People's Democracy

Bengal Assembly Defends The Right To Strike

B Prasant

IN a non-official resolution raised on the floor of the Bengal Assembly on December 21, the Left Front legislators spoke forcefully in favour of keeping intact the right to organise strikes.  The Pradesh Congress, and the Trinamul Congress along with the self-styled ‘Left’ party SUCI chose shamelessly to oppose the resolution.

The resolution mentioned that in the struggle between capital and labour, the best weapon of the working class was the right to strike work. The leaders of the country’s freedom struggle had frequently utilised the mode of action against the British imperial rule. 

The Indian Constitution in Articles 19, 21, 51, and 51A has recognised the right to strike. Over the past one hundred years, strike actions have remained an undeniable right of the working class and there is nothing illegal or extra-legal in organising strike actions, the resolution pointed out. Judges Gajendra Gadkar, M C Chagla, and Chinnapa Reddy have upheld the viewpoint expressed in this connection by Lord Denning.

“Recently attempts have been made from interested quarters to raise questions about the fundamental, legal, and moral basis of strike actions.  In the circumstances, the assembly seeks to appeal to the state Left Front government to coordinate efforts with the union governments towards initiating appropriate steps so that the right to strike is not denied or even curtailed”, stated the resolution.

The resolution, which could not be made an all-party one because of the crass intransigence and anti-worker outlook of the opposition, was adopted finally by an overwhelming majority of the house.