People's Democracy

Social Contribution of Strikes: Global Experience

 
Chittabrata Majumdar

 
THE deceitful weeping of the media on wage loss of the daily wage earners and the outburst of fury of industrial captains over the unprecedent success of general strike by the working class on September 29, 2005 is nothing new or unexpected. This time, a section of media went one step further expressing its concern for the country beyond West Bengal warning that such countrywide strikes and protests by the working class would jeopardise the foreign investment prospect. But, they obviously were not courteous to refer the issues for which strike was called even for justifying their high-sounding claims of being unbiased.
 
The reactions were nonetheless the acknowledgement of the success of the general strike that expressed the resentment and anger of the people against the Fund-Bank dictated economic policies of the country on liberalisation track and their determination to resist the same.
 
The indigenous bourgeoisie in collaboration with the multinationals is determined to suppress the mass agitations and movements against the neo-liberal economic policies by all means, including by maligning the trade union movements.

LESSONS FROM HISTORY

Capitalism never concedes the working class demands however legitimate that might be on its own, till the workers exercise their strength effectively. The workers of the USA long back in 1934 had to come to the streets in thousands including strike to compel the government to concede the demand for the social security for all sections of the toiling masses. Apart from the success in realising the social security benefits, this struggle saved USA from the danger of fascism too. In other developed capitalist countries also the workers had to wage fierce struggles from time to time to compel their employers and respective governments to accept the demands and to enact statutes introducing the social security schemes.
 
To counter the impression that workers movements and agitations are only confined to the mere economism of the working class alone, we must stand ideologically firm with sound arguments citing instances of the centuries-long working class movement. The two-months long strike of the workers in metal industry in Italy in 1919, followed by the agricultural workers movement for wage hike and eight hours work touched its height on August 20, 1920, when the general strike called by workers joined by the masses to bring the life at Milan at a halt. The workers of the country had forced the government to withdraw army from Soviet Union as a culmination of the prolonged working class movement of that time.
 
France, during 1918-20, witnessed numerous workers movements, agitations and strikes. Who can deny that in April 1919, the French workers achieved the right for eight hours working day as a result of those fierce struggles and successful movements? But those movements were not confined to mere workers’ economic demands. Rather, those movements acted in consolidating the revolutionary force against the then greatest threat of Fascism. The united movements under the leadership of the working class and Communist Party ultimately resulted in the anti-fascist rally of over fifty thousands determined people in Paris on February 9, 1934 followed by the general strike on February 12, to compel the vacillating socialist block to join in the fight against Fascism on June 27, 1935.
 
The heightened working class movements during the interim period of two world wars served the broader interest of the people of different countries despite the fact that the movement was initiated for their own economic demand, in a period when the world capitalism was in the severe crises that led to Great Depression and resulted in the World War II.
 
In our country also the working class contributed in the freedom struggle mobilising the common people. The strikes in the textile industry, strike in the naval ship during 1940s were a jolt for British imperialism
 
In a contemporary era of globalisation, which is beyond argument imperialist in character that resulted on its own course with the aggravated crises of global capitalist system, the governments and big capitalists of even developed countries are about to trample the rights of the working class together with the withdrawal of the social security measures that the toiling mass have been enjoying so far. Not only the threat of imperialism is looming all over, the fascist forces in different countries are active for their revival.
 
The third world nations are the worst affected. Not only the workers are denied their legitimate demands, the existing benefits are slashed drastically. The unemployment and pauperisation of masses have been growing at an alarming rate. The imperialist onslaughts on the developing countries are now overtly visible. In this backdrop, the toiling masses of the country have no other choice than to resist the attacks, to organise the people of all sections and to consolidate the revolutionary force.
 
The general strike of September 29, 2005 was of distinct character and was not merely for the economic demands of the workers alone. The strike was able to mobilise a broad section of people since the strike was for the interest of the common people, as well as to defend the self-reliance and economic sovereignty of the country, to save the public sector, that the government led by the bourgeoisie is incapable to protect before the imperialist pressures.  The bourgeoisie of the country obsessed with furthering its own interest has joined the multinational capital to abuse the working class and its unions for organising the movements, agitations and strikes. They became furious for not being allowed to operate on the strike day. Expressing their anger, they even termed the workers’ demonstration on the day as an uncivilised act.          
 
How the section abusing the working class and trade unions for organising strikes and demonstrations, would hide the recent events in the so-called civilized countries? The thousands and millions of workers in Italy, France, South Korea and Russia have been repeatedly on the streets to demonstrate against neo-liberal and globalisation policies of their respective countries in October 2005 itself. The workers of the other so-called civilised countries also are agitating, and organising the movements and strikes; they are on streets to dissuade their governments from continuing the neo-liberal policies apart from the anti war demonstrations in USA and UK!
 
The working class movements, agitation and strikes in our country in the recent times are not confined only to the economic demands of the workers alone, rather they are the prime mover to organise all sections of the society against the neo-liberal, anti-people policies of the government and imperialist globalisation process. The people’s movement of the country needs further to be viewed as a part of the international people’s movements against the increasing threats of imperialism and danger of fascism.