People's Democracy

NATIONAL CONVENTION, SEPTEMBER 4

TUs Readying To Fight Neo-Liberal Policies

On July 11, 2012, all the central trade union organisations, viz the BMS, INTUC, AITUC, HMS, CITU, AIUTUC, AICCTU, UTUC, TUCC, LPF and SEWA, met at the BMS headquarters in New Delhi and passed the following resolution.

THIS meeting at the headquarters of the Bhartiya Mazdoor Sangh on July 11, 2012, of all the central trade unions of the country, expresses its deep concern at the failure of the government to contain inflation, particularly that of food prices, and protect the economy from a serious peril of recession, grossly affecting the working mass both in the rural and urban areas, and also affecting the workers and employees of the organised sector.

While condemning the government for its inaction, this meeting stubbornly opposes the move of the government to curtail budgeted allocations for various social security schemes including the NREGA, Pradhan Mantri Sadak Yojana, even ICDS meant for child welfare and childbearing women. The amount government seeks to withdraw is nearly Rs 90,000 crore, even it seeks to reduce the market borrowing meant to meet the gap between expenditure and revenue. This step, reflecting the World Bank prescription, shall hit beyond doubt growth and developing grossly affecting employment hurting all categories of working people.

While there is no talk of expanding subsidised public distribution system to curb human distress arising out of inflation, the important government officials are suggesting withdrawal of all forms of subsidy, even pleading for increasing the prices of diesel and cooking gas.

The growth of economy is dipping to as low as 5.2 per cent, with the index of industrial production declining to less than one per cent, with unemployment situation aggravating severely, external value of rupee consistently depreciating, investment becoming low, export going down --- all ominous consequences of neo-liberalism that has held the economy in hostage.

Inflation is high, with retail inflation reaching double digit. The working masses losing real wage and living in intolerable distress are the worst victims of the government policies.

While adhering to our firm commitment to the ten-point demands earlier raised by the central trade unions, such as enforcing minimum wage for all categories of workers including honorarium workers at not less than Rs 10,000 per month, strict enforcement of labour laws, right of the workers to form unions and get registration within a stipulated period time,  mandatory recognition of trade unions in all establishments, eight hours working period for all categories of workers, same wages for same work for contract workers, against disinvestment etc, the central trade unions call for effective steps to control inflation and curb recession.

Having organised a historic general strike on February 28, 2012 as never before, this meeting of the central trade unions calls upon the working masses to intensify the united battle, taking it to a higher form to force the government to change its policies.

In order to pave the way for a massive programme of action at the national level, the trade unions at all levels must start, with renewed vigour without delay, staging all forms of agitation --- holding protest actions, organising rallies, having conventions at the local and state levels.

Simultaneously, all the central trade unions seek to hold a national convention at Talkatora Stadium in Delhi on September 4, 2012 to chart out a programme of national action, reaching a new height and taking the agitation to the grassroots level.

The meeting invites the widest participation of all the trade union activists from across the country, including leaders and representatives of different unaffiliated independent unions and federations, turning the convention into the broadest forum of national unity of the workers for unleashing resistance against neo-liberalism and fighting the anti-people policies being relentlessly pursued by the government.