

Meanwhile, in the United States, there have been discussions and proposals to raise the federal minimum wage. However, as of 2025, the federal minimum wage remains unchanged at $7.25 per hour, and many states have their own minimum wage laws. For instance, California's minimum wage is $16.50, Connecticut's is $16.35, and Washington's is $16.66 [2].

References:
[1] https://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Visakhapatnam/support-national-strike-on-may-20-against-labour-codes-citu-national-president-urges-people/article69472121.ece
[2] https://search.yahoo.com/search?fr2=p:fp,m:tn,ct:all,kt:org,pg:1,stl:txt,b:&fr=fp-tts&p=Trump+Minimum+Wage+2025