Hyderabad: The Communist Party of India (CPI) has extended full support to the nationwide general strike scheduled for February 12. State secretary and MLA Koonamneni Sambasiva Rao urged party cadres to participate in mass protests across Telangana to ensure the strike’s success.
The general strike, called by Central trade unions, targets recent labour reforms and economic policies of the Union government.
CPI general strike support: Protest targets labour codes, farm policy, and privatization
In a statement issued on Sunday, Sambasiva Rao said the strike opposes the repeal of existing labour laws and their replacement with four new labour codes. He alleged that these codes serve corporate interests at the expense of workers’ rights.
He also criticised the Central government for failing to implement the Swaminathan Commission’s recommendation on Minimum Support Price (MSP). According to him, the government has not fulfilled earlier promises made during the farmers’ protests.
Additionally, the CPI leader accused the Centre of compromising farmers’ welfare through recent trade deals with the United States. He condemned ongoing efforts to privatise public sector units, saying they transfer national wealth to private corporations. He also pointed to rising taxes as a growing burden on ordinary citizens.
Appealing to the general public, Sambasiva Rao called on people from all sectors to join rallies, meetings, and demonstrations in support of the strike.