People's Democracy

Trade Unions Unite For Protest in Mumbai

P R Krishnan

TRADE unions of different affiliations came together on October 28 to stage a protest demonstration in Mumbai, the commercial capital of India, which on the day witnessed one of the most militant demonstrations in the recent period. The venue of this action by industrial workers and service sector employees was the Azad Maidan in South Mumbai and the sponsoring body for this protest action was the Trade Unions Joint Action Committee. It was under the banner of this committee that the call for the united programme of agitation was given. The demonstration was against the central government and the Maharashtra state government�s anti-people and anti-working class policies.

The protest action in Mumbai was in furtherance of the call given by the Delhi convention of trade unions held on September 14.

The anti-people onslaughts of the UPA government and the NCP�INC coalition government in the state of Maharashtra have been so severe that even the Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh, the Indian National Trade Union Congress and the Shiv Sena backed Bharatiya Kamgar Sena Mahasangh joined the united action this time in Mumbai. Representatives of these organisations also took part in the meeting convened by the Trade Unions Joint Action Committee on October 14, and the press conference held on October 21 in preparation for the October 28 action programme to popularise the five-point charter of demands put forward by the Delhi convention.

Demonstrators vociferously raised these demands in their march to the Azad Maiden and during the dharna staged in the Azad Maidan. These demands are: (1) prevent the rise in the prices of essential commodities, (2) end the increasing joblessness, (3) enforce labour laws and prosecute the violators of these laws, (4) ensure social security to the unorganised sector workers and (5) stop selling the shares of profit making public sector enterprises.

With flags aloft in their hands, workers started their demonstration in the Maidan at 4 p m. Blue collar workers and white collar employees began pouring into the Maidan even before the scheduled time. They came with flags and banners from different part of the metropolis. They included factory workers, office staff, state and central government employees, bank and insurance employees and the unorganised sector workers. A substantial section of them were women workers, employed on the contract basis. Participation of a large number of workers under to banner of National Railway Mazdoor Union, headed by its president Y G Joshi and general secretary P R Menon was of special attraction in the meeting.

The assembly of toiling protesters was so unique and huge that the Azad Maidan has not witnessed such a colourful, militant and united demonstration in the recent past. The gathering of protesting workers was addressed amongst gathers by Ramchandra Hulavale (INTUC), K L Bajaj and Vivek Monterio (CITU), R G Karnik (State Government Employees Confederation, Suresh Kulkarni and Anil Dhumne (BMS), Suryakant Mahadik and Sunil Chitnis (Bharatiya Kamgar Sena Mahasangh), Dada Samant (Kamgar Aghadi), Sukumar Damale and A D Golandaz (AITUC), Suryakant Bagal (HMS), Shankar Salvi (HMKP) M A Patil (Sarva Shramik Sangh), Arvind Sawant MLA and others.

It needs special mention here that the INTUC has extended its invitation to hold the next meeting of the Action Committee in its office at Parel to chalk out the future action programme by trade unions.