On the afternoon of July 23rd 2008 thousands of workers gathered at Azad Maidan in South Mumbai. The rally was organized by the Trade Unions Joint Action Committee (TUJAC). 

Contract workers of the Sanitary Department of Mumbai Municipal Corporation, domestic workers and other unorganized sector workers were the main participants in the rally.

Representatives of the constituent organizations of the TUJAC addressed the rally. In his speech the representative of Kamgar Ekta Chalwal said “I can see the anger of all the working people assembled here who have to work under the most atrocious conditions, without any limit to working hours, without minimum safety provisions and without any job security. The Capitalists want to amend the labour law to make the 60 hour week mandatory. Many of you are already working 70 and 80 hour weeks. In short they want to turn us all into slaves whose only purpose in life is to increase their wealth. But are we going to accept this? No. We definitely will not. We workers declare that India belongs to all those who toil. Today those who work and toil have to go starving, while the parasites grow fatter day by day. While we fight to improve our living and working conditions, we must also fight for political power, with the use of which we will implement the law that only those who work will eat and the economy will be geared to meeting the requirements of the working people. Inquilab Zindabad”

A memorandum was submitted to the Chief Minister of Maharashtra. Through the memorandum, workers declared their intention of participating in the All India general strike. The memorandum  pointed out that the proposed law to protect the rights of domestic workers was totally inadequate. ”After a long struggle, the issues of wage protection and social security etc. have been presented to the Maharashtra Assembly in the form of a draft bill. But even though this bill has extended some protection to the domestic workers who are below poverty line, there is no mention of minimum wages, insurance and pension for the majority of these workers. The implementation of a law ensuring these rights is getting delayed.  Hence we request you to incorporate the appropriate provisions for all domestic workers and enforce this law.”

The memorandum demanded the implementation of the National Policy concerning Hawkers. It also demanded that the Maharashtra Government set up mechanisms to implement the construction workers act and ensure the rights of construction workers.

Earlier, in the morning of July 23, activists of the AITUC, Kamagar Ekta Chalwal and the Lok  Raj Sangathan gathered at the Hutatma Chowk to commemorate the centenary of the  glorious political strike of Mumbai workers.