On this May Day 2025,

CITU extends revolutionary greetings to the working people of theworld who are bitterly fighting to defend the hard-earned rights and combating the aggressive onslaught of the neoliberal capitalist order engulfed in systemic crisis. CITU holds high its commitment to proletarian internationalism and stand in solidarity with all working people in their struggles against exploitation, discrimination and for peace and harmony.

CITU salutes the working class of India gearing up to the all-India General Strike on 20^th May2025 under the banner of the joint platform of central trade unions and independent sectoral federations, which is going to be the biggest action of the Indian working class againstthe atrocious attacks of the ruling classeson the rights and livelihood of the toiling people.As the class oriented trade union of the country, CITU takes the historic task of making this General Strike the beginning of the new phase of counter offensive under the leadership of the working class.The struggletoday isagainst the corporate loot and plunder ofthe people and the national economy; it is against the attacks on the basic democratic, Constitutional and hard won workplace rights of the working people.

CITU greets and congratulates the international class-oriented working class movement under the leadership of the World Federation of Trade Unions (WFTU) fororganising magnificent struggles in various nations against imperialism and right wing neo-fascist political forces.

CITU greets the working class of socialist countries, China, Cuba, Vietnam, Laos and North Korea for holding the flag of Socialism high. We note with pride that socialist countries are trying their best to protect socialism, to improve the living standard of its people while resisting the imperialist machinations. CITU stands in solidarity with socialist Cuba, a beacon of hope and inspiration, in their fight to overcome the more than six decades of inhumanUS sanctions and blockade.

On this May Day, 

CITU expresses deep concern overthe aggressive political and economic offensive unleashed by US imperialism. The trade war unleashed by the crisis ridden US governmentunder Trumpis being retaliated by many nations, China taking the lead for developing multi-polarity. The tariff war is bound to create a serious impact over the people of the global south.

CITU expresses its anguish on the ongoing genocidal onslaught by Israel on Gaza even violating the ceasefire. More than 50000 Palestinianshave beenkilled and lakhs injured in the Israeli-aggression,with the full backing of US led imperialismviolating all international laws. Israelheinously demolished schools, hospitals, UN refugee shelters and killed unarmed civilians including women and children. Israel expanded the area of conflict by attacking Lebanon, where more than 3,700 people died before a ceasefire was declared. It has bombed Syria, Yemen, Iran and Iraq. The US and UK have also joined in attacking Yemen and supported Israel’s attack on Iran. Strikingly, US armament companies have increased their profit manifold by supplying weapons in this genocidal war.CITU calls upon the Indian working class to stand beside their Palestinian brothers and sisters and pledges to carry forward the anti-imperialist legacy by mobilising people forbuilding international pressure against this barbaric act.

The ongoing war in Ukraine is of serious geopoliticalconcern. Despite all the support given by the United States and NATO in terms of weaponry and finances, Ukraine is   unable to push back Russia. Trade sanctions against Russia turned out to be counterproductive for Europe with escalating food and fuel prices. US fuel companies earned a fortune out of the plight of Europe. Trump’s dealing with Ukraine created some fissures within the imperialist block.

Although there is an upsurge of extreme rightwing politics in most of the countries world over, in many countries like Colombia, Brazil, Mexico, Uruguay and SriLanka, the Left and progressive forces couldgainagainst the rightwing forces while consistently fighting neoliberalism.

Given the systemic crisis of capitalism, the military coups and armed conflicts are increasing in various continents. Global economy is witnessing    sluggish    growth, with inequalities,poverty, unemployment, hunger and malnutrition on the rise. Global crisis is deepening and world is entering into unlimited debt burden. Imperialist forces are trying to push the entire burdenof the crisis over to the workers and people of global south.

CITU notes that the crisis, while increasing the misery of the working people, is also opening an opportunity to collectively combat the bankruptcy of the neoliberal capitalist order.There is increasedresistance of various sections of the working people against the onslaughts of neoliberalism.

Last year has seen magnificent strikes and struggles of the working class and peasantry in various nations. Greece needs special mention with twomassive strikes of the working class within a couple of months,which brought the country to a stand still. It is also heartening that people across theworld came out in millionsagainst Israeli genocide in Gaza and to stand for the rights of the Palestinian people.

CITU notes with concern the political developments and instability in its neighbouring countries Bangladesh, Nepal and Pakistan.

CITU realises that the Indian Working Class movement is facing an unprecedentedly challenging situation, stemming from the deepening crisis of contemporary capitalism. The ruling class’s response has become increasingly aggressive and authoritarian, systematically stripping people of their democratic rights of engaging in collective action. This attack onthe working class, both at the workplace and national levels, has become a hallmark of the BJP-led NDA regime, which exhibits neo-fascistic characteristics.

The results of the 18^thLoksabha elections have witnessed the BJP-RSS combine losing absolute majority, the main factor being the consistent resistance movement of the basic classes, the kisans and the working class in particular.

Despite its much depleted strength in Parliament, the Modi led NDA government representingthe corporate communal nexus, is desperate in pushing the neoliberal policies through rabidly authoritarian measures in all frontsencompassing both economic management and societal governance. The attempts to implement the Labour Codes, which aim to impose conditions of virtual slavery on the working classbetrays this desperation.The sustained and strong resistance of the working class at various levels – sectoral and national could stall the implementation of the Labour Codes till 2025, nearly five years since they have been passed.

CITU also notes that the employment relations in the organised as well as the unorganised sectors are being continuouslyrestructured to promote extreme fragility and precariousness in the overall employment profile.Advanced technology including the Artificial Intelligence- AI is being used against the interest of the working people for profit maximisation.This isaimed at pushing the labourforce out of all regulations and protection, to put in place a rightless workforce and a union-free workplace.  This is meant not just to minimise labour costs but more importantly to impose on them a condition of virtual slavery to facilitate elimination of trade unions that fight for workers’ rights. Labour Codes facilitate this process. Permanent employment will become a thing of the past being replaced by mass scale outsourcing, apprentices, trainees, interns etc. Innovative terminology is used to keep workers outside the purview of labour laws.

The Modi led NDA government seeksto reintroduce the draconian farm laws through back-door which the peasant movement of the country forcedthe government to repealthough the historic farmers struggle. The new agri marketing policy is the expression of such fraudulent and deceptive moves. The Central government is shamelessly surrendering to the US pressure to open its agricultural market for their products.All these measures are meant to siphon off our natural resources including forests, mines land and ocean to benefit its cronies and monopoly capital. All these are having a detrimental impact on the environment and adding to the disastrous climate change.

They are aggressively pursuing privatisation, especially in the electricity, coal, other minerals, port and dock, banking and insurance sectors. CITU congratulates the workers of these strategic sectors, who are fighting with all might to protect the public sector and the interest of the people of India.

Various measures are being introduced to directly subsidise the capitalist classes out of national exchequer under the camouflage of multi-pronged incentive schemes. And as a supplementary measure, it is making efforts to suppress all opposition against neoliberalism by curbing the democratic and Constitutional rights of the people, going to the extreme extent of criminalising the collective protests of the people through new legislation like Bharatiya Nyaya Samhita in addition to UAPA, PMLA etc.

Simultaneously, the Modi government has decriminalised 180 offences of corporates under 41 legislations including the Boiler Act, Forest Act, Tea Act, Rubber Act, several pharmaceutical sector related legislations etc, as per the provisions of the so called Jan Vishwas Act. Provision for imprisonment for violating those laws has been withdrawn confining punishment to paying some fine. 100 more offences have been decriminalised in the latest Union budget. This is nothing but a licence to violate laws including labour laws with impunity. ShramSamadhan and ShramSuvidha portals have practically done away with complaint based inspection again to facilitate undeterred labour law violations by the employers.

On the other hand, collective actions by the workers to assert their hard won rights are being criminalised. So much so that collective lodging of complaint by workers and their unions is sought to be interpreted as ‘organised crime’ under section 111 of BNS (Bharatiya Nyaya Samhita), leading to police action including non bailable imprisonment. Already in several states trade union leaders are being implicated in false criminal cases for representing workers’ grievances to the management or even labour department. Even before the Labour Codes are implemented, routine trade union activities like gate meetings, departmental meetings, distribution of leaflets, submitting memorandum etc, particularly in government establishments/departments, are being virtually prohibited. These are meant to create an atmosphere of fear among the workers.

The country is witnessing unprecedented unemployment and continuing decline in real wages. The share of wages in the net value added declined from18.9 percent in 2020 to 15.9 percent in 2023. In the same period the share of profits rose to 51.9 per cent of the net value added from 38.7 per cent. Extreme poverty and malnutrition are on the increase. There is drastic reduction in public spending in employment, food, education and health with massivebudget cuts. Corruption has been institutionalised by the BJP rule at the centre and in various states. Debt-burden is increasing alarmingly among the poorer sections through private microfinance institutions who are earning super profits, pushing many debtors to suicides. On this May Day, CITU pledges to fight against all of these onslaughts and atrocities.

CITU expresses concern over the increasing communalisation of the society by the RSS led Hindutva forces, which disrupt unity and weaken the united struggle against neoliberal onslaught. The Modi led government is manipulating administrative and legal governance process and also of the entire educational system including its contents and governanceto spread the communal venom and hatred against the minorities..

Communal fundamentalist forces are also actively operating among the minorities. CITU reiterates its resolve to fight the communal forces ideologically, politically,socially, culturally and on streetand protect class unity and solidarity of the toiling people.

CITU expresses deep concern over the alarmingly increasing violence against women and children aggravated by the deadly combination of neoliberal consumerism and patriarchy being promoted by the fundamentalist forces. It is also a matter of concern that the obscurantism, retrograde practices, caste-oppression and other types of discrimination are making headway in the society. CITU pledges to counter the decadent culture and advancinga working class culture with scientific temper and egalitarian values.

CITU notes with pride that various sections of the working class of the country under the class oriented trade union leadership are valiantly resisting such a hostile and gloomy situation of unprecedented attacks on hard earned rights and cultural and social onslaughts. Innumerable struggles and mobilisations for the basic rights andagainst the atrocitieswere organised all over the country by trade unions. The strike by the Samsung workers in Tamil Nadu has not only inspired the working class world over, but has given an increased vigour to the working class of India. Struggles and strike actions by the electricity employees are setting new standards in mobilising the class as well as getting solidarity and support from the people who are also the victims of the privatisation of electricity. Some of the successful struggles by the contract workers in many establishments during the intervening period are creating confidence that the atrocious project of the ruling class towards informalisation and fragilisation of workforce cannot finally succeed, if the working class movement asserts combatively in the right direction in organising and rallying them in the class-battle. Various sections of scheme workers especially the anganwadi, ASHA and MDM workers have been on continuous and assertive struggles at state and all India level with many achievements.

The peasantry is also up in arms against the onslaught on their livelihood. CITU welcomesthe increasing coordination and united actions by the national platforms of the trade unions and farmers’ organisations – SKM at all levels with many united actionsin the last one year.

CITU greets the LDF government in Kerala, which is implementing pro people policies, defending the rights and livelihood of the working people while challenging the vindictive and discriminative unconstitutional measurers by the BJP led union government. CITU stands with the LDF government against the efforts from various quarters to malign it. CITU expresses its firm solidarity to the fighting people of Tripura and its cadres and members in the state who are under brutal attack by the BJP goons. CITU greets the toiling people of West Bengal for their struggles combating the violence by the TMC regime in the state.

CITU reiterates its commitment enshrined in its constitution to change this rotten capitalist order overthrowing the ruling dispensation by building a strong worker peasant unity and end all kinds of exploitation and discrimination.

On this May Day, while remembering the innumerable martyrs who laid their lives in the fight for a just world,

CITU pledges

• To expose the hollowness of the capitalist system even while continuing its fight on the day to day burning issues of the working class and all toiling people
• To build unity of the working class and peasantry through united actions and building it to a broader unity of the people in defence of democracy and secularism
• To create awareness among the working class about not only the need but also the possibility of changing the exploitative system and the role of the working class in establishing an alternative society free from exploitation

Long Live May Day!

Long Live Worker Peasant Alliance!

Long Live Socialism!

Down With Imperialism!       

Long Live Proletarian Internationalism!