NAPM Accuses Government of Repression Against Workers, Demands Rollback of Labour Law Dilutions

New Delhi – The National Alliance of People’s Movements (NAPM) has called for a united people’s resistance to roll back what it termed a diluted labour law regime, while condemning the arrest of over 1,150 workers and activists across Uttar Pradesh and Haryana over the past month.

In a statement issued on Tuesday, the alliance expressed unconditional solidarity with workers demanding fair wages, dignified working conditions, an eight-hour workday, and pro-worker labour laws.

According to the Migrant Workers Solidarity Network, at least 28 major strikes and protests were recorded between January and March 2026, primarily in the power and construction sectors. Industrial belts in Noida–Manesar, Panipat, and the mining hub of Singrauli witnessed workers taking to the streets over wage theft and gruelling working conditions.

The NAPM alleged that authorities have responded with force rather than addressing root causes. On April 9, Haryana Police used force against striking workers in IMT Manesar and arrested more than 55 workers, including 20 women. Between April 12 and 15, Uttar Pradesh police arrested over 1,100 workers from Noida. The NAPM claimed that in many cases arrest memos were not issued, and families remain unable to locate detained individuals.

The alliance also condemned the arrest of individuals associated with Inquilabi Mazdoor Kendra - Comrade Shyamveer, Harish, Ajit, Pintu Yadav, Akash, Raju, and Niranjan Lal who have been charged with attempt to murder, rioting, and criminal conspiracy. Labour rights activists Aditya Anand, Rupesh, Manisha, Shrishti, Akriti, Himanshu, senior journalist Satyam Varma, artist Ram Babu, and poet Katyayani have also been arrested, the NAPM said.

Citing the Periodic Labour Force Survey 2025, the NAPM noted that only 23.6% of the workforce are regular salaried employees, while 76.4% are self-employed or casual workers. Among salaried employees, over 50% earn less than ₹15,000 per month, and nearly 60% have no written job contract.

In November 2025, the Union Government notified four labour codes replacing 29 labour laws. The NAPM alleged that these codes restrict the right to strike, weaken workplace safety, allow hire-and-fire policies, and extend the workday from eight to 12 hours.

Recent Industrial Accidents

The alliance pointed to two major industrial accidents. On April 14, 2026, at least 21 workers were killed and 23 critically injured when a boiler tube exploded at a Vedanta power plant in Sakhti district, Chhattisgarh. Most of the victims were migrant workers from Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, and West Bengal. In July 2025, an accident at the Sigachi Factory in SangaReddy district, Telangana, resulted in the death of 54 workers, mostly migrants. The NAPM said that even after 10 months, workers and their families await full compensation.

An All-India General Strike on February 16, 2026, saw massive mobilisation, but demands have not been addressed, the NAPM said. The alliance also noted that the Modi Government has not held the annual Indian Labour Conference in over a decade. The ITUC Global Rights Index has categorised India as a nation with no guarantee of rights, citing repressive action against workers and violation of the right to strike.

The NAPM reiterated the following demands:

• Immediate release of all arrested workers and activists and withdrawal of false cases

• Prompt implementation of statutory minimum and fair wages across all sectors and states

• Strict enforcement of an eight-hour workday for all workers

• Prompt payment of overtime wages

• Full workplace safety, fair compensation, job guarantee, and accountability of violators

• Rollback of laws extending working hours and diluting labour protections

• Protection of workers’ constitutional right to unionise, organise, and protest

The alliance called upon the Government of India and all state governments to uphold constitutional obligations, stating that protection of labour rights and dignity is essential to the preservation of democracy itself.