People's Democracy

 CITU 11TH CONFERENCE CALL

Intensify Struggles, Repulse Attacks, Defend Rights!

Fight Imperialist And Communal Offensives!

W R Varada Rajan

‘WE CAN never even imagine of a confrontation with our employees. We, in the state cabinet and our employees, work together like a family. We have given them the right to strike. We advise the employees that they should not surrender their right to strike at any point of time, as it was their right and their last weapon”. With this assertion the West Bengal chief minister, Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee greeted the huge mass of the workers and the common people who gathered at the mass rally held in Chennai on December 13, in culmination of the 11th all India conference of the CITU at Chennai. He also proudly pointed out that this friendly attitude and harmonious relations adopted by the Left Front government was reflected by the fact that West Bengal government's employees had not gone on strike in the last 27 years.  

NDA GOVT FLAYED

The 11th conference of the Centre of Indian Trade Unions was held in “P Ramamurthi Nagar” (Ram Lakshmi Paradise) from December 9 to 13, 2003. The inaugural session of the conference was held as an open session, which was addressed by the leaders of the other central trade unions. E Balanandan delivered his presidential address. (A detailed report was carried in our last issue)

Buddhadeb came down heavily on the policies of the BJP-led NDA government at the centre, which he said was the worst the country has ever seen since Independence. Its economic, foreign and nuclear policies were against the interest of the people, especially workers, women and minorities. "The country is on the threshold of communal danger and what had happened in Gujarat will spread to other parts of the country owing to the communal and casteist policies of the Vajpayee government at the centre," he added.

The mass rally was presided by T K Rengarajan, vice president, CITU and general convener of the reception committee of the conference. The newly-elected president of the CITU, M K Pandhe, in his address, came down heavily on the Tamil Nadu government and the chief minister, Jayalalithaa, for unleashing "repressive measures" against the state government employees for their agitation. He appealed to all trade unions to combat the onslaught of globalisation by supporting the nationwide strike called by central and state government employees on February 11, 2004. "There is no alternative to the working class to express our protest, not only against globalisation but also our protest against the Supreme Court observation. We have to fight to get the right of workers, including their right to strike for a genuine demand," he said.

Chittabrata Mazumdar, who was elected general secretary, urged the need to form an alternative system to globalisation to save the people and for this the unity of workers, farmers and women and students was necessary, he said.

Others who addressed the rally included N Sankaraiah, chairman of the reception committee, R Umanath, former vice-president, W R Varada Rajan and A Soundarajan, secretaries of CITU.

‘INTENSIFY STRUGGLES’

Earlier in the afternoon, the 11th conference of the CITU concluded with the unanimous adoption of the general secretary’s report and election of new office-bearers for the next three years. The conference called for intensification of the struggle to repulse attacks and defend rights, fight the imperialist and communal offensives.

CITU has emerged stronger in the struggle during the last 33 years and this conference has paved the way for making the organisation stronger. The discussion in the conference stressed upon the need to build a powerful organisation to meet the challenges of globalisation.

The necessity of further strengthening the global unity against globalisation was also emphasised by the conference. The participation of delegations from 23 countries covering all continents reflects the emerging scenario at global level.

Special discussion on the declaration on working women also reflected the strength of the working women in the CITU organisation. Larger participation of women in struggles and organisational activities is a positive feature.

The need for a countrywide struggle against the Supreme Court pronouncements on right to strike was reflected in the decision to go on strike at national level in defence of the right to strike. 

The strengthening of National Platform of Mass Organisation (NPMO) and Sponsoring Committee of Trade Unions was stressed by large number of delegates. Steps to develop genuine mass movement all over the country were seen as the basic requirement today.

The new leadership, which is a combination of old, middle-level and new leaders, will take necessary steps in strengthening the organisation and leading mass struggles. (See box)

The CITU will emerge stronger to unify the working class in the country to involve in the global struggle against the global offensive of the capital.

On December 12, the conference was divided into six commissions, where discussions were held by the delegates in separate sessions on the following topics: Imperialism, finance capital, globalisation and national sovereignty; Attack on labour rights; Unemployment – trade union perspective; Fight for a genuine social security; Unorganised sector and Child labour.

Over 300 delegates presented their views in these commissions. The conclusions arrived during the course of the commission discussions were presented by the Rapporteurs at the concluding plenary on the next day.

During the five day long session the conference adopted resolutions condemning the anti-people and anti-worker policies of the AIADMK government in Tamil Nadu; On the present situation in Palestine; On aggravating unemployment problem; On agricultural labourers and rural poor; On unorganised sector; Against bankrupt policies of privatisation; In support of Jute Workers’ indefinite strike in West Bengal from December 29; extending support to the country wide strike by oil sector workers on December 16; Against Electricity Act, 2003 and On countrywide general strike to defend “Right to Strike” against the ban imposed by Supreme Court.

The conference by another resolution extended support to the nationwide strike of the students opposing commercialisation and privatisation of education and called upon the trade unions to express solidarity with the striking students. 

The conference was greeted by K Varadharajan, general secretary, All India Kisan Sabha, A Vijayaraghavan, MP, general secretary, All India Agricultural Workers Union, Brinda Karat, general secretary, All India Democratic Women’s Association, Balagopal, president, Democratic Youth Federation of India, Kallol Roy, general secretary, Students Federation of India and S K Vyas, general secretary, Confederation of Central Govt Employees and Workers.

CREDENTIALS REPORT

Credential committee report, presented by convener Ranjit Basu, shows that 2245 delegates representing unions with a membership of 33,65,868 from 24 states attended the conference. 11 per cent of the delegates were women.  Majority of the delegates fall under the age group of 46-60 years, 591 in the age group of 36-45, and 74 delegates are in the age group of above 61 years. 956 delegates are matriculates, 553 are graduates, 178 are postgraduates and 112 are diploma/degree holders. 329 are factory workers, 359 are office employees, 919 are whole-timers. 905 delegates have joined trade union during 1977-1990 period, 456 have joined during 1970-76 while 400 have joined after 1991, 371 have joined during 1947-69. 22 joined before independence. Out of total delegates, 153 have been dismissed, 134 were suspended and 138 were otherwise punished. Anand Pathak of West Bengal was in jail for 10 yrs and R Umanath of Tamil Nadu spent 9 and half years in jail. Ganesh Shankar Singh of Bihar spent the longest underground period of 10 years in all. The credential committee approved new applications for affiliations to CITU from 41 unions with a membership 62,634.

BTR CENTENARY

The conference adopted a resolution for a year long observation of the birth centenary of Comrade B T Randive, founder-president of CITU and a great teacher of the working class. It decided to educate the workers on his teachings on various issues and strengthen CITU as an organisation by enhancing the membership to 40 lakhs by December 9, 2004.

The inauguration of the B T Ranadive Birth Centenary year will be held at Kolkata on December 19, 2003 and the concluding function will be held at Mumbai on December 19, 2004. The conference directed all the state committees, industry-wise federations and co-ordination committees to chalk out massive programme of holding educational classes, organisation of seminars or symposium on various subjects of topical importance, publication of important writings of Comrade B T Ranadive in local languages and various other methods of celebrations. The entire year would be utilised to increase the level of ideological consciousness of the working class.