India

Every year, around 55 million Indians are pushed into poverty due to catastrophic healthcare expenditures. And this is only one of the symptoms of a broken system that is also entrenched in ethical issues over inappropriate treatment in private facilities, overcrowded and underfunded public facilities and deteriorating work conditions.

The Forum against FTAs has issued a Solidarity Statement in favour of the workers, trade unions and independent federations across India joining together in a historic general strike on 8-9 January. The Forum believes India's flawed trade and investment policies have contributed to deepen the crisis that workers are currently facing.

On 8-9 January, Indian workers and their trade unions are holding a two-day nationwide general strike to protest against "anti-labour, anti-people and anti-national policies " of the Modi government. PSI extends full support and solidarity to its affiliates, other unions and the workers of India participating in the strike action.

The Indian government launched what it describes as the largest health insurance scheme in the world, in September. Prime Minister Narendra Modi said the 'Ayushman Bharat -Pradhan Mantri Jan Aarogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY)' programme will provide health cover to the tune of 500,000 rupees ($6,900) a year for the poorest 100 million families in the country.

Representatives of Indian Trade Union Centers met in New Delhi on 23 October to discuss challenges posed to labour by the NDA government's trade agenda at the World Trade Organisation (WTO), Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) and Bilateral Investment Treaties (BITs).

As of 20 August, the death toll due to floods in the southern Indian state of Kerala stood at 1,361. More than 700,000 people are now in close to 3,000 relief camps across the state. Rescue and relief efforts have been tireless, by the government and by civil society.

In its National Convention held in New Delhi, on 8 June, the Indian National Coordination Committee of Electricity Employees & Engineers (NCCOEEE) decided to call for a nationwide power strike on 7 Dec this year to protest against the Electricity (Amendment) bill 2014. This bill seeks to extend privatisation to the distribution of electricity.

Trade Unions representing workers in Information Technology (IT), Steel, Health-care, Water, Coal, Automotive, Transport, Banking and Insurance met in Bengaluru from 17-18 April for a National Workshop on Trade and Investment Liberalisation: Impacts on Workers in India. The workshop was organised by the Forum against FTAs, Public Services International (PSI), Third World Network (TWN) and Transnational Institute (TNI).

After a 9 day strike, nurses at the Maharaja Agrasen Hospital in Delhi, India have successfully won better pay, conditions and nurse to patient ratios.