In its communication to CTUOs, the BMS had only mentioned discussion on the trade union movement in the country as the agenda for the proposed meeting on May 20. This vague type of agenda made no sense to the various central trade unions. Because, way back in July 2009, the 8 CTUOs plus BMS had together, at a national convention, evolved a 5-point charter of demands on the basis of which a nationwide movement was to be launched.

Accordingly, BMS, INTUC, AITUC, HMS, CITU, AIUTUC, AICCTU, TUCC and UTUC had held nationwide protest demonstrations, dharnas, jail-bharo andolan and when there was no favourable response from the government, their Committee decided to launch an All-India General Strike on September7, 2010.

The call for an all-India strike did not seem to suit the BMS plan, whatever it was. It, first, pleaded that the strike call be postponed because it clashed with the dates of its working committee meeting. The other CTUOs felt this BMS plea to be too puerile – putting one CTUO’s working committee meeting against call for an all-India strike decided by the 8 CTUOs during the ongoing movement on the 5-point demand-charter. Some BMS leaders even had sought to plead postponement of the strike in the context of the Commonwealth Games in Delhi. That marked the departure of BMS from the CTUOs joint struggle.

In this backdrop, the AITUC has written back to BMS, saying that any discussion on the trade union movement could not be held in a vacuum, especially when all the central trade unions had been in struggle for more than a year on commonly agreed demands. The AITUC has sent copies of the letter to all other members of the Trade Union Platform which had been evolved during preparations for the massive workers’ ‘March to Parliament’ on February 23, 2011. The HMS agreed with the contents of the AITUC letter.

Some of the CTUOs musingly say that probably BMS now wanted to rejoin the joint trade union movement. But, they too fail to understand why the BMS chose to withdraw from the joint movement and why it has suddenly sprung a surprise by calling all CTUOs to a meeting on seemingly frivolous ground.

It may be mentioned that the BMS move comes at a time when the 8 CTUOs had tentatively decided on some steps: one, the old measures will not be repeated in the future struggle; two, nationwide strike, if and when decided, will be for three or more days; three, joint meetings of industrywise federations will be held to review the impact so far and then decide issue and steps; and lastly, if possible, workers’ statewise “assemblies” and national “Parliament” will be convened to threadbare discuss future action plan.

Some observers, however, hold a different view of the BMS moves. They say that BMS remains a closed-door trade union body like its admitted sponsor RSS. For instance, they say, when BMS refused to join the CTUOs’ all-India strike in September 2010, it actually did not want to embarrass the BJP state Governments in Gujarat, Karnataka or Madhya Pradesh etc, of course, without saying it in so many words. And, if it has now suddenly convened a CTUOs meeting, possibly it would like to be on the right side of all CTUOs at a time when the Labour Ministry is about to start membership verification of unions and determine the national strength of various CTUOs. It may look farfetched. More of it will be known if and when CTUOs meet at the BMS central office on May 20 and hear what BMS has to say.

Observers also point to the sharp contrast between the INTUC and BMS during the CTUOs joint campaign on the 5-point demand charter. They say, the INTUC, known to be the Congress labour-wing, stood firmly with other CTUOs and even led them through dharnas, jail bharo, all-India general strike and March to Parliament which were all-in opposition to the Congress-led UPA Government’s labour policy. INTUC did not hesitate to join hands with the Left CTUOs on labour issues, whereas, BMS was always hesitant to disturb the BJP-led governments. (IPA Service)