ALL INDIA GENERAL STRIKE BY TRADE UNIONS ON SEPT 7, 2010

The representatives of the central trade unions and workers and employees federations -- BMS, INTUC, AITUC, HMS, CITU, AIUTUC, TUCC, AICCTU, UTUC and LPF organised the second national convention of the workers in New Delhi on July 15, 2010 and adopted the following declaration.

DECLARATION

THE representatives of central trade unions and workers and employees federations having assembled in the second national convention of the workers on July 15, 2010, reviewed the joint action programme over five commonly agreed demands as decided in the first historic convention of workers on September 14, 2009. This convention considering the review of joint actions - all India protest day on October 28, 2009, massive dharna on December 16, 2009 and satyagraha/jail bharo on March 5, 2010 in which ten lakh workers participated and also considering the situation arising thereafter adopts the following declaration.

Despite the trade unions demanding effective steps to curb price rise, particularly food price inflation, food prices escalating as high as 17 per cent, inflation rising to double-digit, government continues to remain totally unresponsive to mitigate the deep sufferings of the working people;
Despite the trade unions expressing deep concern at the uninterrupted violation of labour laws and trade union rights, situation is becoming grim and repressive every day;

Despite trade unions protesting against job loss, underpayment, unbearable living conditions, lengthening working hours, rampant contractorisation, casualisation and outsourcing, nothing is being done to prevent the declining living conditions and inhuman exploitation of working masses.

Despite the trade unions opposing the disinvestment in the profit making public sector, the latest disinvestment being pushed through in Coal India Ltd, BSNL, SAIL, NLC, Hindustan Copper, NMDC etc., the pernicious policy of reckless disinvestment is continuing with impunity;

Despite the trade unions earnestly asking for the setting up of a massive welfare fund for universal comprehensive social security coverage for the unorganised sector workers without any restriction, the fund allocation remain nominal and restrictive provisions continue.

The convention notes with concern that not only the protests of the trade unions are being ignored, the policy that accentuates increase in the prices of foodgrains is being constantly bulldozed, the latest is the deregulation of petroleum pricing linking it with the international market leading to hefty increase in the prices of kerosene, cooking gas, diesel, and petrol.

The convention reiterates the unanimously formulated demands once again as under:

Price rise of essential commodities to be contained through appropriate corrective and distributive measures like universal PDS and containing speculation in commodity market

Concrete proactive measures to be taken for linkage of employment protection in the recession stricken sectors with the stimulus package being offered to the concerned entrepreneurs and for augmenting public investment in infrastructure

Strict enforcement of all basic labour laws without any exception or exemption and stringent punitive measures for violation of labour laws

Steps to be taken for removal of all restrictive provisions based on poverty line in respect of eligibility of coverage of the schemes under the unorganised workers social security act 2008 and creation of national fund for the unorganised sector to provide for a national floor level social security to all unorganised workers including the contract/casual workers in line with the recommendation of national commission on enterprises in unorganised sector and parliamentary standing committee on labour

Disinvestment of shares of central public sector enterprises (CPSEs) be not resorted to for meeting budgetary deficit and instead their growing reserve and surplus be used for expansion and modernisation purposes and also for revival of sick public sector undertakings.

This national convention of workers, while exercising their constitutional and democratic rights seek to further its legitimate protest and call for immediate correction of the patently wrong policies that dangerously hurt the interests of the working people and the society as a whole, and to give vent to the feelings of the growing indignation of the working people.

The convention therefore resolves to call for an all India general strike on September 7, 2010.

The convention calls upon the entire working people of the country, irrespective of affiliations to rally everbody in the united call for countrywide general strike and make it a total success and intensify the struggle further and prepare for a massive march of the workers to parliament in November/December 2010.

Courtesy: www.pd.cpim.org

EDITORIAL OF PEOPLES’ DEMOCRACY - J&K: TANGIBLE CBMS MUST FOLLOW

FINALLY, an all-party delegation visited Jammu & Kashmir on September 20-21. This has come after a hundred days of disturbances and confrontation in the Kashmir valley which consumed 108 young lives – victims of firing by security forces. Soon after the disturbances broke out on June 11, the CPI (M) had demanded the convening of an all-party meeting and sending of an all-party delegation to Kashmir. This was reiterated in the parliamentary discussion on August 6, where the government was urged to take these steps before the holy month of Ramzan began. The government had then argued that these steps and the political process of dialogue and discussion will begin only when normalcy has been restored. The point made in these columns repeatedly was that the undertaking of such steps was essential to strengthen the process of restoring normalcy. The government’s refusal to consider this at that time has only contributed in escalating tensions and heaping greater misery and agony on innocent people.

By meeting a large cross section of the people and political parties in both Srinagar and Jammu, the parliamentary delegation conveyed its solidarity with the people of the state and shared their agony of sufferings. The principal appeal to all sections of the people and political leadership was to first, join together in restoring normalcy and peace and to resolve all issues of dispute through talks and negotiations. It was in this spirit that certain members of the delegation met various separatist leaders in Kashmir, who declined the invitation to meet the delegation, asking them to join the efforts to restore normalcy and save the lives of innocent youth and the consequent misery being imposed on the people. This unprecedented `out of the box’ step was aimed at conveying to the people of Kashmir the sincerity of the elected Indian political leadership in reaching out to all sections and all `shades of opinion’ in order to restore normalcy and provide relief from the present miseries and agonies. The unanimous 1994 resolution declaring Jammu & Kashmir as an integral part of India defined the parliamentary delegations’ approach.

The interactions with various cross sections of the people in Srinagar and the visit to the hospitals revealed the deep degree of alienation of the people in the valley. In these columns last week, we had detailed the concrete steps that need to be undertaken. The Left parties had, earlier at the all-party meeting convened by the government, presented a set of demands that need to be urgently implemented. None of these have been considered for implementation till date. This only adds to the growing `trust deficit’ and `governance deficit’ amongst the people. These measures must be urgently addressed in order to reverse the growing trend of alienation among the people in Kashmir.

While the representations made before the delegation in Jammu revealed the widespread feeling of a `Kashmir-centric approach’ of the central government at the expense of neglecting the Jammu and Ladakh regions, the visit by some members of the delegation to the camps of the displaced Kashmiri pandits revealed the other aspect of the agonies of the people of Jammu & Kashmir. Having forced to leave the valley 21 years ago, many of these families do not have a permanent roof over their head till date. All the promises and packages announced by the central and the state governments have remained largely unfulfilled. The agonies and the sufferings of the Kashmiri pandits and other displaced people need to be urgently addressed.

The harmonious cohabitation of the pandits and the Muslims in the Kashmir valley for centuries has been one of the strongest foundational pillars of the syncretic civilisational ethos that defines India. The rupture of this harmony is, thus, designed to destroy the soul of the `idea of India’ – the modern secular democratic Republic.

Therefore, the need to urgently tackle these problems and restore normalcy is not only required for relieving the people of their agonies and sufferings in the state of Jammu & Kashmir, it is also required to strengthen the consolidation of our modern secular Republic.

This visit of the parliamentary delegation must result in some tangible confidence building measures that the central and the state governments must undertake. The specific measures suggested by the Left parties, as reported in these columns last week, must form the basis. At the least, the central government must initiate action against those members of the security forces against whom charges of excesses have been proved by the CBI or other agencies. Further, a review of all political prisoners languishing in jail must be undertaken and those without substantive charges against them could be released.

Courtesy: www.pd.cpim.org