People's Democracy

(Weekly Organ of the Communist Party of India (Marxist)

Vol. XXXI

No. 32

August 12, 2007

UNORGANISED SECTOR WORKERS DEMAND PROTECTION

 

Aug 8 Countrywide Strike: A Magnificent Success

 

Rail roko by unorganised workers in Garhshankar, Punjab

 

AT the call of the Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU), around four and half crore workers of the unorganised sector observed countrywide strike on August 8, 2007 denouncing the deceitful game of the UPA government in the matter of enacting a comprehensive protective legislation for the workers of the unorganised sector.

 

The NCMP commitment of a enacting a comprehensive protective legislation for the unorganised sector workers could not figure in the priority list of the UPA government for three long years it has been in office. And after three years what the union cabinet ultimately projected as the ‘Unorganised Sector Workers’ Bill’ through its Press Information Bureau in May 2007 is nothing but an exercise of deceit on the 93 per cent of the country’s workforce who, while reeling under abject poverty, contribute more than 65 per cent to the country’s GDP.

 

The deceitful game of the government stands exposed further by the fact that the government did not bother to consider even the recommendation of the National Commission for Enterprises in the Unorganised Sector (NCEUS) –– which was appointed by itself and which has already submitted its report to the prime minister on July 7 2007. The August 8 countrywide strike was intended to send the warning to the government not to play such deceptive game with the workers and bring a comprehensive Bill which must contain at least the compelling provisions on:

 

MAGNIFICENT RESPONSE

 

From Kerala to Jammu & Kashmir, the response to strike action was magnificent throughout the country. Crores of workers in the unorganised sector joined the strike action in all the major centres in the towns and semi urban areas and came out in huge processions to stage road-blockade demonstration in several places. Notable was the participation of the workers in brick-kilns, beedi making, head-load workers, private transports like rickshaws, auto-rickshaws, taxis, carpet-weaving, small-textile units, hosieries, cashew and coir, toddy-tappers etc at different places of the country. Owing to participation in strike by head-load workers, different big market centers and mandis at various places of the country got virtually paralysed. Particularly the big agricultural mandis and FCI godowns in Punjab, Rajasthan, Haryana, Chhatisgarh witnessed complete stoppage of business activities. All the big shopping malls in Kerala remained closed due to the strike. Owing to complete strike by private transport workers, in many of the cities in the country like Agartala, Guwahati, Gwalior, Pathankot, etc normal passenger traffic was affected leading to bandh like situation. Unorganised contract workers in different industries like Rastriya Chemical and Fertilizers, HPCL, South Eastern Coalfields, Western Coalfields etc took part in the strike in a big way.

 

In a statement released on the same day, CITU congratulated the unorganised sector workers for their magnificent response to the strike action and called upon them to prepare for further militant action if the government does not respond to the just demands in time.

 

Statewide details, as per reports received till afternoon of August 8 are as under:

 

KERALA

 

Workers in private transport sector struck work, completely affecting normal traffic severely and the attendance in offices and other occupations. All big shops, market centers, shopping malls were closed reflecting a bandh like situation. Workers in traditional sectors and small establishments were on complete strike and organised huge processions throughout the state and demonstrated before all district headquarters.

 

WEST BENGAL

 

More than one crore workers took part in the strike in the state as per an estimate. Workers in rickshaws, auto-rickshaws, taxis and other small transport were on complete strike affecting the normal traffic in a big way. Owing to massive strike by the shop workers, and also by the head-load workers, big shops and market centers like Burrabazar at Kolkata and similar centers in other parts of the state wore a vacant look. 12 lakhs beedi workers were on complete strike. Private security workers joined the strike in a big way throughout the state. Strikes in stone quarries, brick kilns, garments, tailoring, handloom, printing, bookbinding, khadi and hosieries, forest and wood workers, potteries, bangles, fireworks, rice-mills, oil mills, saw-mills, tanneries and shoe-making, bakeries, rubber-product, small plastics and ceramics etc was total. Railway hawkers, small retailers and street hawkers were on complete strike.

 

TRIPURA

 

Unorganised sector from 31 trades, including all private transports, shop employees, handlooms, wood workers sanitary and plumbing, construction stone breaking, shops, tailoring, blacksmith, bakeries and confectionaries, handicrafts, rubbergardens, beedi, potteries and other nonconventional occupations etc were on complete strike leading to a bandh like situation in the entire state. As per estimate around 6 lakh workers joined the strike action.

 

PUNJAB

 

Anganwadi workers staging a protest demo in Punjab

 

The strike was a massive success in the state. Around 50,000 brick-kiln workers were on strike and held demonstrations before the district headquarters at various districts. The headload workers in FCI godowns and private mandis were on complete strike leading to collapse of operation and business. Workers in small factories and contract workers in big establishments also joined the strike affecting the normal production in a big way. Striking workers throughout the state staged road-blockade demonstration in 18 places like Fatehpur Sahib, Rajpura, Sangrur, Bhatinda, Arson, Ropar, Pathankot, Batala, Manak, Ludhiana etc. Rail blockade demonstration was organised at Hoshiarpur, Garhshankar etc.

 

RAJASTHAN

 

In Ganganagar and Hanumangarh, FCI godowns and private mandis were closed due to strike by the headload workers and palledars. Rickshaw workers, trolley and van drivers, tractor drivers were on strike in major part of the state. Contract workers in different industries were on strike in Kota, Kankrouli, Rawatbhata, etc affecting normal production there. Beedi workers and carpet weaving workers took out huge processions in Tonk after strike. Similar rallies and demonstration by several thousands of workers was reported from Hanumangarh, Ganganagar, Jhunujhunu, Kota, Jaipur, Dongarpur.

 

MADHYA PRADESH

 

Beedi workers, daily wage workers, workers in the small industrial units joined the strike throughout the state. Contract workers in the SECL and WCL collieries were on strike considerably affecting the normal production. In Gwalior and Dabra, an almost bandh like situation emerged during the strike. Militant demonstrations by several thousands workers from various sectors like head-load, daily wagers, contract workers, Hawkers, footpath sellers, construction workers etc were reported from Indore, Jabalpur, Guna, Bhopal, Sihore, Ratlam, Chhindwara etc. In Indore, rail-blockade demonstration was organised. In Bhopal a huge procession of the striking workers demonstrated before chief minister’s residence and submitted memorandum.

 

UTTARAKHAND

 

Dehradun reported demonstration by striking workers from various unorganised segment of contract workers, private transport, construction etc in three places in the city. Workers from organised sector held demonstration in solidarity with the striking unorganised workers in front of the secretariat building. In Haridwar, striking workers from street hawkers, vendors, small shops etc brought out a huge procession. In Haldwani and Panthnagar, striking workers of agricultural farms staged militant demonstrations.

 

HIMACHAL PRADESH

 

Work was completely paralysed in the 12 hydel projects in the state owing to complete strike by the project workers. In all the district headquarters except Una, demonstrations were staged by several thousands striking workers from construction, PWD contract workers, daily wage workers, mid-day meal workers, Jalbahaks etc. The hotel workers along with others staged massive solidarity demonstration in Shimla.

 

KARNATAKA

 

Huge rally of unorganised sector workers was organised in Bangalore by beedi workers, anganwadi workers, panchayat workers mid-day meal workers headload workers etc. In Uttarkannada, Udupi, Hassan, Tumkur, Gulbarga, Chitradurga, Koppala, Raichur Bijapur, Kodagu, Mandya, Bidar Davangere, Shimoga, Chikmagalur and other places, workers from tiles, beedi, cashew, auto rickshaw etc staged militant demonstration after observing strike. Workers from organised sector also joined the demonstration in solidarity.

 

TAMILNADU

 

An estimated 3.5 lakh workers from beedi, construction, head-load, tailoring, rickshaw, auto rickshaw, light motor vehicles, street vendors, cashew and coir, and contract and casual workers from various industries took part in the strike in Tamilnadu. More than 80,000 workers were arrested in the road-blockade demonstrations organised at 200 centres throughout the state viz., North Chennai, South Chennai, Coimbatore, Thiruvanmiyur, Porur, Madurai, Thirupur etc which were led by the state leadership of CITU. Of the total arrested at various places, around 40,000 were women workers.

 

MAHARASHTRA

 

The strike call received a massive response throughout the state. Beedi workers were on complete strike. Owing to enthusiastic participation in the strike by the contract workers of various major industrial units like Rashtriya Chemical & Fertilisers, HPCL, RCC, Western Coalfilds Ltd etc., normal production was affected in all the places. Bhandup industrial area witnessed bandh like situation owing to the strike. Massive participation in strike and militant road-blockade demonstrations by the striking workers were reported from Solapur, Kolhapur, Pune, Nasik, Ichhalkaranji, Nagpur, Thane, Sangli, Bhiwandi, Jalna etc. At Mumbai, more than 7000 street hawkers, domestic workers, beedi, powerloom, mathadi workers etc staged militant demonstration after a huge procession.

 

ANDHRA PRADESH

 

Stopping Andhra Pradesh Express at Secunderabad railway station

 

Massive response to strike action by more than 6 lakhs of beedi workers, private transport like rickshaw, auto-rickshaw, contract and casual workers, forest workers, panchayats, chowkidars, palledars etc were reported throughout the state. Picketings and dharnas were organised before collectorates and Mnadal offices throughout the state. Raod-blockade demonstrations and rail blockades were organised in 500 centres in the state. Around 3 lakh striking workers participated in picketing and road-blockade demonstrations.

 

BIHAR

 

The workers of auto-rickshaw, rickshaw, beedi, construction, forest workers, railway hawkers, head-load workers at mandis etc joined the strike in a big way throughout the state. At Patna Junction station rail-blockade demonstration was organised for several hours braving the police action. Purnia town witnessed a bandh like situation. Militant demonstrations by striking workers were reported from Jahanabad, Hazipur, Mujaffarpur, Baishali, Jamui and Begusarai. At Dak Bunglow Road in Patna, a road-blockade demonstration drew tens of thousands of workers which continued for several hours.

 

JHARKHAND

 

The strike was complete throughout Jharkhand among the beedi workers, construction workers, contract workers in collieries, stone quarries etc. Private transport workers were on strike in a number of towns in the state. Militant demonstrations took place at Ranchi, Pakur, Sahibganj, Dumka, Gomia, Adityapur and other places. In all the collieries contract workers joined the strike and held big rallies joined by several thousands.

 

ORISSA

 

Workers of beedi, private transport, construction, small shops, hawkers, and various other informal sector occupation joined the strike throughout the state. In the state capital Bhubaneswar, a big rally was organised by the striking workers. Contract workers of Rourkela Steel Plant, Nalco plants at Damonjori and Angul, in the entire mining area in the state joined the strike in a big way. Normal work was practically paralysed in the entire mining area due to the strike. Rourkela Township witnessed a complete bandh with no transport and shops, and schools and colleges remaining closed. At Sundargarh district, 3500 workers were arrested from the road blockade demonstration. Rail-blockade demonstration was held for five hours at Bimlagarh. 850 workers were arrested here. Coal workers of Mahanadi Coalfields demonstrated before the headquarters.

 

GUJARAT

 

The strike evoked good response in the state, It evoked response from among the private transport workers, lorry workers, auto rickshaw, ceramics, construction etc throughout the state. Demonstrations were held at Baroda, Bhavanagar, Rajkot, Upleta and Juanagarh.

 

UTTAR PRADESH

 

Dadanagar and Panki Industrial areas of Kanpur witnessed near total bandh and the striking workers staged militant demonstration braving brutal lathicharge by police. At Saharanpur, rubber, engineering and hosiery industry got paralysed owing to the strike. Varanasi and Bareilly witnessed militant demonstrations. Ferozabad industrial area also witnessed a bandh-like situation and militant demonstration by the striking workers. Beedi, construction, private transport, carpet-weaving, glass bangles workers and contract workers in various industries joined the strike in a big way.

 

HARYANA

 

More than a lakh workers from brick kiln and construction joined the strike in a big way. Strike was also massive among forest workers, gramin chowkidars, rickshawpullers, contract workers in textile, street vendors etc. Massive demonstrations were organised by the striking workers in Hissar, Bhiwani, Panchkula, Fatehabad, Gurgaon, Rohtak, Sonepat, Jind, and Panipat. At Faridabad, striking auto rickshaw workers staged huge procession throughout the city and held rally at Mini Secretariat.

 

DELHI

 

Strike call has been responded to well by beedi workers, rickshaw-pullers, contract workers of segments, street vendors, railway hawkers etc throughout Delhi.

 

Striking workers staged militant demonstrations at Chandni Chowk, Old Delhi Railway Station, Samaypur-Badli, Azadpur, Narela, Mangolpuri, Vikashpuri, Mahipalpur, Trilokpuri, Seemapuri and Sonia Vihar.

 

ASSAM

 

The strike call received unprecedented response in all the districts and towns of Assam including Guwahati, Nalbari, Bangaigaon, Kamrup, Kokrajhar, Jorhat Naogaon, Goalpara. Strike was massive, particularly among construction workers, private transport including city-buses, long-distance buses, plywood workers, shop workers, street vendors, tailoring etc. Owing to the strike by private transport, most of towns in the state witnessed a bandh like situation. Demonstrations were organised in all the district headquarters. Roadblockade was organised in Gosaigaon in Kokrajhar district. In Guwahati, the Adabari and Platanbazar Bus station took a deserted look.