People's Democracy

THE sixty-seven day long historic strike of 7000 workers of Bharat Aluminium Co. Ltd effectively focussed the attention of the whole country on the frittering away of the valuable assets of the premier public sector undertaking, for the benefit of a private sector undertaking blacklisted by SEBI. The total value of the assets of BALCO, is estimated by experts at Rs 5500 crore, yet 51 per cent of the share holdings was sold to Sterlite Industries for a paltry sum of Rs 551 crore! A pretence of floating a global tender was enacted to cover up the negotiated sale of the assets with provision for a hefty kickback to those who clinched the deal on behalf of the government. This roused the anger of the entire workforce in BALCO, Korba, who went on indefinite strike from March 3, 2001, under the leadership of the BALCO Bachao Samyukta Samanvaya Samiti consisting of all the trade unions functioning in the plant.

Though the T.U. movement in Balco had been badly divided in the past, the issue of privatisation brought all of them on to a common platform. The spontaneous unity achieved by the workers was on the single demand of opposition to the privatisation of BALCO, and the throwaway price quoted to Sterlite company and not on any economic issue of the workers. It soon developed into a direct struggle against the economic policies pursued by the NDA government that is so immensely harming national interests.

The Sterlite company, after taking possession of the BALCO undertaking, adopted a policy of non-payment of part of the earned wages of regular employees, and all the earned wages of contract workers, with a view to economically pressurising the workers to withdraw the direct action at an early date. Simultaneously the Aggarwal management, with the help a local BJP leader launched a campaign among the workers that the Sterlite management would not retrench any worker, but maintain the existing working and living conditions of the workers. The BJP leadership tried to campaign among the workers that the privatisation of BALCO would not harm the interests of the workers. One BJP MP tried to hold a meeting of all the T.Us to persuade them to accept privatisation on the condition that their economic interests would be protected. However, the workers unitedly boycotted such meetings. They also refused to have any negotiations with the Sterlite management as they were opposed to the handing over of the management of the unit to a private sector company.

The workers were holding daily meetings at the gate to express their determination to continue their struggle till the scrapping of the deal. A continuous dharna at the gate was organised to boost the morale of the workers. The unity of the workers was so complete that no worker joined duty. The officers of BALCO however continued and in practice had accepted the privatisation of the BALCO.

Somehow the movement had to be maligned so the Sterlite management spread the false propaganda through the media that the workers, by not maintaining essential services, were causing damage to the equipment of the plant. This bluff of concern for the equipment was called when it became known that in point of fact the trade unions had already offered to maintain essential services without claiming any wages, an often repeated by the management which insisted that the workers should first resume duties and were not agreeable for maintainence only of essential services. Further, the management unilaterally decided to close down the furnace (Cell House) hoping to create a scare among the workers. However, the workers were determined to carry on their struggle against privatisation.

The local population in the region fully backed the fighting workers, and several political parties and social organisations joined in expressing their solidarity with the BALCO workers struggle against privatisation. The downtrodden tribal population enthusiastically joined the struggle.

The womenfolk of the township held several meetings to oppose the privatisation of BALCO, with the Janawadi Mahila Samity (local branch of AIDWA) launching a sustained campaign in the residential areas of workers and hundreds of women participated in these meetings. Some wives of the BALCO officers also joined the campaign. When Brinda Karat visited BALCO a special largely attended meeting of women was held at the gate of BALCO, which created good impact among the women in the township.

With financial assistance of the local people the BALCO Bachao Samyukta Samanvya Samiti was able to arrange a kitchen near the factory gate to feed 3000 the one’s workers and others every day.

The observation of a one-day bandh by the people of Korba in support of BALCO was a complete success, the local unit of the Kisan Sabha organised action in solidarity with the BALCO workers; the local mine workers unions in the South Eastern Coalfields offered one day’s wages to express solidarity with the BALCO workers.

Thirty-two workers from Vishakhapatnam came to BALCO by a special bus to show their support to the BALCO workers, which inspired the striking workers. The Vizag delegation contributed eight thousand rupees on the spot and promised to send one lakh within two weeks.

Several national trade union leaders visited BALCO to express support to the striking workers, among them were Tapan Sen, Gurudas Das Gupta and M K Pandhe whose high morale was further boosted despite the long drawn out character of the struggle. Mrs Jibon Roy, Dipankar Mukherjee, Gaya Singh and J Chittranjan also visited BALCO to express their support to the struggle against privatisation. Opposition MPs raised the matter in Parliament regarding the scandalous deal between the BJP government and the Sterlite Company and demanded enquiries into the kickbacks received in this anti-national deal. The BJP government could use its majority in the Lok Sabha to ride noughshod over this demand, but no so in Rajya Sabha. The BJP could not justify the deal, which had exposed the hollow claim of transparency by the NDA government in the matter.

A Convention held at BALCO on April 17, condemned the globalisation and privatisation policies of the NDA government and demanded their reversal. It was attended among others by Ardhendu Dakshi (CITU), K L Mahendra (AITUC), R A Mital (HMS). It also appealed for a countrywide solidarity with the struggle of the BALCO workers.

A joint appeal for solidarity funds to BALCO workers was issued by the INTUC, CITU, BMS, AITUC and HMS. About Rs 10 lakh were received from states outside Chattisgarh, of which the CITU and its friendly unions’ contributions were the highest. Bank unions and insurance workers also made good collections in solidarity with BALCO workers.

Communist Part of India (Marxist), contributed Rs 50,000 which was personally handed over by PB member Sitaram Yechuri to the BALCO striking workers.

The CITU, BMS, AITUC and HMS gave a call for observation of May 4 as the All India Solidarity Day for the BALCO workers; jointly wrote to the Prime Minister demanding a meeting with the central trade unions to consider the BALCO issue, and later called upon all the public sector workers in the country to go on a one-day strike on May 18, in support of the BALCO workers.

Sunderlal Patwa, Minister for Industries then called a meeting of representatives of BALCO unions, but since he refused to reconsider the decision of the BJP government rather shamelessly endorsed the shady deal with the Sterlite Industries, the BALCO workers were left with no alternative but to continue their struggle.

One of the depressing features of the struggle was the non-participation of the workers of J K Nagar (West Bengal) BALCO workers in the strike action. The workers in J K Nagar only resorted to dharna and went only on a one-day strike. When all the public sector workers were expressing full support to the heroic BALCO workers, the J K Nagar unit of Balco was not joining the strike. This created resentment among the workers in Balco at Korba. Despite CITU centres efforts it was not possible to bring the J K Nagar BALCO workers on strike. A serious view of this situation has to be taken.

On its part the Supreme Court did not give any support to the striking workers. Despite scandalous character of the BALCO deal the Supreme Court called for a mutual settlement voluntarily arrived at between management and workers. Though the Court did not directly intervene in the issues of the dispute its opinion was wrongly reported in the press, which created confusion among the workers.

Though initially the Ajit Jogi government of Chattisgarh supported the demands of the striking workers and opposed privatisation of BALCO, it was using the dispute to get political advantage for the Congress party. Though it offered to purchase Balco’s 51 per cent share for Rs. 552 crore is did not do so seriously. At a later stage the government changed its attitude suddenly and through S.P. and District Collector attempted to bring pressure on the trade unions to call off the strike.

The change in the stance of the Ajit Jogi government created an impression that the Chattisgarh government had some understanding with Sterlite management behind the backs of the workers. Due to pressure from the state government the INTUC union started vacillating and called for the settlement of the strike. The INTUC union gave a charter of demands, which also included the economic demands apart the major demand of scrapping the Balco deal. The District Collector in his talks with the BALCO Bachao Samyukta Samanvya Samiti did not consider the major demand, but proposed settlement on the economic demands of the workers.

At the same time the Sterlite management arbitrarily terminated the services of Ansari, CITU leader of BALCO, to try to browbeat the workers, but all unions demanded his reinstatement, which the Sterlite management had to accept. The management agreed to advance two months wages to workers and protect their working and living conditions, but there was no settlement on the main demand of workers, i.e. scrapping the deal of privatisation. The CITU and a section of HMS union did not sign the settlement.

Thus the strike which commenced with the demand to oppose privatisation ended with merely settling some economic demands of the workers.

After the change in the approach of the Ajit Jogi government cracks started developing in the joint movement. After 65 days of united struggle the capacity to resist of the workers started weakening, which the Samiti was not prepared to wait till May 18 when the nationwide public sector strike was to take place.

It should also be taken note of that the solidarity action of the central trade unions came too late. Had it been organised earlier perhaps the atmosphere in Balco would have been different. The all-India Public Sector strike had to be withdrawn due to the settlement arrived at BALCO itself. The central TUs should draw lessons from this and organise more effective solidarity action in support of the struggle against privatisation.

After withdrawal of the long drawn out BALCO strike, the NDA spokesmen have started trotting out the idea that the workers have ultimately accepted privatisation. Though the struggle of the BALCO workers could not achieve the objective of scrapping the deal they have by no means accepted privatisation. While withdrawing the strike the workers declared that their struggle against privatisation would continue despite the withdrawal.

The Maharashtra Bandh on April 25, which was sponsored by the entire TU movement in the state, resolutely opposed privatisation. The all-in unity of the working class must be developed on a nationwide level so that the struggle against privatisation is further strengthened.

The 67-day strike of BALCO workers has no doubt awakened the working class of India to a determined struggle against privatisation. The central trade union organisations should prepare for a bigger united struggle against privatisation all over the country so that the NDA government is ultimately forced to reverse its policies so detrimental to the national interests.