People's Democracy

Declaration Adopted By National Convention On ‘Right To Work’

The National Convention on “Right to Work” being held on March 12-13, 2005 at Kolkata expresses grave concern over the alarming rise in unemployment in the country affecting all sections of the society. Available official statistics grossly underestimate the depth of this problem. If all the facets of unemployment, including under-employment, partial employment, seasonal employment are taken into account, actual unemployment figure will zoom several times the official figure, much above 12 crore mark i.e. more than 25 per cent of the economically active population

The convention notes that the situation assumed serious proportion, particularly in the aftermath of the neo-liberal policy regime of jobless growth. In the process of so called liberalisation, the employment generating capability of the economy, both in agriculture and industry got severely eroded; quality of employment has also declined drastically not merely in terms of wages but also in terms of trade union rights, social security, safety and working conditions. The Fund-Bank prescribed neo-liberal economic policies pursued by governments are not only employment regressive but are also killing existing jobs and adding to the gravity of the situation. 

Agricultural workers are not getting even 100 days work in a year while small and marginal farmers’ income has also gone down sharply. Even non-agricultural employment in the rural economy has declined considerably. In the urban areas, small and medium scale industries which constitute major part of urban employment generation are closing down in a big way owing to shrinking market, non-availability of credit and unfair competition with big corporate and MNCs – all due to hostile policy of the government towards this sector. In large scale industries, both in public and private sector and also in government departments and municipal services etc, downsizing, contractisation and outsourcing have become the order of the day which resulted in consistent sharp decline in overall employment and wage-bill, pushing upward profits of the corporate sector.

Contrary to campaign of the vested interests, studies and reports produced by ILO have clearly demonstrated that dispensing with stable employment and deploying contract, casual labour and outsourcing has in effect aggravated unemployment. The hype of employment generation in service and IT sectors has no basis altogether. The claim by the pontiffs of neo-liberalism that the service sector compensates for the loss of employment in organised industry and agriculture is nothing but a mirage.

The convention recognises that unemployment has been continuously aggravating, akin to cancerous growth, and engulfing every section of the masses - the employed and unemployed, the urban and the rural population, men and women, the working class, peasantry, students and youth. The unemployed tend to stand excluded from economically productive activities, which evokes among them a feeling of social exclusion, which in turn provides fertile ground for all kinds of criminalisation, fundamentalism and extremism.

The working class movement must not allow this most sensitive section of the masses to get alienated from the society and become tools in the hands of perpetrators of exploitation to weaken the progressive forces and their struggle against exploitation itself. The lasting solution of unemployment rests in changing the exploitative order altogether through social transformation.  Hence in current crucial juncture it is the historic task of the working class to take serious initiative to unleash a long drawn nationwide united mass movement for achieving the aim of Right to Work with immediate focus on reversing the existing job-killing policies, which are generating unemployment. Such initiative shall further strengthen the organic link between the working class and general democratic movement.

The convention acknowledges that the trade union movement must campaign on alternative pro-employment policies and popularise the same for broadest possible mobilisation. While doing this, the myth that curtailment of trade union rights promotes investment and employment generation needs to be exploded. While advocating the perspective of socialism as lasting solution to unemployment problem, the trade union movement can strive for alternative pro-employment policies in opposition to the Fund-Bank dictated policies of jobless growth under globalisation. The convention feels that they can be achieved through sustained struggle.

The convention resolves to forge unity with the other trade union centers and also to take initiative for consultation with and involvement of all other mass organisations of peasants, agricultural workers, students, youth, women and professionals. We must prepare ourselves, consolidate the movements and mass organisations close to us, which alone can create a basis for united countrywide movement to achieve the objective of right to work as a fundamental right.  

The convention decides that steps should be taken in a phased manner by organising sectoral, regional, district level and state level mobilisation and campaign to press for a directional shift in the economic policies of the government that would generate more jobs in the country. A state level campaign should culminate in the national level mobilisation and people’s action for recognition of “right to work” as a fundamental right.  

The effort for mobilisation on the issue of “right to work” must continue simultaneously with other action programmes against the retrograde policies of the government. With this objective in view, this convention decides the following programme of actions:

• The convention decides to observe “Anti-Unemployment Day” every year on March 28 through demonstration/ dharna/rallies etc and calls upon the working class to take initiative in that direction.

• The National Rural Employment Guarantee Bill tabled in parliament which is at wide variance with the commitment made in the CMP; initiative for joint mobilisation of all trade unions and mass organisations should commence from the district/industrial centre level followed by state-level conventions on the concrete demand of drastic changes in the Bill in line with the commitment given in the CMP.

• Publication of campaign literature in popular form on the real cause of unemployment and the need for fight against the basic policies.

• Three months long  intensive campaign at the grass root level, including house-to-house approach against unemployment problem; our campaign must  involve all trade unions and mass organisations by formation of regional-level joint platform with the mass organisations, regional, local conventions, rallies dharna/courting arrests and other forms of agitational programmes.

• As a part of joint campaign, programme of countrywide mass-signature collection for “right to work” may be considered in consultation with other mass organisations and trade unions.

• State-level conventions and mass mobilisations to prepare for central mobilisation at the national capital.

• All India programme of jathas culminating in massive mobilisation for ‘March to Delhi’.

• Further action programmes to be announced from the rally at Delhi.

The convention appeals to all trade unions and other mass organisations of peasants, agricultural workers, students, youth, women and professionals to make earnest preparation to make this programme a grand success. Further details of the programme can be chalked out jointly at all levels so that it results in a powerful mobilisation all over the country to achieve the “right to work” as a fundamental right.