The last two years have seen a further deterioration of the living standards of working people in India due to the pandemic and the lack of enough policy interventions by the Modi government.

AR Sindhu, National Secretary of CITU (Centre of Indian Trade Unions), joins us to talk about the upcoming National Strike in India on March 28 and 29.

In this episode of Around the World in 8 Minutes, we take a look at protests in Paraguay against the mishandling of the COVID-19 pandemic, a massive strike by bank employees in India and a protest by students in South Africa

Amid the devastation and misery brought by the pandemic, the working class across the world was the core of the resistance, calling to account governments and standing in solidarity with the most oppressed

The left-wing trade union confederation, CITU, organized a strike in over 100,000 workplaces across India in support of the farmers’ agitation and also called for repeal of labor reform laws, among other demands

Farmers claim that the laws would enable the complete takeover of agriculture by corporate agribusinesses and big traders

Despite police repression and the COVID-19 pandemic, workers and farmers and their allies across India participated in the pan-India strike action against the recent neoliberal reforms pushed through by the Narendra Modi government

Workers and farmers demanded the withdrawal of recent laws that will destroy their livelihood

The call for this massive countrywide action has been given by 10 central trade unions and dozens of independent federations. Simultaneously, an umbrella platform of over 300 farmers’ organizations has called for a two-day protest

The farmers, under the banner of All India Kisan Coordination Committee, an organization of more than 250 farmers’ groups, said three new laws approved by the govt. would benefit corporates at the cost of their livelihood

Millions of Indians hit the streets today in support of the general strike and as part of nationwide coalition-building efforts to resist the policies of the right-wing Modi government

The year 2019 saw labor actions take place at a historic scale as workers not only fought for better working conditions and wages but for a better future for their countries and the entire world