People's Democracy

ASSERTING RIGHT TO STRIKE

AISGEF Plans Convention, Petition, Action

THROUGH a statement issued from Delhi on August 19 by its general secretary Sukomal Sen, the All India State Government Employees Federation (AISGEF) has called upon 8 million state government employees and teachers to build a massive struggle throughout the country against the infamous ruling of the Supreme Court’s division bench declaring a strike by government employees illegal. Along with the Central Government Employees Confederation, the AISGEF will organise a national convention at Delhi in the last week of September. Unions of bank, insurance and other public sector workers, central trade unions, legal luminaries and eminent intellectuals will participate in the convention and voice their opinion on the anti-worker ruling.

A mass petition will be submitted to the parliament for ratification of the ILO conventions, especially convention 151, that mandate the governments to grant full trade union rights, including the right to strike, to government employees. At least 5 crore signatures will be collected on this petition.

The AISGEF has also called upon state employees and teachers for a one day nationwide strike by December end to register protest against the ruling. The Central Government Employees Confederation will be invited to join the strike and central trade unions approached to extend active support for it.