Dairy unions in India to fight privatisation and precarious working conditions

Dairy unions in India are committed to fighting the back door privatization of cooperative dairies in Uttar Pradesh (UP) and to saving the jobs of thousands of members. In the recent meeting of Dairy Employees Federation of India (DEFOI), unions from all over the country committed strong support to UP dairy workers.

“We accept this challenge and will fight for our rights”, said Ram Pal Singh Chauhan, the president of DEFOI.

The dairy sector is expanding more than 20% every year in the world’s largest milk producing country but the working conditions are very poor at farm and factory level. A discussion on increasing bargaining strength prompted leaders to declare “We need to organize workers throughout the supply chain.”

The unions resolved to fight against precarious working conditions, provide more employment opportunities for women through collective bargaining and to organize private/TNC dairy companies including Lactalis/Tirumala.

The federation also resolved that local unions will start recruiting contract workers as their members instead of forming contact workers’ unions. “We will struggle for our rights by organizing all categories of workers under one umbrella and that is DEFOI”, the unions decided unanimously.