People's Democracy(Weekly Organ of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) |
Vol.
XXVI
No. 30 August 04,2002 |
THE four-day meeting of the CITU’s Kerala state
council concluded at Thiruvananthapuram, July 23, with a colourful rally of
thousands of workers from all sectors in the district.
Addressing the rally, CITU president E Balanandan,
leader of opposition V S Achuthanandan, K N Ravindranath, P K Gurudasan and
others urged upon the workers to make the August 6 strike a grand success. They
asked for workers’ full cooperation with the campaign programme chalked out by
the National Assembly of Workers to
build a strong movement in alliance with other working people. They warned the
government not to expect the workers to yield to the denial of hard-earned
rights. Workers would continue to oppose the anti-people policies of the union
and state governments.
E Balanandan warned the government to note that trade
unions used to dare the police and military even before many of today’s
ministers were born. Workers would never yield to a situation where foreigners
rule this country again.
At a press conference earlier, CITU general secretary
M K Pandhe said the Kerala chief minister A K Antony was implementing the BJP
government’s policies that have failed to help any section of the people. He
said the National Platform of Mass Organisations would soon announce further
action programmes and new forms of struggle against the policies of
globalisation that are affecting all sectors of our national life.
Pandhe stressed that the Vajpayee government’s
policies were pushing the country to a serious slowdown and crisis. “There is
slowdown in agriculture, manufacturing, mining, agriculture and service sectors
which is likely to deteriorate in the coming days,” he said at a
meet-the-press programme organised by Thiruvananthapuram Press Club.
Pandhe also disputed the union finance minister's
claim that the recession would be short-lived and said even industrialists have
taken the statement with a pinch of salt. He said the revenue shortfall and
excessive government expenditure had made a mockery of all budgetary
calculations.
Alleging that the centre was becoming more and more
dependent on the World Bank and IMF, he criticised the government for
concessions given to multinationals to attract foreign capital at the cost of
our self-reliant development. Here he pointed out how the value of rupee had
declined precariously, making the country’s exports cheaper and imports
costlier.
The report of the Second National Labour Commission
sought to change the labour laws to introduce a hire and fire system to suit the
employers. Pandhe complained that social security benefits, including pension
benefits, were under attack, making even the retired life of a worker more
difficult.
Stating that the Antony government was also adopting
the same discredited policies, he said it was itching for a confrontation with
the working class and trade union movement. Kerala’s proposed loading and
unloading bill was only a device to help the businessmen in the name of checking
extortion.
He said the proposed Kerala strike on August 6 had
brought together all the trade unions to fight the anti-labour policies. “If
the state government does not correct its retrograde steps, it will have to face
a series of such action programmes,” he warned.
He informed that an international conference of
energy workers would be held in Kochi on August 15-16, with delegates from 50
countries joining. (INN)