People's Democracy

NATIONAL CONVENTION ON ‘RIGHT TO WORK’

Call For Countrywide United Peoples’ Action

“THE demand for making “Right to Work” a fundamental right and reversal of the present employment regressing policy regime must be the central focus of all our anti-globalisation initiative” and “the initiative by the working class in this direction must involve people from all walks of life, mobilise active support of all the mass organisations of peasants, agricultural workers, students, youth, women and professionals etc to unleash a powerful peoples’ action against the cancer of unemployment in the society” –– so stated M K Pandhe, CITU president, while inaugurating the ‘National Convention on Right to Work’ held on March 12-13, 2005 at Kolkata.

Referring to Comrade B T Ranadive’s last piece of writing addressing the All India Convention on Right to Work held at Durgapur in 1990, Pandhe asserted that the trade union movement must not limit itself with the rights and problems of the employed alone, they have to redouble their initiative to unleash a powerful movement of the unemployed for ‘Right to Work’ and integrate all initiatives of struggle against the neo-liberal policy regime in that direction.

The convention was attended by 735 delegates from the CITU unions from all over the country, both from organised and unorganised sector, besides the leadership from the major independent unions of banks, insurance, state and central government employees, defence establishments, telecom and other sectors. Delegation from the states reflected representation from the major  districts, industries and federations. The leadership of the organisations of peasants, agricultural workers, students, youth and women also participated in the convention.

A presidium comprising M K Pandhe, president of CITU, Shyamal Chakraborty, president of West Bengal CITU, Arati Dasgupta, vice president of CITU, Dilip Das ( BSNLEU), Manjul Kumar Das (All India State Govt Employees Federation) and R N Patne (All India Insurance Employees Association) conducted the proceedings of the convention.

Chittabrata Majumdar, general secretary of CITU placed the background paper on the subject in the convention. Majumdar explained with detail evidence that “the neoliberal policies are still being touted as facilitator of employment generation. Regression of and intolerance towards labour rights and union-baiting are being projected as congenial for creation of more employment. But decades-long pursuit of neo-liberalism in our country has conclusively proved just the opposite. Employment generation turned negative, quality of employment degenerated. FDI, whatsoever has come, has killed more jobs than created. The jobless-growth phenomenon has already entered into the phase of jobloss-growth. International experience is also the same.” He also asserted that both the unemployed and job-seekers are potential workers and an integral part of the labour force; the working class movement must have to mobilise them in a big way in fighting against the menace of unemployment.

The background paper also stressed that unemployment situation reached an alarming height affecting the social fabric in a big way making a fertile ground for all kinds of extremism, fundamentalism and divisive forces to make their way. In such a situation, ignoring the task of fighting against unemployment generating policy regime will be perilous for the democratic system as a whole. The working class movement has to take on the responsibility to mobilise all concerned to carry forward the struggle for ‘Right to Work’ for all through a phased programme of countrywide action towards reversal of the employment regressive policy regime. It also pointed out that the ‘National Rural Employment Guarantee Bill’ tabled in parliament deviates completely with the commitment made by the UPA government in the Common Minimum Programme (CMP) – which promised employment guarantee for all for at least 100 days in a year. We must fight for drastic change in the Bill’ asserted Majumdar.

A total of 34 delegates  from all the states and sectors took part in the deliberation on the background paper and stressed upon the urgency to unleash countrywide campaign and agitation for making “Right to Work” a fundamental right and against the employment regressing policy regime which should culminate in ‘March to Parliament’ wherefrom the next course of action programme should be announced. Besides the trade union delegates from various industries and the states, the convention was also addressed by Md Amin, labour minister of West Bengal government,  Benoy Konar (All India Kisan Sabha), Kallol Roy (Students Federation of India), Satyaki Roy (Democratic Youth Federation of India), Banabani Bhattacharya (All India Democratic Women’s Association), Sukomal Sen (All India State Govt Employees Federation) and others.

Swadesh Dev Roye, secretary of CITU placed the “Declaration” of the convention outlining a phased programme of countrywide agitation and campaign to be undertaken jointly with all other mass organisations to unleash a powerful peoples’ action against unemployment. The convention also decided to observe “Anti-Unemployment Day” every year on March 28 through countrywide demonstration/dharna/rally etc.  The Declaration was adopted unanimously.

The convention ended with a huge public meeting in the evening of March 13, 2005. While addressing the mass rally, the veteran leader of the democratic movement and CITU vice president, Jyoti Basu congratulated CITU for taking praiseworthy initiative of the convention on ‘Right to Work’ and called upon the trade union movement to take urgent initiative to unite all mass organisations in the struggle against menacing unemployment and press for enshrining the “Right to Work” as a fundamental right in the constitution. The mass meeting  was presided over by Subhas Chakraborty, vice president of West Bengal state CITU and also addressed by M K Pandhe, Chittabrata Majumdar, Shyamal Chakraborty, Kali Ghosh and Amitava Nandy.