Delhi: Workers Go On General Strike

  THE Delhi state unit of the Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU) has completed its preparations for a general strike by workers in the areas of its jurisdiction. It will be noted that the CITU state committee’s jurisdiction extends to Ghaziabad and NOIDA in UP and to Fariabad in Haryana.

  The action is to take place on March 27, one day after we close the issue and go to press.

  The main demands of the general strike are (i) minimum wage of Rs 5000, (ii) abolition of the contract labour system, (iii) construction of permanent dwellings in Jhuggi Jhopri clusters, with all civic amenities, (iv) declaration of closures, lock-outs and retrenchments as punishable offence, and (v) equal wages for equal work.

  In a statement recently issued, the CITU state committee said more than 35 lakh workers from Delhi and adjoining districts are expected to participate in this general strike and take out processions in pursuance of their legitimate demands.

  The sky-rocketing prices of essential commodities during the last several years have made the existing minimum wage for workers absolutely redundant and therefore  the CITU has demanded that the government fix the minimum wage at Rs 5000 per month with a variable dearness allowance (VDA) at Rs 2 per point increase in the price index. In this connection, it may be pointed out that in 1987 and subsequently in 1988 lakh of workers in Delhi, Ghaziabad and Faridabad had gone on industrial strikes for 72 hours and 7 days respectively, forcing the government to hike the minimum wage from Rs 562 to Rs 2679 for unskilled workers and also extend the variable dearness allowance for compensating the inflation.

  While the government has not cared to address the problems of the workers and other sections of the toiling people who are forced to live in the Jhuggi Jhopri clusters in nightmarish conditions, now the government is threatening to demolish these Jhuggi Jhopri clusters without providing any alternatives. The CITU has demanded that permanent dwellings should be constructed in the JJ clusters and all civic amenities be provided to them.

  The high fares being charged by the Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) are eating into the  hard-earned and yet meagre earnings of the workers, and therefore the CITU has demanded that the government should provide bus passes to all industrial workers at half the rates. These passes must be valid for buses of all categories.

  On the plea of flexible labour laws the central government in proposing to amend the Contract Labour Act in favour of multinational companies (MNCs) and monopoly houses, giving them the right to hire and fire. Against this move, the CITU has demanded that the contract labour system should be abolished altogether and all workers/employees should be absorbed under the principal employer.

  The policies of liberalisation, privatisation and globalisation, being pursued by the BJP-led NDA government under the dictates of the World Bank, IMF and WTO, are leading to a wave of closure of industries throughout the country, in Delhi and in neighbouring districts also. Lakhs of workers are being thrown out of jobs. It is to demand a reversal of these policies that workers in Delhi, Ghaziabad, NODIA and Faridabad have prepared for a  strike on March 27, and are preparing for bigger struggles.

  The Delhi state unit of the CITU has appealed to all central trade unions and mass organisations and to the people in general to extend support to the general strike by the workers on March 27, in pursuance of their above mentioned legitimate demands. (INN)

March 26, 2003