People's Democracy

APSRTC STRIKE ENDS IN SUCCESS

ANDHRA PRADESH chief minister Chandrababu Naidu's World Bank driven agenda of privatisation and reforms received a set back with the successful conclusion of the 24 day long strike by 1,30,000 workers of APSRTC on November 7. After refusing to even start negotiations with the workers, the government had to bend before them just hours before the state wide bandh called by all central trade unions and supported by the nine Left parties and the Congress had to come into force. The indefinite strike was called off, following an agreement reached after protracted negotiations between the JAC and the Cabinet Sub-committee.

The attempts of the government to divide the striking employees and weaken the widespread struggle by resorting to police repression - more than 5000 employees along with workers of Opposition parties and mass organisations were arrested- failed to dampen the spirit of the determined striking employees. The militant struggle of the Left parties, Trade Unions in solidarity with the workers strengthened their resolve further.

This victory of the APSRTC workers has given a boost to the confidence of the working class that the reform process can be resisted unitedly.

Some of the main reasons for this success to the workers in spite of malicious propaganda against them and the TUs in general are:

1. The unprecedented unity displayed by the RTC workers.
2. Support to the struggle from trade unions and opposition political parties.
3. Public opinion was in favour of the issues raised by the workers.
4. The resoluteness shown by the workers in the face of brutal repression unleashed through arrests, dismissals and suspensions.

The government which thought it could browbeat the workers into submission through tough measures and postures had to eat humble pie as it went the extra mile to make peace with them on the eve of state bandh. This outcome has given new vigour to the trade union movement in the state. CITU, the Left parties, particularly CPI(M) have worked hard to make the strike a success.

In the agreement signed by the two Unions in the JAC and the Management of the RTC, it was agreed to implement pay revision from April last onwards, with a benefit of Rs.125 crore to the employees. The government also agreed to reduce the Motor Vehicle Tax on city services to 10 per cent and on rural services to 12.5 per cent and also to reimburse 50 per cent of fare concession given by the RTC to various sections of commuters. It has been agreed to curb illegal plying of private fleet and appoint a committee for this purpose. Another committee would be appointed for rationalisation of M V Tax. Both sides came to an agreement altogether on 35 points against 68 demands of the JAC. The CITU-affiliated Staff and Workers Federation (SWF), however, termed the agreement unsatisfactory and felt that better concessions could have been extracted had the JAC acted with the same determination and militancy displayed by the striking employees and workers. The SWF refused to sign the agreement, but called off the strike in the light of the decision of the other two unions in the JAC and the difficulties being faced by the public as a result of the indefinite strike.

Inspite of all these limitations the glorious 24 day successful strike of RTC workers has strengthened the struggle against World Bank-Naidu policies being forced on the people of the state.

The leaders of the 9 Left parties conveyed hearty congratulations to the Trade Unions, leaders and workers of political parties and the people who extended their support to the strike. It was a moral victory in the sense that the struggle got support of the people because it was not confined to the demands of the employees but encompassed the demand for protecting the RTC, said B V Raghavulu, secretary of the State Committee of the CPI(M).

He also made it clear that the partial reduction of the M V Tax and 50 per cent reimbursement of fare concession would not bring the RTC out of red and that total removal of discrimination in taxation against the RTC and complete reimbursement of fare concession alone would enable the Corporation to run profitably.

Though the chief minister stated that the RTC would not be privatised, the danger of privatisation would arise in one form or the other as this statement is meant only for hoodwinking the people. The Department of Public Sector Undertakings prepared an action plan for the second phase of reforms of PSUs in September 2000 itself. The target is to complete this second phase by 2007. Privatisation of APSRTC and Singareni Collieries Company Limited (SCCL) would be completed during 2005-07. 39,462 employees from the RTC and 32,346 from the SCCL would be removed from service. Raghavulu released these documents to the media and made it clear that the privatisation programme was a part and parcel of the conditionalities imposed by the World Bank while granting loan under A P Economic Restructuring Programme.

Asking the RTC workers and the people to be on the alert, the Left parties assured that they would take up necessary programme of action to safeguard the APSRTC from the danger of privatisation. They also demanded the government to withdraw cases foisted on the workers of the Left parties in connection with the struggle. Some of the workers are still in the jails in Warangal and Kurnool. The Left parties would bring pressure on the government to withdraw the cases and release the jailed workers , they said.