Left leader appeals for support to Nationwide strike on July 9
Source: The Sangai Express

Thoubal, July 03 2025: Former secretary of CPI-Manipur State Council L Sotinkumar has appealed to the people of Manipur to support the proposed Nationwide strike on July 9 called in the interests of labourers across the country.

The proposed strike is being called by a joint platform of Trade Unions, comprising ten Central Trade Unions (CTUs) and independent federations and associations.

A meeting was held at Khangabok today, convened by the Co-ordinating Body of Trade Unions Manipur, Thoubal district committee, to deliberate on the proposed strike.

The gathering included representatives from AITUC, CITU, INTUC, TUCC, UTUC, as well as Asha and Anganwadi workers among others.

Speaking to the media after the meeting, Sotinkumar criticized the BJP Government, stating that instead of increasing taxes on the rich, boosting public investment, and raising working-class wages, the Government has been doing the exact opposite.

He claimed the 2025-26 Union Budget failed to support the working class, who are struggling with inflation and indirect taxes like GST.

The Left leader said that different Central Trade Unions have been demanding changes to the Union Budget such as levying a 4 per cent wealth tax on billionaires, increasing corporate tax, providing a legal guarantee for Minimum Support Price, repealing the Draft National Policy on Agricultural Marketing and Urban Employment Guarantee Act, strengthening the public distribution system, increasing the allocation for MGNREGA by 50 per cent and the allocation of food subsidy, reviving the old pension system and stopping the privatization of PSUs, among others.

He announced that committees under the Co-ordinating Body of Trade Unions Manipur will observe a work cessation on July 9 in support of the Nationwide strike.

Regarding the Manipur crisis, he called for the establishment of a Highway Protection Force to ensure free movement along highways, a political solution to the crisis, and measures to safeguard Manipur's territorial integrity.

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