Current issues (39)
Tapan Sen
Global capitalist order is passing through the deepest crisis ever with unprecedented recession-stagnation-inflation, rise of right-populist-authoritarianism and endless attacks on the toiling masses; followed by heroic events of gallant Resistances and Revolts.
Rightwing Economic, Communal & Authoritarian Attacks
It is promoting the pervert private accumulations through non-productive routes arising from state-sponsored monopolistic exercise, interests, rents, speculative gains and other forms of extractions. The state-sponsored encroachment-coercion-generated surplus has colossally surpassed the “production linked profit”; expropriation has taken over appropriation. Prolonging recessionary situation with unprecedented accumulation in fewer hands, along with widening/deepening of mass impoverishment, widening the gap between production and purchasing power of people and, hence, under-consumption. These are all the expressions of inevitable structural vulnerability of the capitalist system.
The global systemic crisis has grievously impacted the Indian economy, politics and society with the rise of the most authoritarian right-wing divisive regime after independence. The regime is also thoroughly anti-people and avowedly pro-corporate and pro-big business, being displayed by all its legislative, administrative and societal policy drives which are also damaging the national economy. The path of horizontal expansion of the economy, so long followed despite all systemic limitations, has been totally subverted to promote vertical centralisation of control of the economy with deeper monopolisation in favour of large corporate class, both foreign and domestic. Along with that, consistent machinations are going on the democratic system towards rabid authoritarian onslaught on constitutional provisions, democratic rights and right to expression and dissent through numerous administrative measures like UAPA, framing of sedition cases and various other manners.
And, the most crucial has been the aggressive onslaught of communal divisive machinations on the society aimed at communal polarization by the RSS/BJP bandwagons with the active patronization of administration. The aim is to desperately push through their project of majoritarian Hindutva regime to create a sense of terror among the minorities and also to create an overarching Hindutva identity among the people cutting across the social-ethnic divide; finally to divert the attention of the people from the increasing disaster on their lives and livelihood and at the same time facilitate the consolidation of the right wing authoritarian regime.
These, in fine, reveal the comprehensive project of the ruling class to sustain their loot in the midst of aggravating systemic crisis through complete authoritarianisation of the entire system of governance being pushed through by the corporate-communal nexus in governance at the Centre.
With this aggravation of the crisis, more desperate move is being made by the ruling class to further restructure and overhaul the economy management in more retrograde as well as authoritarian direction which is intensifying the destructive onslaught both on the lives of the people and also on the national economy.
It continues to shower tax concessions/incentives/rebates through various routes to the rich and tried to balance the loss in revenue through a phenomenal rise in indirect taxes on the working people. The Modi government had done away with the wealth tax in 2016 which was followed by reduction in corporate tax rate from 30% to 22% in 2019. Subsequently, concessional corporate tax at 15% has been introduced for the new entrepreneurs, which is also being availed by big corporate through proxy. Over and above, the tax administration has been so tuned and tutored that every year around Rs 5 to 7 lakh crore remain uncollected/unpaid by the corporate on account of income and corporate taxes.
Simultaneously, burden of indirect tax has been phenomenally increased through GST regime and even on the food items, milk and essential medicines. Indirect tax on petro products saw the steepest increase. Excise duty on petrol was Rs 9.48 per litre and Rs 3.56 on diesel in 2014 and rose to a record Rs 32.98 and Rs 31.83, respectively, in May 2020. The extraction on common people on account of fuel related tax and pricing has increased through this draconian expropriation mechanism by 186% during 2014-15 and 2021-22 from Rs 1.72 lakh crore to Rs 4.92 lakh crore. In FY 2021, India’s direct tax collection was 9.45 lakh crores (4.7% of GDP) while the indirect tax collection was at 10.71 lakh crores (5.4% of GDP and more than 53% of the total tax collection) where as the OECD countries’ average for indirect tax is around 33% of the total tax collection.
The government of the day shamelessly speeded up the process of organized pilferage of Banking system’s resources by way of legitimizing deliberate debt-default to big corporate through Insolvency Bankruptcy Procedure being operated by National Company Law Tribunal. Now the debt defaulter companies reporting bankruptcy will be dealt by National Company Law Tribunal and whole procedure will end up with another private corporate taking over in lieu of small fraction of the total debt liability of the bankrupt company. Rest of the debt amount will be foregone by the Bank; such illegitimate sacrifice forced upon the concerned Bank is termed as Haircut.
Phasing out the subsidy and allocation on welfare/social accounts has been another driving feature of neoliberalism; during Modi-regime it attained a disastrous height. The food subsidy has been slashed by more than 27%, by around Rs 80,000 crore in the 2022-23 Budget in the face of increase in intensity of hunger. Similarly, the fertiliser subsidy has been cut to Rs 1,05,222 crore in 2022-23, a nearly 25% drop.
Inflation has already crossed the RBI prescribed limit. This in the background of continuously depressing income situation for the people at large, leads to lesser consumption and thereby drastic cut in capacity utilization in industries and services, thereby degenerating the employment and income situation further, fall in investment and resultant destruction of employment and productive forces. This vicious cycle of inflation-stagnation with recession demonstrates the nauseating perversion in the economy.
The conspired attack on labour by the ruling class to put the whole burden of crisis is simultaneously three-folded, one is to informalise the formal sector; second, to increasing application of automation and Artificial intelligence in the manufacturing and another is to enhance GIG and service sector dependence in economy. The result is decline of employment together with faster pace of informlisation of employment relations in various formats.
(a) Greater informalisation, fragility and heterogeneity in the same workplace are taking place across the sectors accompanied by downsizing of workforce; (b) direct loot on the people setting in faster motion of expropriation process with imposition of huge indirect tax-burden and other forms of rents over infrastructural assets and natural resources, unmistakably accompanied by sharp reduction of direct taxes on corporate/big businesses together with various rebates and exemptions; and (c) opening up of new avenues of profiteering both in industries, services, infrastructure and public utilities for the private corporates practically without or least investment on their part, with Govt. support and huge subsidy from public exchequer to pave the path of further assured wealth accumulation for them.
Casualisation and contractualisation of workforce in various formats were being incessantly pursued in the manufacturing as well as infrastructure and services for long. With the advent of automation and modernization of technologies, the decline of permanent workers in manufacturing sector had been speeded up, while the contract workers had been pushed towards the level of pauperisation burdened with an unimaginable physical and mental distress.
The share of contract workers in total workforce in the public sector manufacturing and engineering industries has already crossed more than 50 to 60 per cent and in certain sectors like petroleum, BHEL, powergrid, NTPC, NHPC etc has reached over 70 to 75% on the average or more. In addition to that, a newer and evidently hitherto the most fragile labour force is emerging in the form of apprentices/ trainees through various govt sponsored schemes like ‘On Job Trainees (OJTs)’, ‘Long Term Trainee Employees (LTTEs)’, ‘Learn while you Earn’, ‘Junior Executives’, ‘Fixed Term Employees (FTEs)’ or ‘NEEM’, ‘NETAP’ and ‘SITA’ scheme trainees etc. Permanent workers are conspicuously reduced to insignificant presence; even below 10% of the total workforce in some industries.
The newest plot of ruling-class is to further lower the labour-cost by recruiting more and more number of apprentices/trainees in core production processes in practically no-wages while making their existence completely vulnerable by amending the labour laws (IR Code) by excluding apprentices/trainees from the definition of workmen. And to this end, the Modi Govt got the Apprenticeship Act 1961 and the related Rules of 1992 amended in 2015 and 2019 respectively.
For enhancing the productivity of every unit of labour, intensity of work and increase in workload per labour time, sometimes in terms of minutes or fraction thereof are taking place. Automation and resultant obvious de-skilling are continuously outmoding the necessity of dedicated-task-specific experienced labour-power. The mode of production is moving towards a direction where the fresh trainee-batches with a huge reserve army of unemployed vocationally educated youths, with the most state-of-the-art knowledge of automation and technology and skill to learn fast are going to be burdened with the whole core responsibility of the production process.
Entire exercise of restructuring is aimed at, further depressing the employment situation, and totally informalise the already fragile employment relations in the organized sector as well so that the very basic concept statutory fixed working hours, minimum wages and social security along with the right to organize and collective action are completely eliminated circumstantially from the workplaces and condition of virtual slavery is imposed. Enactment of Labour Codes has already set the motion in that direction.
Resistance and struggles
Working class struggle must comprehend this entire process of restructuring of employment relations as well as economy/asset management to effectively combat the same through the heightened struggle both for resistance as well as for change towards pro-people alternative.
Towards this end, while heightening the level of united struggles of the toiling class premised on the comprehensive understanding of the new attacks of so called restructuring towards promoting perverted crony capitalist order, the working class also must unfailingly intensify its consistent organized conscious interventions to combat the disastrous machinations of hindutva ideology on the society by the corporate-communal regime. It is a political and ideological fight as well, which must intensify along with the organized class-combat.
The 17th Conference of CITU has been tasked with to strategies the organised united combat against the anti-people and anti-national regime with full comprehension of the comprehensive strategy of corporate-communal nexus in governance in all its facets.
Background of The 17th All India Conference of CITU
Written by Super UserTapan Sen
The 17th conference of CITU will be held in Bengaluru from 18 to 22 January, 2023. The conference is taking place bearing the devastating memory of an intervening period torn with unprecedented Covid-19 pandemic, and the utterly inhuman response by the Government at the Centre in the form of severe restrictions accompanied by aggressive organized onslaught on the lives, livelihood and basic democratic rights of the people. On the other hand, there had been surge of determined resistances to all those onslaughts, and, in many cases these actions were spontaneous.
The anti-people legislative and administrative actions, pushed through by the Government during the lockdown with associated restrictions under Disaster Management Act viz - commercial mining in coal; unregulated liberalization of FDI and FII in all sectors including defense production; imposition of retrograde Farm Laws and Electricity Bills; suspension of labour laws for three years in many of the BJP ruled states through Ordnance followed by enactment of Labour Codes; and, thereafter, the Essential Defence Service Act; were no way even distantly connected with pandemic management for saving the peoples’ lives and health.
Undoubtedly these were to illegitimately serve the corporate masters for maximizing profit even in the midst of downslide in production and business; on the other hand the most emergency task of expansion-activisation of public health-service network on an emergency basis and compelling the private health business to work within the regulation of public health requirement were totally and brutally neglected only to benefit the private corporate-heath-business. The inhuman ugly face of neoliberal order and their political agents in governance were never so glaringly demonstrated.
Amidst such extreme adversities imposed by the neoliberal order, CITU, in pursuit of its aims and objectives has strived itself to further its intervention on the line of defiance and resistance in an altogether untraveled path and was first to call for protest initiative from homes within a month of promulgation of lockdown on 21 April 2020 in defense of the interest of working class and the people. The call of Protest from Home with a slogan ‘Bhasan Nehi, Ration Chahiye’, ‘Enough of Speech – Food & Wages are what we need’; and then the call for Step Out - Step Up, towards bigger organized combat against the ruling class barbarism, towards bigger to visible mobilizations of defiance; these could successfully draw almost entire trade union movement in the united combative struggle leading to General Strikes on November 26, 2020 in the midst of lockdown, besides numerous sectoral actions both in organized and unorganized sectors.
The day of the General Strike had also coincided with the beginning of more than year long historic Farmers’ struggle in the form of massive blockading of various entry borders of National Capital, New Delhi, demanding repeal of Farm Laws and Electricity Amendment Bill and other demands which were also responded to by the working class through countrywide solidarity actions with continuity.
Lakhs of migrant workers’ silent revolt throughout the country in the form of marches along with families including children from one corner of the country to the other, braving police atrocities on the way, is another manifestation of the desperation as well as determination of the people not to accept everything lying down. Relief to the distressed unorganized and migrant workers across the nation by the organized trade union movement, especially the CITU committees, at different levels going beyond their usual capacities had been another precious experience during the intervening period.
The fragility of the neoliberal capitalist world order stood exposed with its incapability as well as its lack of intention to scientifically handle the covid-19 pandemic. In the midst of the aggravating systemic crisis, the vulgar increase of profits and accumulation of wealth by few capitalists pushing the people towards further destitution, distress and hunger has heightened the income inequality to an extreme obscene level. It is telling upon severely the already depressing consumption expenditure, contributing further to the more than decade long crisis and the recessionary situation of the entire capitalist order.
The period since our 16th Conference witnessed the aggressive pursuit of an extreme right-wing authoritarian communal regime along with the economic crisis aggravating in hectic pace. During this period, India and Asia-pacific have emerged as the focal centre of the imperialist-attempts along with shameless and desperate bonhomie of Modi Government with US imperialism. Aggressive pursuit of RSS’ original fascistic doctrine by this Government as an integral part and parcel of accentuating global ultra-right wing authoritarian/fascistic forces and its obvious compulsion to ascend to authoritarianism are deepening the crisis further.
Yet there had been no respite in nasty exercise of communal-divisive machinations by the ruling dispensation with the active support of corporate lobby and the media controlled by it. This also got reflected in increasing attacks on dalits, minorities, women and the downtrodden in the society, being aided and abated by almost all the wings of state-power. A large section of working people also got influenced by such exercise.
Dismantling of the existing labour laws through Labour Codes to impose conditions of virtual slavery on the working class and the desperate exercise of the Modi Government on Farm Laws including anti-people amendment of Essential Commodities Act targeting the decimation of peasants agriculture to pave the way for corporate control are integral parts of the ruling class’ authoritarian aggression on democracy and in governance; the Government could be compelled to repeal the Farm Laws by historic Farmers’ struggle; but efforts are being made to push them through backdoor both at Central and State levels.
The policies’ trend, which were identified in the 16th conference, are seen to be pursued vigorously by the Modi led BJP Govt after 2nd time coming to its office. The loot of people’s national assets, aggressive pursuit of privatization of public sector enterprises (recent is fertilizer) and financial institutions, imposition of National Education Policy, National Monetisation Pipeline, setting up of National Land Monetisation Corporation -- all are part of the destructive anti-people anti-national fascistic project to serve the interests of the corporate class, both domestic and foreign. Such a situation brings forth the stupendous challenges before the working class movement to widen and strengthen class unity and united class struggles against the anti-people misrule combating that strategy of corporate-communal nexus in governance.
In this background, the conference has to evaluate and deepen our understanding of the overall situation including the reflections of the systemic crisis of neoliberal order, both globally and nationally, on all aspects on the economy, on the lives, livelihood and rights of the people and its serious ramifications in politics and the society, the vicious onslaught on democracy and democratic rights of the people and aggressive authoritarianism in the governance of economy, political system and also governance of the society. This was also accompanied by aggressive communal divisive machinations on the society as an integral instrument of the ruling class in their project of pro-corporate governance. We have to review our role, work, movement and organization as well as steps to be undertaken to heighten and intensify the united struggles on the premise of such comprehensive understandings.
The 17th Conference of CITU, preceded by series of district, state and industry/federation level conferences have to take up that task of sharpening the understanding and heightening the class struggle with all seriousness.
On this May Day being observed in the centenary year of the Great October Revolution, CITU
Extends its revolutionary greetings to the working class and toiling people across the world and in our own country, India;
Expresses solidarity with the working class and people of all the continents in their fight against the exploitative international finance driven neoliberal capitalist order;
Greets the people in the socialist countries and extends solidarity with their struggles in defence of socialism;
Reaffirms its full confidence that imperialist conspiracies to undermine socialism and restore capitalism in these countries would be decisively defeated; that the defensive struggles of today will get heightened into struggles aiming at the emancipation of the working class and the toiling people from the exploitative capitalist system
Reasserts its commitment to socialism and its resolve to continue its struggle for a society free from exploitation by one human being by another
Reiterates its support and solidarity with the heroic struggle of the Palestinian on their just demands; condemns the continuing killing, torture and arrests of Palestinians by Israel; demands recognition of independent sovereign state of Palestine with 1967 borders and Jerusalem as its capital
Strongly denounces US imperialism led wars in different parts of the globe including in Afghanistan, Syria, Yemen, Libya, Iraq etc killing and maiming hundreds of thousands of unarmed people, most of them women and children, to establish US hegemony over the strategic natural resources and areas in the world; millions have been rendered homeless and destitute and forced to seek refuge elsewhere
Reaffirms its determination to fight imperialism and its aggressive interventions with all its might; reiterates its conviction that the fight against imperialism is an integral part of the class struggle against exploitation
Recalls the contributions of the World Federation of Trade Unions in leading the international working class struggles against imperialism; commits itself to effectively carry out the direction of the 17th Congress of WFTU and support all its efforts to defend the rights of the working class and attain its emancipation from all exploitation
On this May Day, CITU
Notes that the global economic crisis continues unabated; growth has not picked up; whatever growth is there, its gain is wholly expropriated by the capitalists; unemployment, particularly youth unemployment continues to be at alarming levels; inequalities are growing to dangerous levels ; 8 richest men in the world own the same wealth as half of the world’s population; the persistent attempts of the ruling classes to tide over the crisis, to protect and increase their profits, by attacking the working and living conditions of the toiling people and their the hard won rights, by promoting loot of national assets by the national and multinational corporations, have ultimately proved to be futile and counterproductive
Observes that the impact of the global crisis on the conditions of the common people and the poor is expressed in the political developments in different countries as Brexit, and the uncertainty of some other countries like Italy and Greece continuing in the European Union, the rise of right wing forces in countries like France, Austria, the Netherlands etc; attacks on emigrants’ and migrant workers’ livelihood and rights by various regimes in the West, the USA in particular with a racist overtone have increased
Emphasises that this systemic crisis exposes the total failure and inability of the capitalist system in the full and proper use of the precious human resources to improve the well being of humanity; the unfettered exploitation of natural resources without any concern about its impact on environment and livelihood of millions of people, large numbers of them indigenous and tribals, by the capitalist class indicates the incapability of the system for sustainable development
Points out that the benefits of the huge advances made in science and technology have remained inaccessible for the vast sections of people, particularly the poor because of the greed for profits which is the driving force of the capitalist system; millions of people across the world suffer from poverty, illiteracy, ill health, lack of housing and other basic necessities of life even in this 21st century; new technologies like robotics, artificial intelligence etc are utilised to replace millions of workers, not to lighten their burden, despite the huge increase in productivity, thus worsening the already alarming unemployment situation
Demands that the working hours be brought down to 35 hours per week, with four shifts a day to promote employment generation and as an immediate means to address the serious unemployment across the world, particularly among the youth
Observes that the increasing discontent and anger of the people against the impact of the pro corporate and pro rich neoliberal policies, against the widening income disparities have led to their growing participation in struggles to defend their working conditions and livelihoods; increasing sections of people – workers, peasants, youth, unemployed, women - are getting gradually disillusioned with the capitalist model of development even in the advanced capitalist countries; according to a recent survey by Harvard University 51% of young people between the ages of 18 and 29 in the US do not support capitalism; 33% supported socialism; as per another survey in the UK, 39% viewed capitalism unfavourably and only 33% viewed it favourably while 36% viewed socialism favourably and 32% viewed it negatively
Notes with utmost concern that right wing, retrograde, reactionary and racist forces are gaining ground in several countries including our own country India in the absence of a strong progressive and left alternative; disgruntled youth are being lured into terrorist activities; attempts are being made by these right wing forces to divert peoples’ anger into fratricidal fights against one another, to prevent it being channelised into united struggles against the discredited neoliberal regime and the capitalist system itself
Pledges to direct all its resources and energies to spread awareness among the working class about the real face of the exploitative capitalist system and the forces that seek to sustain it; reiterates its commitment to rouse the working class to the urgent need to uproot the capitalist system and to prepare it for the ultimate struggle to end all exploitation
On this May Day, CITU
Expresses deep concern and alarm at the rising authoritarian tendencies in our country, growing intolerance in society, the increasing attacks on all rational, scientific thought and dissenting voices by the communal forces and branding all opposition as ‘anti national’
Extends support to the surging struggles within the country against the attacks on democratic rights; condemns the attacks on students and universities expressing differing opinions or encouraging debate; supports the students, youth, Dalits and other sections of the people asserting their fundamental rights of freedom of expression
Salutes the working class and other toiling people of West Bengal for continuing to heroically resist the inhuman attacks of the TMC government and its goons on the democratic rights and livelihood of the people
Warns the people of our country, about the dangerous combination of neoliberal and venomous communal agendas being pursued and promoted by the BJP led Modi government at the centre aimed at creating slave like conditions for the workers to benefit the domestic and foreign corporates and big business on the one hand and weaken the struggles against the neoliberal policies by dividing people on the basis of religion, region, caste, etc and disrupt their unity, on the other
The Modi led government is extending bonanzas to the national and multinational corporations and big business houses through tax concessions and exemptions from labour laws and other laws of the land; it is rewarding the tax and bank loan defaulters; it is handing control over the nation’s wealth – our public sector, our lands, our mines, our seas, our hills and our forests, and most of all, our people to the profit greedy corporates, both domestic and foreign, for unbridled exploitation.
The vast majority of workers and the peasants, the creators of wealth are being pushed into slavery and penury; they are denuded of their lands, their jobs, their rights and their livelihoods. Mockery is being made of all labour laws, hard won rights of the working class, by converting them into Codes; claims of providing social security are being made while in reality existing statutory benefits like PF and ESI are being sought to be erased; expenditure on social welfare benefits like ICDS, MGNREGA, NHM, Midday meal programme etc are being drastically cut with the ultimate motive of dismantling them all; public sector is being dismantled; privatisation and rampant contractorisation deny the Dalits and adivasis their statutory right to reservation; agrarian crisis and peasant suicides continue unabated; despite all the hype of ‘Make in India’, ‘Start Up India’ and ‘Stand Up India’, employment generation has, in reality, slowed down and in many areas declining
There is a serious attack on the basic democratic rights of the people. Dissent is sought to be curtailed. Voices that question are being suppressed. The victories in the recent assembly elections have further emboldened the RSS and its various communal outfits of which have been going on rampage physically attacking people, particularly the Muslim minorities on the pretext of ‘cow protection’, ‘anti Romeo squads’ etc; those who hold views opposed to theirs, those who stand for progressive, rational and scientific thinking are being branded ‘anti national’.
It is the irony of our times that RSS, an organisation which had consciously kept itself aloof from the nation’s independence struggle, today seeks to appropriate to itself the right to certify patriotism and nationalism; it is ironical that BJP, the party heading a government that is selling off the public sector, which was instrumental in our country attaining the present stage of industrial development, practically putting the entire national economy and asset on sale to corporate looters, a government acting thoroughly against our national interests, questions the patriotism of those who oppose such anti national policies! It is also an irony that the present Modi led government, which is succumbing to imperialist manoeuvres, which is surrendering and compromising our independent foreign policy lays claim to be the sole proprietor of nationalist credentials! And it is the greatest mockery of our times that this BJP led government, which has become a junior partner of US imperialism in its strategy to establish its hegemony in Asia pacific region, by entering into Logistic Support Agreement with USA, in a shameless compromise of our national interests, claims to be the sole upholder of national pride.
On this May Day, CITU
Asserts that that majority and minority communalism and fundamentalism thrive on each other; both divide people, disrupt their unity, divert their attention from their real day to day issues, weaken their struggle to improve their lives; ultimately both help the exploiting classes; the communal acts of the Hindutva forces, in turn, increase the danger of minority fundamentalism and terrorism
Reiterates its conviction that the struggle for defending, widening and consolidating working class unity and unity of the people against the communal, jingoist and disruptive forces is integral to the united struggle against neoliberal economic policies and their political proponents
Stresses the need for unity of the workers, poor peasants and agricultural workers to unite to fight the neoliberal order and the capitalist system that subjects all of them to intense exploitation
Is conscious that this conviction places upon its shoulders the task of uniting all sections of toiling people in the struggle against neo liberalism, communalism and fundamentalism and the politics that promote these; the task of advancing the struggle to achieve a comprehensive change in the correlation of class forces in favour of a Left Democratic Alternative
Exhorts the working class of the country to take the lead in uniting all sections of toiling people - the peasants, agricultural workers, unemployed and youth; to take the struggle against the neoliberal agenda of the ruling classes to new heights; and to resist all attempts to disrupt their unity, whether in the name of religion, caste, region or gender
Assures the working class and the people that it will continue to be in the forefront in all the efforts to protect the unity of the workers and the people and in all the efforts to safeguard the interests of the country and the nation
On this May Day 2017, CITU appeals
To the working class of India
To widen and deepen its unity irrespective of the existence or non existence of unions and trade union affiliations; irrespective of religion, region, caste, language, gender etc; to strengthen united struggles against the anti worker, anti people and anti national neoliberal policies of the government
To strengthen bonds of solidarity across sectors and states and stand as one to resist and defeat the attacks on their rights, on their jobs, on their livelihoods and living conditions
To take the struggle against the neoliberal regime to new heights to inflict its decisive defeat by forging unity with all the other sections of toiling people, the peasants, agricultural workers, artisans and other rural workers
To identify the real enemy of the working class and all sections of toiling people – the capitalist system and the politics and forces that promote the system; and to prepare themselves for the struggle to change this exploitative system
To be aware of the attacks on the democratic rights of the people and thwart the authoritarian tendencies
To be vigilant against all attempts to divide and disrupt its unity and the unity of the people, in whatsoever garb or colour it is presented and to promptly intervene to thwart all such attempts
On this May Day 2016 CITU
Raises its banner in support of
International Solidarity of the Working Class
Unity Against all Exploitation and Oppression
Down With Capitalism and Imperialism
Down With Imperialist led Neoliberal Globalisation
Long Live Socialism
Workers of the World Unite
CITU Denounces Govt's Retrograde Decision to withdraw Benefits Under Building and Other Construction Workers' Welfare Act for the MNREGAWorkers Demands Reversal of the Decision
Written by Super User
government of India to withdraw the benefits under the Building and Other Construction Workers (Regulation of Employment and Conditions of Service) Act, for the MGNREGA workers.
The government of India has directed all the state and UT governments to withdraw registration of MGNREGA workers under the Building and Other Construction Workers (RECS) Act vide Labour Ministry's Order dated 10th February 2017.
It is to be recalled that the decision to include MGNREGA workers who have completed 50 days of work, under the Building and Other Construction Workers Act, was taken in 2013 after the Supreme Court has directed the government in 2012 to issue appropriate directions for the effective implementation of the Act.
It is highly regrettable that instead of taking measures to ensure effective implementation of the Act and that the welfare benefits under the Act reach the workers, the government has denied the poor workers the benefits to which they were entitled. Less than 32% of construction workers were registered under the Act as in January 2016. The amount collected as cess was Rs 24277.38 crores while it has been estimated that Rs 70270 crores ought to have been collected. And out of this only a measly sum of Rs 5684.8 crores has been spent for the benefit of nearly 2.3 crores workers registered with the board.
Since the BJP led government has come to power at the centre in 2014, it has been attacking the MGNREGA. Adequate funds are not. being provided. The number of days of work provided under MGNREGA was less than 50 at the national level, making most of the MGNREGA workers ineligible even as per the earlier direction. In such a situation, instead of taking measures to improve their conditions, withdrawing even the existing benefit is deplorable.
CITU demands that government of India to immediately withdraw the concerned direction to the state and UT governments and continue registration of MGNREGA workers under the Building and Other Construction Workers' Act. CITU calls upon all the organisations of MGNREGA workers and the building and construction workers, irrespective of affiliations to join together to bring pressure on the government to withdraw the concerned direction to the state and UT government. It calls upon all its state committees to support the struggle of the MGNREGA workers against the withdrawal of their benefits.
Issued by
Tapan Sen
General Secretary
Note on welfare benefits to MGNREGA workers under Building and Other Construction Workers’ (RECS) Act
Written by Super User
After a sustained struggle by the Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU), Central Govt. was forced to pass an Act i.e. “Building and Other Construction Workers (Regulation of Employment and Conditions of Service) Act and Building and other Construction Workers’ Welfare Cess Act in 1996, to regulate the employment and conditions of service and to provide for safety, health and welfare measures for crores of building and other construction workers in the country. The State Government were directed to constitute Building and other construction workers’ welfare Boards. Construction workers who have worked for 90 days in a year can be registered with the construction workers welfare board. These welfare boards will provide immediate assistance to a beneficiary, who is registered with the board, in case of accident, making payment of pension, giving financial assistance for marriage of son/daughter of the construction workers, scholarship to the two children of the registered construction workers. The implementation of various provisions of these Act specially those relating to registration of workers as beneficiaries, collection of cess and its utilization for welfare of Building and other construction workers is the responsibility of the State government and State Building and other construction workers Welfare Board.
It has been noticed that very low percentage of construction workers are registered on beneficiary with the different Welfare Boards. Similarly percentage utilization of funds for welfare of construction workers has also been very low in large number of states.
Hon’ble Supreme Court vide his order dated the February 2012 has issued specific directions asking the Central Government to issue appropriate directions under Section 60 of the Board Act 1996 as well as Cess Act, 1996 for effective implementation of the Act. Otherwise also, the Central Govt. has been empowered under section 60 of the Building and other Construction Workers (Regulation of Employment and Conditions as Service) Act, 1996 to issue directions to the states and boards for carrying in to execution any of the provisions of the Act.
Keeping in view, the low registration of construction workers with the Construction Workers Welfare Board, the Central Govt. has directed all the State Govts to launch special drive for registration of MNREGA workers, who have completed 50 days of work in a year, under BOCW (RECS) Act on the basis of simpler process like self-certification by the applicants or certification by Panchayats etc. After these directions lakhs of MNREGA workers were registered with different construction welfare boards and were given financial benefits.
In 2014, BJP Govt came to power in the centre. BJP Govt. first attacked the MNREGA scheme and said that it is useless and it is not creating assets and has became the class of corruption. But MNREGA has become an Act and BJP Govt. has not sufficient number of MP in both the houses of Parliament. They started weakening of MNREGA by not providing sufficient funds for this scheme. In many times they stopped money for material component like cement, sand etc. and some other time they did not release money for wages of the MNREGA workers.
Now at last on 10th February 2017 the BJP Govt. led by Narendra Modi has snatched the Social Welfare Scheme given by construction welfare board under BOCW Act. Ministry of Labour and Employment, Govt. of India on 10th February, 2017 in its letter has communicated as under – “ Directions were issued by the Ministry’s letter under reference regarding registration of MNREGA workers who have completed 50 days of work in a year under MNREGA under BOCW (RECS) Act on the basis of simpler process like self certification by the applicants or certification by Panchayat etc.”.
The issue of registration of MNREGA workers as beneficiary under the Building and other construction workers (RECS) Act, 1996 has been re-examined in the Ministry and it has been decided to withdraw these directions.”
Now after withdrawal of these directions by Narendra Modi Govt., lakhs of MNREGA workers, majority of them are women will not get scholarship for their children will not get medical aid, will not get money for marriage of their son or daughter, will not get money for repair of their house, will not get other monetary assistance/help from the welfare board. The CITU strongly condemn this barbaric decision of the BJP Govt. and appeal the Central Govt. to withdraw its notorious letter of 10th February 2017 and direct the State Govt. to register MNREGA workers as beneficiary and Board Act, 1996.
2nd September 2016 General Strike – Reflection of Workers’ Anger
Written by Super User
The country wide general strike on 2nd September this year was even bigger and more widespread than that held on the same day last year, as initial reports from all over the country suggest. The country wide general strike this year too was held on the same 12 point charter of demands. The central trade unions claimed a participation of 15 crore workers in the strike last year. The impact of the strike this year was so huge that even before the trade unions made any claims, the electronic media reported that 18 crore workers participated in the strike.
This gives big rebuff to the claims made by the government that it was working for the benefit of the workers and for providing them social security benefits. It is also significant that the BMS, which withdrew from the strike in the last minute in 2015, did not join the strike call this year at all. Besides, the BJP led government used everything within its capacity to create confusion among the workers and sabotage the strike. The BMS became a willing ally of the government in these efforts, declaring that it was ‘withdrawing’ from a strike that it has never called, but also claiming ‘historic victory’ for the workers. All these were nothing but manoeuvres by the BJP and the BMS, both members of the same parivar headed by the RSS to deceive the workers in their efforts to serve their corporate masters. The corporate media, particularly the electronic media, as usual, aired these false claims and added their might to the misinformation campaign.
But the working class of the country refused to be deceived. As the reports show, despite the call of the BMS leadership to organise ‘victory rallies and meetings’, BMS members were not willing to oppose the strike. In fact, in several places they joined the strike. Workers who were not organised into any unions, who joined the strike last year, as in Pune industrial area, joined the strike this time too. In several places the strike spread to newer areas encompassing newer sections of workers. In many states, not only the states that are traditional strongholds of trade unions, but in many others, the strike turned into a bandh. This was mainly due to the massive participation of the road transport workers as a result of which life in these states came to a standstill. In many districts of Assam, Bihar, Haryana, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, Punjab wore a bandh like look. Despite the attempts by the TMC government in West Bengal to suppress the strike by issuing warnings and threats to the workers, state transport buses in the state plied empty and a bandh like situation prevailed in almost all the districts. In Kerala and Tripura, as always, strike turned into a bandh.
The anger of the workers against the policies of the government was visible in many ways. Around 70000 anganwadi employees and ASHAs, most of them who were not members of any union joined the strike in Gujarat. Thousands of them participated in the demonstrations held at the district headquarters in many districts. All the workers in the minor ports of Bhavnagar in Gujarat, Gangavaram and Kakinada in Andhra Pradesh joined the strike. These workers are not members of any of the central trade unions that called the strike. Similarly in many industrial clusters across the country, thousands of workers, who are not members of any union, joined the strike.
While there were a few areas like the port sector where the strike was not as good as the last time, and a few districts where the strike in the road transport sector was not as effective as last year, overall the strike was observed in many more industrial clusters and sectors and many newer sections of workers joined it.
It was not only the misinformation and misleading campaign of the government with its huge advertisements in the media aided and abetted by the BMS that the workers confronted. In several states they were subjected to victimisation, police repression and physical attacks. In Haryana 22 leaders of road transport workers’ union were arrested and the striking workers were lathi charged; police went to the residential areas where contract workers lived and coerced them to join duties. Several coal workers in Jharkhand were suspended for joining the strike. The police conducted a flag march to intimidate workers and also lathi charged workers standing peacefully near a theatre in Noida. In West Bengal CITU leader and former MP Suraj Pathak and many CITU leaders were arrested. TMC goons attacked the workers and their supporters, including women, participating in the rallies. Around 5000 workers were arrested in different parts of Assam.
The extent of the strike and the support it received could be gauged from the reports that were available till the evening of 2nd September though comprehensive reports from all the states and sectors are yet to come. In several states local state level unions joined the strike. In Telangana, the TRS affiliated union joined the strike; the TNTUC belonging to the ruling TDP in Andhra Pradesh supported the strike in Telangana. Even in Vijayawada in Andhra Pradesh, though TNTUC opposed the strike, workers belonging to it joined the strike. In Odisha the chief minister himself expressed his support to the strike when the trade union leaders met him. The Left parties openly supported the strike. Even while the BMS was not part of the strike and BMS leadership directed its members to observe ‘victory rallies’, local units of the BMS were not in a position to oppose the strike; in several states BMS members joined the strike.
Overwhelming majority of bank and insurance employees all over the country joined the strike. State government employees in most of the states joined the strike. Particularly noteworthy is the participation of state government employees in the north eastern states including Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Mizoram, Nagaland, Meghalaya etc who participated in the strike for the first time. Participation of central government employees – of the income tax employees, postal employees in particular was massive. Defence employees in several defence production units joined the strike. BSNL employees all over the country joined the strike. The strike was near total in the coal sector. Overwhelming majority of contract workers in the public sector participated in the strike. Strike among medical and sales representatives was total in almost all the states.
Scheme workers including anganwadi employees, ASHAs, midday meal workers participated in the strike all over the country. Teaching and non teaching staff of National Child Labour Project joined the strike in Bihar, Maharashtra etc. Traditional sector workers like the plantation workers, cashew, coir, and fisheries workers participated in the strike in their lakhs. Unorganised workers in beedi, construction, head load workers, auto and rickshaw drivers, street vendors, domestic workers in several states joined the strike and also participated in the demonstrations, rasta roko and rail roko. Municipal and conservancy workers, panchayat workers, village chowkidars etc also joined the strike.
In Andhra Pradesh, strike was total in Vizag steel and DCI; around 70% of workers of permanent workers in the Vizag Shipyard participated in the strike. The TTD in the holy town of Tirupati was totally paralysed. Autos all over the state went on strike. Almost all the industrial clusters including the Renigunta industrial area were closed down. In several major cities truck owners associations participated in the strike. This along with the strike of the head load workers throughout the state brought all commercial transactions in the state to a standstill.
In Assam strike took the form of complete bandh in almost all districts seriously affecting public and private transport. No oil refinery in the state functioned. ONGC remained paralysed. More than 15 lakhs tea garden workers joined the strike. All public and private educational institutions remained closed. Railway transport was disrupted due to the rail roko by the unorganised workers, peasants, agricultural workers etc.
In Bihar too the strike was turned into bandh in many districts. Road transport including bus and tempo services was off the road. Workers in several industrial clusters went on strike.
Workers in almost all the major industrial areas in NCR Delh joined the strike. Massive joint demonstrations were held in several centres. The central demonstration was addressed by the national trade union leaders.
In Gujarat, an estimated 4 lakhs workers in 22 districts joined the strike and organised demonstrations in many districts.
Strike was highly successful in Haryana including in the Gurgaon, Manesar industrial areas. Workers in the Manesar plant of Maruti Suzuki, Honda, Hero Honda and other industrial units joined the strike and held demonstrations.
Demonstrations were held in Jammu region in support of the strike while Kashmir region continues to be under curfew. Thousands of workers from different sectors participated in the demonstrations
In Jharkhand strike was observed in industrial areas including in Jamshedpur that never participated in any strike till now. It was reported to be more massive than the strike in 2015.
An estimated 50 lakhs workers participated in the strike in Karnataka. Strike was total in the road transport sector and in all the major industries in Bengaluru and Mysore. 19 lakhs workers in the industrial clusters of Bengaluru joined the strike. Strike was total in both the units of Mico, L&T, Chenna metals, Toyota, ITC, Vikrant Tyres etc. In BEL in Bengaluru, the union affiliated to INTUC did not join the strike; despite this 80% of workers, 800 out of the total 1073 workers, more than the membership of the CITU affiliated union, joined the strike
The strike in transport sector in several cities and towns in Madhya Pradesh was total. Hamalis of agricultural mandis also participated affecting commercial transactions.
Strike was total in many private industrial areas in Maharashtra including the Pune, Aurangabad, Nagpur, Nasik, Mumbai, Solapur etc. Major industries like Ceat Ltd, Thysun Crupp, Sansonite India, Crompton Grieves, beer manufacturing units, pharma industries, liquor and textile industries were closed. Strike was total among beedi and power loom workers in Solapur.
Strike created a bandh like situation in Odisha. It was total among iron ore, manganese and coal mines workers and near total among the contract workers. Road transport including autos was totally paralysed.
Strike evoked massive response in Punjab with workers. Road transport was paralysed and industrial clusters remaining closed. Unorganised workers participated in the demonstrations in thousands.
The garment industry in Tiruppur in Tamil Nadu witnessed total strike. Strike was also effective in the Coimbatore industrial area. It was total in Ashok Leyland, Ennore Foundries, Simpson Group of companies and all three factories of TI Group in Chennai. Workers in BHEL Trichy and Ranipet, ordinance factory in Nilgiris, defence production units in Avadi and Aravangadu were totally in strike. In Aravangadu, BMS members also joined the strike. Contract workers in Manali industrial belt MFL, ATC Tyres in Tirunelveli and TCL Lancer, in L&T, in Tyre machinery making Honey Well company went on strike.
There was bandh like situation in the state due to the total participation of road transport workers in the strike in Telangana. There was total strike in most of the public sector undertakings in the state. Strike was also total in most of the industrial clusters in and around Hyderabad. On the whole the strike was reported to be even more successful than last year
Strike was total in Udhampur industrial area of Uttarakhand and partial in that in Haridwar. It was also total in public road transport in the state but partial in private road transport.
In West Bengal, bandh like situation prevailed in many districts despite the threats and intimidation of the TMC government and its goons. Government ran buses without passengers in the morning but was compelled to withdraw later. Jute mills were closed. Commercial activities were nominal. Educational institutions in several districts were closed. Most of the tea gardens remained closed.
This strike, the seventeenth joint country wide general strike after the advent of neoliberal policies in the country, was preceded by joint campaign that was better organised and taken up to the block and in some states lower level to reach the workers. In addition, CITU prepared campaign material to make the workers aware of the issues and their relationship to the government policies. Booklets exposing government claims were also published which were translated into local languages. During the strike the lower level committees were regularly up dated with information exposing government claims. This has helped in preventing the workers from succumbing to the confusion sought to be created by the government and the BMS.
This country wide general strike will definitely be a mile stone in the working class struggles of the country.
Hemalata
On this May Day, CITU
Greets the working class and toiling people of the entire world and our own country, India;
Expresses solidarity to the fight of the working class and people of all the continents against the exploitative international finance driven neoliberal capitalist order;
Extends solidarity to the people in socialist countries and their struggles in defence of socialism in their countries; reaffirms its confidence that imperialist conspiracies to undermine socialism and restore capitalism in these countries would be decisively defeated
Reasserts its commitment to socialism and its resolve to continue the fight to end the exploitative capitalist regime
Reiterates its solidarity and support to the valiant struggle of the Palestinian people against the illegal occupation of their country by Israel backed by the USA, defying world opinion; demands recognition of independent sovereign state of Palestine with 1967 borders and Jerusalem as its capital
Strongly denounces US imperialism led wars in different parts of the globe including Syria, Afghanistan, Iraq etc to establish US hegemony over the strategic natural resources and areas in the world; hundreds of thousands of people, most of them civilians, women and children have been killed, rendered homeless and destitute as a result of these imperialist military aggressions forcing them to leave their homes and seek refuge elsewhere
Upholds the principle that the fight against imperialism is an integral part of the class struggle against exploitation; reaffirms its determination to fight against imperialism and its aggressive interventions
Recalls the contributions of the World Federation of Trade Unions in leading the international struggle of the working class against imperialism; asserts its faith that the 17th Congress of WFTU in October will be another milestone in WFTU’s efforts to mobilise the world working class against imperialist onslaughts on the toiling people across the world
Stands in solidarity with all the people across the world in their struggles against exploitation and onslaught on their rights
Extends support to the surging struggles within the country against the attacks on democratic rights; condemns the attacks on students and universities expressing differing opinions or encouraging debate; supports the students and youth asserting their fundamental rights of freedom of expression
Salutes the working class and other toiling people of West Bengal for heroically resisting the inhuman attacks of the TMC government and its goons
On this May Day, CITU
Notes that, all the clamour about recovery notwithstanding, the global economic crisis continues unabated, with signs of aggravation in several parts of the globe since the last over eight years; the
CITU.....
attempts by the ruling classes to come out of the crisis by aggressively shifting the burdens on to the common people – by attacking their lives and livelihoods and curbing their hard won rights in the name of ‘austerity’ while protecting corporate profits and promoting their loot on the common people and national assets - have not only proved futile but also counter productive; in fact they carry the seeds for the next, in all probability a more devastating, crisis; unemployment and job losses have attained intolerable proportions exposing the total failure and inability of the capitalist system in the full and proper use of the precious human resources to improve the well being of humanity
Demands that working hours be reduced to 35 hours a week and working day to comprise four shifts, as a means for employment generation and an immediate measure to address the serious unemployment situation in the world
Observes that the increasing discontent and anger of the people against the impact of the pro corporate and pro rich neoliberal policies, against the widening income disparities have led to their growing participation in struggles to protect their working conditions and livelihoods; increasing sections of people – workers, peasants, youth, unemployed, women - are getting gradually disillusioned with the capitalist model of development that has resulted in obscene levels of inequality and disparity with 62 richest people owning wealth equal to that of half the world’s population; 1% of people owning more than that by the other 99% combined; the wealth owned by the poorest 50% of population dropped by 41% between 2010 and 2015; in India, trend is almost the same, rather more obscene- richest 1% Indians own 53% of country’s wealth while the top 10% own 76.3%
Notes with utmost concern that in the absence of a strong progressive and left alternative, in several countries right wing, retrograde, reactionary and racist forces are gaining ground and trying to divert peoples’ anger into fratricidal fights against one another, to prevent it being channelised into united struggles against the discredited neoliberal regime and the capitalist system itself
Pledges to direct all its resources, energies and initiatives to spread awareness among the working class and the toiling people in general about the real culprit of their miseries and depravations – the exploitative capitalist system, to rouse them to the urgent need to uproot it and to prepare them for the ultimate struggle to end all exploitation
On this May Day, CITU
Warns the people of our country India, about the twin dangers that confront the working class and all sections of the common people today – the neoliberal policies zealously being pursued by the BJP led Modi government resulting in deterioration of the conditions of our working people on the one hand, and the vicious attempts to weaken the struggles against these policies by dividing people on the basis of religion, region, caste, etc and disrupt their unity, on the other
The Modi led government at the centre is pampering the national and multinational corporations and big business houses with bonanzas – tax concessions, rewards to tax and bank loan defaulters, and exemptions from laws of the land including labour laws. It is handing them control over the nation’s wealth – our public sector, our lands, our mines, our seas, our hills and our forests, and most of all, our people, for unbridled exploitation.
At the same time, the vast majority of workers and the peasants who produce wealth expending their sweat and blood are being pushed into slavery and penury; they are denuded of their lands, their jobs, their rights and their livelihoods. Laws are being amended to make the illegal legal, to legitimise corporate loot of our people and our national resources; expenditure on social welfare
CITU.....
benefits like ICDS, MGNREGA, NHM, Midday meal programme etc are being drastically cut; agrarian crisis and peasant suicides continue unabated; despite all the hype of ‘Make in India’, ‘Start Up India’ and ‘Stand Up India’, employment generation remains elusive, in fact, it is slowing down.
There is a serious attack on the basic democratic rights of the people. Dissent is sought to be curtailed. Voices that question are being suppressed. Driven by the communal fascistic ideology of the RSS, the various communal outfits of the Hindutva brigade are on rampage physically attacking and even killing those who hold views opposed to theirs, those who stand for progressive, rational and scientific thinking. All those who differ from their views are being branded ‘anti national’. Threats of ‘killing lakhs’ ‘cutting off the tongues’, ‘chopping off the heads’ etc emanate from people holding constitutional positions as ministers, MPs, MLAs etc of the ruling BJP, with the benign and tacit support of the government.
It is the irony of our times that RSS, an organisation which had consciously kept itself aloof from the nation’s independence struggle, today seeks to appropriate to itself the right to certify patriotism and nationalism; BJP, the party that leads a government pursuing policies detrimental to our national interests, question the patriotism of those who oppose such anti national policies!
On this May Day, CITU
Reminds the people of our country that the communal fascistic acts of the Hindutva forces, in turn, increase the danger of minority fundamentalism and terrorism;
Reasserts its strong belief that that majority and minority fundamentalism thrive on each other; both divide people, disrupt their unity, divert their attention from their real day to day issues, weaken their struggle to improve their lives; and ultimately both help the exploiting classes
Reiterates its conviction that the struggle for defending, widening and consolidating the unity of the class and the people against the communal, jingoist and disruptive forces is integral to the united struggle against neoliberal economic order and its political advocates
Is conscious that this conviction places upon its shoulders - the task of uniting all sections of toiling people in the struggle against both neo liberalism and fundamentalism and the politics that promote both; the tasks of advancing the struggle to achieve a comprehensive change in the correlation of class forces in favour of a Left Democratic Alternative
Exhorts the working class of the country to be in the forefront to unite all sections of toiling people - the peasants, agricultural workers, unemployed and youth; to raise in one voice their strong opposition to the neoliberal agenda of the ruling classes; and to resist all attempts to disrupt their unity, whether in the name of religion, caste, region or gender
Calls upon the entire working class of the country, irrespective of their trade union affiliations or lack of any, to join the countrywide general strike on 2nd September 2016 as decided by the joint platform of central trade unions and industrial federations; urges the common people, in urban and rural areas, to extend their full and wholehearted support to this strike that raises demands not only of the workers, not only of all sections of toiling people, but demands intended to protect our self reliant economy and national sovereignty
CITU.....
On this May Day 2016, CITU appeals
To the working class of India
To widen and deepen its unity irrespective of trade union affiliations and strengthen united struggles against the anti worker, anti people and anti national neoliberal policies of the government
To strengthen bonds of solidarity across sectors and states to resist and defeat the attacks on their rights, on their jobs, on their livelihoods and living conditions
To forge unity with all the other sections of toiling people, the peasants, agricultural workers, artisans and other rural workers to take the struggle against the neoliberal regime to a higher level to inflict its decisive defeat
To identify the real cause of their worsening conditions – the capitalist system and the politics and forces that promote the system; and to prepare themselves for the struggle to change this exploitative system
acquistare cialis 20 mg, Ravenna - dove acquistare il genericoTo be vigilant against the attempts to divide and disrupt its unity, in whatsoever garb or colour it is presented and to promptly intervene to thwart all such attempts
On this May Day 2016 CITU
Raises its voice in support of
International Solidarity of the Working Class
Unity Against all Exploitation and Oppression
Down With Capitalism and Imperialism
Down With Imperialist led Neoliberal Globalisation
Long Live Socialism
Workers of the World Unite
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CITU Salutes the Working Class of India for the Historic Strike On 2ndSeptember 2015
Written by Super User
Collective resistance against the government’s anti-people policies
Written by Super User
All India General Strike, 2nd September 2015
Millions of workers have so far participated in the preparatory meetings and rallies in support of the nationwide General Strike on 2nd September 2015, called by the Platform of Central Trade Unions and National Federations of Employees. The unprecedented support from the workers shows the urge for changing the current economic policies that have put the workers and peasants into tremendous crisis. The united platform of the trade unions consists of 11 central trade unions viz. BMS, INTUC, AITUC, HMS, CITU, AIUTUC, TUCC, SEWA, AICCTU, UTUC, LPF and All India Federations of Banks, Insurance, Defense, Telecom, Central/State Government Employees and other Service Establishments. A National convention of these organisations held on 26 May 2015 had given the call for General Strike on 2nd September 2015. The trade unions have served a demand notice to the Centre and States Governments that consists a 12-point Charter of demands which includes the following:
1. Urgent measures for containing price-rise through universalisation of Public Distribution System and banning speculative trade in commodity market.
2. Containing unemployment through concrete measures for employment generation.
3. Strict enforcement of all basic labour laws without any exception or exemption and stringent punitive measures for violation of labour laws.
4. Universal social security cover for all workers.
5. Minimum wages of not less than Rs 15,000/- per month with provisions of indexation.
6. Assured enhanced pension not less than Rs.3,000/- p.m. for the entire working population.
7. Stoppage of disinvestment in Central/State PSUs.
8. Stoppage of contractual work in permanent perennial work and payment of same wage and benefits for contract workers as regular workers for same and similar work.
9. Removal of all ceilings on payment and eligibility of bonus and provident fund; increase the quantum of gratuity.
10. Compulsory registration of trade unions within a period of 45 days from the date of submitting application and immediate ratification of ILO Conventions C 87 and C 98.
11. Stoppage of Pro Employer Labour Law Amendments.
12. Stoppage of FDI in Railways, Insurance and Defense.
In addition to these the central trade unions are also demanding the withdrawal of the Land Acquisition amendment ordinance.
This charter of demands has got support not only from farmers but also youth and students of the country. The main concern of the trade unions are the drastic changes the Central and several State Governments intending to bring to the labour laws, including the Industrial Disputes Act. These labour law amendments whether by the government of India or by different state governments led by the BJP ruled Rajasthan government or Madhya Pradesh government, are aimed at empowering the employers to ‘hire and fire’ workers at their sweet will. They enable the employers to declare closures/ shut downs and retrench/lay off workers as well as to resort to mass scale conctractualization. They would push more than seventy percent of the industrial establishments in the country and their workers out of the purview of almost all labour laws.
All the Central Trade Unions have convened their national level meetings and chalked out programmes for independent and joint campaigns. All the Central Trade Unions have also held their own organizational meetings at state level. Those initiatives have resulted in successful holdings of the state level and sectoral conventions of all the Trade Unions and Federations. Starting from West Bengal, all the states have organized joint Conventions and adopted resolutions calling upon the unions and federations in the state to join the countrywide strike. National leaders of Central Trade Unions have attended these conventions, raising enthusiasm among the delegates participating. An important development in these conventions is the participation of state level organizations, mostly guided by the regional political parties. These organizations include the Trade Union wings or guided organizations of Shiv Sena, Telengana Rajya Samithi, Telugudesam, MDMK, DMDK and VCK in Tamilnadu, JMM in Jharkhand. In Kerala all the regional trade unions including those attached to ruling parties in the state have been participating in the countrywide strikes conducted after 2009. There are also organizations at state level, not attached to any political parties, but led by individuals or functioning as independent organizations like Working Peoples Council in Tamilnadu, which are also participating in the strike. State level conventions of the trade unions have been completed in all the states. Joint meetings and conventions were held in different sectors both organised and unorganised – Public sector units, Coal, Petroleum, Steel, Port and Dock, Road Transport, Electricity, Defense, Banking, Insurance, Telecom, State and Central Governemnt employees, Scheme workers, Construction workers etc. were held. Strike notices - union wise as well as joint are given in different sectors from 14- 18 August. Our farmers and agricultural workers are on the path of suicides, not able to withstand the blood sucking policies of the ruling class. Various sections of farmers and agricultural workers are already on struggle. The distress the Indian villages are facing is the result of the inhuman and exploitative policies being pursued by the rulers. It is for the working class of the country to be in the forefront of struggles against these policies and give confidence to all other sections of toiling masses in their struggles. The solidarity of all sections of toilers has to be strengthened. The unity of the Trade Unions on the basis of an agreed charter and the struggles being conducted have to be developed into a massive struggle against the anti-people, neo-liberal policies.
The countrywide General strike on 2nd September, should mark the beginning of a new phase of struggle. This one day general strike will turn into a massive action to warn the ruling class against their policies. We should force a change in the policy trajectory of the country and working people should move towards that as a united force.
Issued by
Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU)
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Urgent measures for containing price-rise through universalisation of public distribution system and banning speculative trade in commodity market
Containing unemployment through concrete measures for employment generation
Strict enforcement of all basic labour laws without any exception or exemption and stringent punitive measures for violation of labour laws.
Universal social security cover for all workers
Minimum wages of not less than Rs 15,000/- per month with provisions of indexation
Assured enhanced pension not less than Rs.3,000/- p.m. for the entire working population
Stoppage of disinvestment in Central/State PSUs
Stoppage of contractorisation in permanent perennial work and payment of same wage and benefits for contract workers as regular workers for same and similar work
Removal of all ceilings on payment and eligibility of bonus, provident fund; increase the quantum of gratuity.
Compulsory registration of trade unions within a period of 45 days from the date of submitting application; and immediate ratification of ILO Conventions C 87 and C 98
Stoppage of Pro Employer Labour Law Amendments
Stoppage of FDI in Railways, Insurance and Defence
In addition to these the central trade unions are also demanding the withdrawal of the Land Acquisition amendment bill/ordinance.
A.K. Padmanabhan
The working people of the country, from almost all the sectors, from all the states, have very well completed their preparation for the 24 hour strike on 2nd September. This strike is the 16th countrywide General strike after 1991, against the neoliberal offensive of the ruling classes and the fourth strike after all the 11 central TUs and also the National Federations came on a joint platform.
All informations from various corners of the country indicate that most enthusiastic preparations have been there to make the strike a complete success.
Central Trade Unions
All the Central Trade Unions have convened their national level meetings and chalked out programmes for independent and joint campaigns. All the Central Trade Unions have also, according to media reports, held their own organizational meetings at state level also. Those initiatives have resulted in successful holdings of the state level and sectoral conventions of all the Trade Unions and Federations.
State Conventions
Starting from West Bengal, all the states have organized joint Conventions and adopted resolutions calling upon the unions and federations in the state to join the countrywide strike. National leaders of CTUs have attended these conventions, raising enthusiasm among the delegates participating.
An important development in these conventions are the participation of state level organizations, mostly guided by the regional political parties. These organizations include the Trade Union wings or guided organizations of Shiv Sena, Telengana Rajya Samithi, Telugudesam, MDMK, DMDK and VCK in Tamilnadu, JMM in Jharkhand. In Kerala all the regional trade unions including those attached to ruling parties in the state have been participating in the countrywide strikes conducted after 2009. There are also organizations at state level, not attached to any political parties, but led by individuals or functioning as independent organizations like Working Peoples Council in Tamilnadu, which are also participating in the strike.
Public Sector Unions
The Convention of Public Sector Employees unions in Bengaluru on 25th July witnessed participation of unions form all over the country. Unions affiliated to all the major central trade unions and also the Joint Action Front of PSU unions Bengaluru and PSU Trade Union Co-ordination Committee, Hyderabad participated. 287 delegates from 28 major PSUs attended this Convention, which adopted a declaration criticizing the Government of India’s policies of Privatisation and denigration of PSUs. Adopting the 12 point charter of demands and also on issues of PSU Public Sector Workers the convention vowed to make the strike a total success.
CITU affiliated unions along with some of the fraternal unions in PSUs, had held a meeting in Hyderabad on 22nd June. 157 delegates from more than 50 units had attended this meeting, which was called by All India Co-ordination Committee of Public Sector Trade Unions.
State level workshops or conventions were also held in various centers where considerable number of PSUs are operating.
Sectoral Convention
Coal workers, under the leadership of all the major federations held a national convention in Nagpur, on 11th July, resolving to make the strike a complete success. Local and regional conventions were held in different states.
Port and Dock
The Co-ordination Committee of five national federations of Port and Dock Workers met at Paradeep on 21st June to plan out campaigns among the port and dock workers. Meeting again at Chennai on 8th and 9th August to review the preparations the committee decided to direct all the affiliated unions to issue strike notices to the management. Detailed programme of campaigning was worked out.
Petroleum Workers
National Federations of Petroleum Sector Workers held a national Convention on 18th August, in Mumbai, where Trade Unions representing all major Oil and Gas undertakings participated. Leaders of CITU, AITUC and INTUC led federations participated along with worker representatives from different centers.
Telecom Workers
BSNL employees who went on a two-day strike with a demand of Save BSNL, are fully prepared for the strike on 2nd September. All the Unions of employees have jointly served strike notice and campaigns have been well organized.
Road Transport Workers
Road Transport Workers will be participating in the strike enmasse. After the most successful countrywide strike of Road Transport Workers on 30th April, when workers from State Government undertakings, private and also of self employed sections participated, the enthusiasm among the Road Transport Workers have increased manifold.
A national convention on 4th August in Mavalankar Hall in New Delhi witnessed participation form all over the country including Arunachal Pradesh and Manipur. All Central TUs and independent federations form various states participated in the Convention which decided to organize successful strike of the Road Transport Workers on 2nd September.
Electricity Workers
The National Co-ordination Committee of Electricity Employees and Engineers (NCCOEEE) have been on country wide campaigns against the new electricity Bill, which will in effect be a death knell to the demands of Electricity as a human right. Affordable and quality energy to the domestic consumers will come to an end if the new Bill is passed. NCCOEEE had decided to go on a countrywide strike it the new Bill is introduced in Parliament. Though it was listed to be introduced, it could not be introduced in the Monsoon Session. Now, the unions have decided to concentrate on the 2nd September strike.
Central and State Government Employees
Central Government employees under the Confederation of Central Government Employees and Workers, is on a countrywide campaign to make he General strike a powerful Day of protest by mobilizing all sections of employees –Postal, Income-tax, Audit and Accounts and various departments.
As far as the State Government Employees are concerned All India State Government Employees Federation leaders are on tour to mobilize employees for the strike after a formal decision to go for strike was taken on 11th July. State and local level Conventions have been organized in various states.
Defence Employees
Civilian employees of the Defence department are in full preparation for the strike. All India Defence Employees Federation (AIDEF) and the INTUC and BMS led federations have jointly appealed to the workers to go on strike. Strike Ballot was taken by the 3 federations, independently form 4th to 6th.
Financial Sector
Major Unions in Banking and Insurance Sector are, as usual, actively preparing for the strike, which will be a total success on 2nd September. Reserve Bank and NABARD will also be on strike.
Medical Representatives
As has been the tradition, in all the previous struggles, medical representatives under the banner of FMRAI are well prepared in every state to go on strike this time also.
Scheme Workers
In the Anganwadi Sector, all the federations have jointly decided to participate in the strike. Asha workers. Mid-Day Meal workers, NCLP workers etc. are also in the campaign to make the strike a powerful protest against the Government’s attitude towards the Scheme Workers.
The reports reaching from different parts of the country show that enthusiastic campaigns are going on in all the Industrial Centres in the country. Organised Sector workers, both in Public Sector and Private Sector, along with the huge Sections of unorganized sector workers, daily wage earners and all Sections of toilers are preparing for the strike.
House to house campaigns, Panchayat level Conventions, torch light processions are being held in different parts of the country with thousands of work spot level meetings with massive participation of men and women. In many centres, General strike will turn into a total hartal.
Country is on the move
On 15th August, we saw, country wide celebrations of the Independence Day. India has entered the 69th year of Independence. The lofty goals at the time of the freedom struggle and the dreams of thousands of our Martyrs and millions who languished in the jails facing torture and hardships still remain a very distant even to-day.
Our Kisans and Agricultural Workers are on the path of suicides, not able to withstand the blood sucking policies of the ruling class. Various sections of Kisans and Agricultural workers are already on struggle. The distress the Indian villages are facing are the result of the inhuman and exploitative policies being pursued by the rulers. It is for the working class of the country to be in the forefront of struggles against these policies and give confidence to all other sections of toiling masses in their struggles. The solidarity of all sections of toilers have to be strengthened.
The unity of the Trade Unions on the basis of an agreed charter and the struggles being conducted have to be developed in to a massive struggle against the anti-people, neo-liberal policies.
The countrywide General strike on 2nd September, should mark the beginning of a new phase of struggle. This one day strike will turn into a massive action to warn the ruling class against their policies. We should force a change in the policy trajectory of the country and working people should unitedly move towards that.
On the occasion of May Day 2015, CITU extends warm greetings to the working class and toiling people of the entire world and expresses solidarity to their ongoing struggle against exploitation let loose against them by the neoliberal capitalist order. On this International Day of working class solidarity and unity, CITU reasserts its firm commitment to the goal of socialism and socialist ideals and its firm resolve to continue its fight for ending the exploitative regime.
Solidarity to Struggles Worldwide
The growing discontent and anger against the impact of the imperialist dictated neoliberal policy regime is reflected in the rising surge of struggles everywhere. Engulfed in severe continuing crisis, the world capitalist order have become more desperate and aggressive in passing on the entire burden of crisis on the working people through more vigorous and atrocious onslaughts on their rights and livelihood. Working class all over the world is engaged in bitter struggles against such attacks. The entire world has been reverberating with militant strikes and mobilisations with the participation of hundreds of thousands of workers across Europe, the USA, Asia, Arica and Latin America. More and more people are raising their voice against the most obscene disparity and inequality imposed on them. On this May Day 2015, CITU, while carrying on its own struggles, gathers immense strength and inspiration from those struggles of the working people surging worldwide.
Against Imperialism
On this international day of working class solidarity, CITU reiterates its commitment to fight against imperialism and its aggressive machinations on the developing countries including ours. During the intervening period since May Day 2014, the imperialist powers led by US administration have become much more aggressive as well as aggressionist in its hegemonic ploy on the developing resource rich countries. Middle East and Latin America are bearing the brunt of their machinations. Such hegemonic intervention by imperialist powers is integral to the machinations of the neoliberal economic order being sought to be imposed on the humanity by the international finance capital. It is continuing with its military and other types of interventions to subvert popular governments in developing countries, to gain control over their natural resources including oil and gas and establish its dominance over strategic regions. The working class in these countries is engaged in bitter struggles against such imperialist machinations and also against the onslaughts on their livelihood and rights through so called ‘austerity measures’ and various other means by their respective ruling classes compromising with imperialism. We must note here that the heroic peoples of Latin America, with socialist Cuba in the forefront have been showing the way of building massive people’s movement against these imperialist offensives. The commencement of the process of re-establishment of diplomatic relations between USA and Cuba clearly signals the retreat of US administration which we all must rejoice.
CITU firmly upholds the principle that the fight against imperialism is an integral part of class struggle against exploitation. It reiterates its strong commitment and support to anti imperialist struggles across the world and to undertake with priority the task of heightening anti-imperialist consciousness as well as the consciousness of international solidarity in the working class movement in India.
Solidarity to Socialist Countries
CITU greets the working class of all the socialist countries and extends its solidarity with their struggles in defence of socialism in their countries. On the occasion of this May Day, CITU reaffirms its confidence that all attempts of the counter revolutionary forces and imperialist conspiracies to undermine socialism and restore capitalism will be defeated by the working class and the people in the socialist countries.
CITU reasserts its support to the heroic struggle of the Palestinian people for their motherland and against illegal occupation of their land by Israel with the open support of the USA, defying world opinion. CITU demands the recognition of an independent sovereign state of Palestine with 1967 borders and Jerusalem as its capital.
On this day of International solidarity of the working class, which falls in the seventieth year of the World Federation of Trade Unions, the CITU, while upholding the praiseworthy continuing initiative of WFTU in championing the cause of struggle against imperialist driven neoliberal order, calls upon the working class in general and its affiliate unions in particular to observe the seventieth year of WFTU through various programmes of educative campaign and organize the world action day on 3rd October 2015 in a befitting manner.
Global Crisis
Despite all noises on recovery, there has been no respite from the global economic crisis for the workers and the common people. The response of the capitalist class to this crisis is paving way for a more destructive crisis. The burdens of the global crisis are being passed on to the common people by imposing the so called austerity measures and curbing their hard won rights and benefits. At the same time huge concessions and tax exemptions are being extended to the corporates and financial institutions responsible for the crisis. Working people across the world, in the developed as well as developing countries is specifically targeted for such attacks including curbing of labour rights, cuts in jobs, wages, pensions, health care, and other benefits. The number of the working poor is increasing phenomenally reflecting deterioration in quality of work and menacing exploitation. Unemployment, particularly among youth and more so among educated youth has been on the rise to an alarming proportion.
In India
The challenges being faced by the toiling people of our country are inseparably linked with this continuing crisis of neoliberal capitalist order on a global scale. Struggle against this inhuman order along with its manifestation on the life and living of the people, on the national economy, on the society and on the polity must have to be built on this basic understanding. Then only our movemental initiative can be dovetailed towards our goal of transformation of the exploitative system engulfed into a deep systemic crisis. On this May Day, CITU pledges to direct all its initiative in developing this understanding among the widest section of working people.
While extending solidarity to the ongoing struggles of the entire toiling class, the workers, peasants, agricultural workers, students, youth, women and others against the grievous onslaught of the crisis ridden neoliberal economic policy regime on their rights and lives, CITU aspires, on the occasion of this May Day, 2015, to channelize such assertion among all sections of society into a united struggle of the entire people against this destructive policy regime as well as the political operators of such regime.
CITU notes with great interest the visible organised expression of anguish among the peasantry and agricultural workers against the deepening agrarian crisis affecting their lives and also against the notorious Land Acquisition Ordinance by the BJP Govt at the centre designed to forcibly grab lands from the farmers in favour of corporates, both domestic and foreign. It extends its wholehearted support to such uprising struggles and calls upon the working class to mobilize in a big way in support of their struggle. It will pave the way for a peoples’ struggle against neoliberal order.
On this May Day, CITU extends its support and solidarity to the brave workers and people of West Bengal who have been heroically fighting the barbaric attacks of the Trinamool goondas. The Trinamool Congress (TMC) has let loose inhuman attacks on all democratic institutions including trade unions and the organisations of peasants, students, youth and women, particularly targeting those close to the Left parties. Hundreds of Left cadres including trade union activists, and Left supporters have been killed, thousands have been forced to leave their villages and take shelter far away, women are being raped, offices of trade unions and kisan-sabha etc are forcefully captured or burnt. These attacks should be seen not only as attacks on the Left but on the democracy as a whole. In almost all elections right from municipal elections to elections in the cooperative societies, TMC goons supported by the lumpenised state administration capture the booths and loot the votes depriving the electorates of their rights. The democratic people of West Bengal led by the Left parties are heroically fighting such atrocities facing murders, rapes and arsons and brutalities of all kinds. CITU is an integral part of that struggle and will continue to fight in defence of democracy and rights of the common people.
All round attack on the toiling people
The country now under the BJP-led Govt at the centre, is witnessing an all round attack on the labour right of the workers and land-right of the farmers; attack on wages and livelihood of the working people who create wealth for the nation and also attack on remunerative prices for the farmers who produces food for the people; attack on social security right in the form of doing away with the employees provident fund scheme and diverting a part of the fund for speculation in share market, doing away with ESI though converting the same into a insurance scheme under IRDA; drastic cut on social sector expenditure and allocation on welfare schemes like ICDS, Mid-day-meal, NRHM, MNREGA with the motive of finally doing away with such pro-people schemes and programmes altogether. The union Budget (2015-16) of this BJP Govt has laid bare the most cruel onslaught on the common people, both in cities and villages, in industries, services and agriculture under deceptive sound-bites on development, investment and employment generation which is never to materialize except aggravating the loot on the people and country’s resources and exchequers by the corporate and big-business lobby, both domestic and foreign and engineering fraud on the people and the states.
Simultaneously with budget, the Govt of the day has launched a plunderous attack on the natural resources and national assets of the country. Ordinances have been promulgated for denationalization of coal-mining sector, deregulation of the other mineral resources through auction route totally unconcerned and unmindful of the livelihood and rights of the local and tribal population, forest dwellers and labour-rights of the miners, and privatization and deregulation of the Insurance sector, and also the changing Land Acquisition Act to grab land from farmers without consent in favour of corporate and big business lobby. Onslaught of privatisation and disinvestment of public sector units, vital infrastructure and public utility services is going on in full swing; major ports of the country are being corporatized to pave the way for privatisation. The entire modus operandi of the Govt at the centre in pushing through these so called reforms-exercise, both in forms, method and content, signals a consistent affront on the democratic processes, institutions and structure bearing ominous portends for the democracy as a whole.
An aggressive exercise has been going to completely alter the existing labour laws like Factories Act, Industrial Disputes Act, Contract Labour (Regulation & Abolition) Act, all wages related legislations etc in favour of the employers with the ultimate aim of pushing overwhelming majority of the country’s workforce out of protection and purview of all labour laws and completely dismantling the entire labour-law-enforcement machinery. Never before, the working people of the country, who create GDP for the nations, generate resource for the national exchequer and also produce profit for the employers are faced with such heinous, atrocious all round attacks on their rights, lives and livelihood.
Along with such overhauling exercise on labour laws in favour of their masters in the capitalist lobby, the Govts of the day both at the centre and the states have been directly patronizing the ongoing attacks on the workers in various workplaces through mass scale contractorisation, non-payment of statutory minimum wages and social security benefits, lock-outs, closures, retrenchment and atrocities in various other forms, none of which cannot stand the test of law. When the Govt has been shouting at top-voice on its promises on employment generations, workers in numerous establishments including MNCs, IT sector mostly in the age-group of 25 to 40 years have been losing jobs in several thousands as being witnessed in Nokia, Foxconn, TCS, I-gate etc. The real employment scenario in the country is that, more people are losing jobs than new opportunities created, regular workers are replaced by casual and temporary workers with working conditions of virtual slavery. Should a civilized society put up with such all round degeneration in quality of life being perpetrated by the corporate servile BJP-regime ?
Unifying the Class, Preserving Unity of the Toiling People
Fighting Communal and Divisive Forces
Fighting Social Oppression
Heightening the united struggle and for that unifying the entire toiling class through that process is the urgent need of the hour and CITU reasserts its pledge on this May Day to work in that direction. This task assumed great importance in the face of a party with rabid communal ideology running the country’s governance.
Along with such atrocious onslaught on the national economy, natural resources, national assets and on the life and livelihood of the common people, workers, peasants and agricultural workers, the BJP-led regime with its parallel network of RSS bandwagons has been spitting venoms on the unilty and tranquility of the society through its communal and divisive machinations through its “ghar wapsi” and other progrommes in order to divide people and divert the attention from its anti-people designs of “pay back” or “dhan-wapsi” to their corporate donors cum masters. This is nothing but a heinous conspiracy to sustain its policy of loot and plunder on the national economy and the people without any hurdles.
And such communal divisive machinations on the society with active Govt-patronage acts in promoting divisive forces of various hues and aggravating social oppression on dalits and downtrodden and under present regime they are already on the rise threatening unity of people. In fact, the neoliberal policies have in fact accentuated their oppression and the communal divisive provocation by the RSS-BJP bandwagon with Govt-patronage has further aggravated the situation creating ground for raising of head by so called identity politics of various brands, acting to fragment the society in different conflicting directions.
In such a situation, the task of unifying the working class in its entirety has become multi-dimensional and consistent fight against the communal and divisive forces from the independent platform of CITU and conscious initiative against all kinds of social oppression from the class-platform have become integral to such multidimensional task along with intensifying the united struggle against the onslaught of the ruling class. CITU pledges to undertake this task with a comprehensive approach with renewed vigour.
Carry the United Struggle to Further Height
Protest Must Be Elevated to Resistance
Such grave anti-people and anti national design of loot and plunder on the nation and imposing slavery on the people must be resolutely resisted by the united working class movement to save the workers, save the people and save the country. This is the clarion call of May Day 2015. Already joint actions including strikes have taken place in various sectors like coal, banks, insurance etc. Joint struggles including strikes have been planned in many other sectors including road transport, construction, BSNL and postal-services in the coming months. CITU extends total support to all these struggles. The Joint Platform of Central Trade Unions have already demonstrated their united opposition through observance of protest day on 5th December 2014 and mass countrywide satyagraha and court arrest on 26th February 2015.
Given the aggressiveness of all round atrocious attack on the working people and the national economy, the aggressive auctioneering mode in respect of vital national assets, infrastructure, PSUs and public utility services like electricity etc, the notorious design of forcible land grabbing from the farmers, not only dislodging farmers but the agricultural workers and agrarian population as a whole, the present level of protest programmes by the joint platform of central trade unions and federations must be heightened to a struggle of determined resistance by the working class and the toiling people from all sectors. Countrywide militant strike action is the urgent need of the hour which will unleash similar resistance action in every sector of the economy, both in cities and villages, factories and farms, services and sites throughout the country. The designs of auctioning cum mortgaging the country’s economy and imposing slavery on the people cannot be allowed to pass.
Appeal of May Day 2015
CITU appeals to the working class in the country to develop solidarity across industries, sectors and states to defeat the attacks on their rights, on their livelihoods and lives.
On this May Day CITU appeals to the entire working class to strengthen unity at the grass root level and heighten the struggle against the neoliberal regime to take it to a decisive stage to defeat these policies and also the politics behind them. CITU appeals to all sections of the toiling people to join this struggle.
On this May Day CITU appeals to the entire working class to be vigilant against any attempts to divide the working class and disrupt unity in whatever name – religion, caste, community, language, territory or gender. Unity and struggle are our weapons in our fight against oppression and exploitation.
Long Live International Solidarity of the Working Class
Unite Against Exploitation and Oppression
Down with Capitalism and Imperialism
Down with Imperialist led Neoliberal Globalisation
Long Live Socialism
Workers of the World Unite
The government's decision to promulgate ordinance to take back 214 coal blocks previously allocated to various private entities for so called captive use following the Order of Supreme Court quashing such allocation is noted. This judgement was vindication of the stand of the Central Trade Unions and Coal Workers’ Federations opposing the scandalous allocations to private entities. But the government's move to again reallocate most of those coal blocks to private entities through first round e auction is not at all a welcome decision. Also unwelcome is the reported enabling provision in the proposed Ordinance for commercial mining by private entities in future may be through subsequent rounds, as reported by the media. Such enabling provision, if any, will open the door for denationalization of coal sector. CITU condemns the move of the government to nullify the Coal Nationalisation Act.
These 200 plus coal blocks were allotted mostly to private entities during the span of last twenty years or so for mining coal for captive use of which only a small numbers could be made operational, that too, mostly by public sector companies. The incompetence of private entities to explore and produce coal even from the blocks allotted to them stands conclusively proved.
All the workers unions/federations in coal sector, while welcoming the decision of the Supreme Court canceling such scandalous coal block allocation, have already demanded that all those deallocated coal blocks must be vested/returned to Coal India Ltd and cautioned the government to refrain from any move, both direct to tinker and/or tamper into the basic content and spirit of Coal Nationalisation Act 1973. Return of all those coal blocks under Apex Court's order to Coal India Ltd must be the only response by the government in the post-Supreme Court-order-situation which is consistent with the mandate of the Coal Nationalisation Act 1973.
The CITU opposes any move for denationalisation of coal industry and calls upon the workers and the trade union movement to unitedly resist such disastrous move of allowing commercial mining by private entities at the initiation stage itself. The CITU also urges Govt to reconsider it's decision to auction those coal blocks again to private entities and instead vest all of them to Coal India Ltd for exploration and mining. Coal India Ltd should remain the only nodal agency to mine coal and deliver to consumers including industries in national interest and it should be further strengthened consolidated.
A K PADMANABHAN
