People's Democracy

Central TUs Renew Call For Sept 29 Countrywide Strike

The central trade unions – CITU, AICCTU, AITUC, HMS, TUCC, UTUC and UTUC-LS have jointly issued following statement on September 7.

THE clarion call, given by the national convention of trade unions of July 9, 2005, for the countrywide strike on September 29, 2005 to press the 16-point charter of demands, has received a rousing welcome from all sections of the working people throughout the country. The various state, district level conventions held subsequently have been participated by large number of workers. Increasing number of unions in various sectors have since come forward to join the strike action.

Unfortunately, the government of India has not shown any inclination to respond to the genuine demands outlined in the July 9 declaration of the national convention. The Indian Labour Conference is yet to be convened. There has been an increase in the number of drafts put out by the ministry of labour, National Advisory Council and National Commission for Enterprises in the Unorganised Sector on the Unorganised Sector Workers’ bill but none of them incorporates the unanimous inputs furnished by the central trade union organisations. The Employment Guarantee Bill passed by the parliament, though with some significant amendments due to pressure mounted both inside and outside the parliament, still falls short of even the commitments made by the UPA regime and we will have to watch out the steps to be initiated for its implementation. Apparently the move to disinvest 10 per cent shares of the BHEL has been put on hold but the finance minister has on record defended it in parliament as ‘a good economic decision’ The cabinet has approved a fresh move to corporatise the government security press units and the mints, in a bid to eventually privatise the same.

The government had announced yet another hike in the prices of petrol and diesel, which will result in huge burdens for the common people and trigger off an all-round price escalation and an inflationary spell. The government had shown utter callousness towards the common man by turning a deaf ear to several proposals, which would have averted imposing of such a burden.

The brutality witnessed in Gurgaon on July 25 is the most glaring instance of how the MNCs and the corporate houses are out to trample under foot even the basic human and democratic rights of the workers in the present labour laws. And the administration and police are chipping in eagerly to crush any resistance by the workers with barbarous attacks. This episode underlines the need to press our demand for legislative measures to ensure the right to strike for all workers and for strict implementation of all labour laws. We must also rally in full strength to defeat the conspiracy hatched by the advocates of ‘reform’ who interpret the Gurgaon message as ruining every prospect of investments and hence the need to amend labour laws to please the investors’ lobby and ‘contain labour’.

The developments subsequent to the July 9 national convention have only reinforced the need to repulse the growing attacks on the workers and the mass of the people through concerted actions. To this end we call upon all the constituents of the Sponsoring Committee of Trade Unions and other unions and federations to redouble their efforts to make the September 29 strike a resounding success throughout the country. (INN)