People's Democracy

ALL the central trade union organisations have come together on one platform to protest against the anti-people and anti-worker policies of the central government and have decided to observe a nationwide Protest Day on March 14. They will organise massive joint demonstrations throughout the nation on the day.

Through a press release jointly issued, the AITUC, BMS, CITU, HMS, TUCC, UTUC and UTUC(LS), that represent millions of workers throughout India, have opposed the central government’s decisions about (1) thoughtless privatisation, (2) changing the labour laws in favour of the employers, (3) removal of quantitative restrictions on imports which are detrimental to Indian industry, agriculture and the national interest as a whole, (4) policies leading to severe aggravation of job losses and increase in unemployment, and (5) the attempts to scuttle the enactment of a comprehensive central legislation for agricultural workers.

Despite united opposition by the trade union movement, the government had been vigorously pursuing the said policies. As a result, the economy has now slipped from a slowdown into a downright recession. It is amply visible that the strategy of growth without an increase in the employment, coupled with reliance on foreign direct investment and decrease in the incentives to domestic investment, has not yielded any positive results.

The central trade unions have already presented to the finance minister a joint memorandum with a set of demands. (See the other item on this page.)

The central trade unions have decided to launch a countrywide united campaign and struggle on these issues. In the first phase, the following programmes has been decided:

(1) To organise massive joint conventions in the metropolitan cities and industrial centres in February;

(2) To organise a nationwide Protest Day against the anti-people, anti- worker policies on March 14, which will be observed with massive joint demonstrations all over the country.

The central trade unions have given a call to all workers to join the above programmes en masse and prepare for further countrywide struggles, including strike actions.

The central trade unions have welcomed the joint decision of the port and dock workers’ federations to go on a countrywide strike on January 22 and also the joint initiative taken by the coal workers for a greater action --- against the privatisation policies of the central government. (INN)