This decision was taken by CTUOs’ leaders at their meeting here on July 7 which had been convened to review the outcome in terms of unions’ participation in observance of the Protest Day. It was a matter of satisfaction for them that thousands of unions, not only affiliated to the 9 CTUOs but a large number of non-aligned unions too had joined the protest demonstrations. Reports significantly showed that in a number of states, day-long dharnas were organised in state capitals, district headquarters and at industrial centres. A notable feature this time was people’s positive response to workers’ dharnas. Obviously, inflation was affecting other populace equally badly.

However, the CTUOs leaders were worried too. The Government’s continued silence and indifference to the problems raised by them during their two year long campaign could eventually affect the morale of workers, which if allowed to happen, would only encourage the Government and corporates to suppress and oppress workers and their organisations ever more. CTUOs, obviously, could not afford such an eventuality to happen. They therefore seemed serious to evolve an effective future course of action.

Another cause of their concern is how to effectively defend, from marauding liberalisation, various administrative enterprises like Railways or other public sector undertakings! In the context of these enterprises, CTUOs’ worry is on two counts: one, nation benefited from these PSUs, both industrial and financial, during the recent global crisis; their weakening, therefore, would open gates for unemployment and shortages for the poor mass as is natural in an exploitative system, and two, trade unions are strong in this sector and are able to fight for the cause of the unorganised millions.

In this backdrop, the July 7 meeting of CTUOs decided to involve maximum number of cadres of all CTUOs, at all levels, in evolving a new effective strategy for future course of action. The proposed National Convention could be the first step in that direction. Though one proposal was to hold the convention in the third week of August but a decision on fixing an exact date was deferred because the Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh (BMS) had some pre-arranged programmes and wanted some time. The CTUOs, therefore, agreed to meet again on July 22 to finalise the plan for the proposed National Convention.

Meanwhile, the review of the campaign so far seemed to emphasise that the 5-point Demand Charter required to be concretized sectorwise and industrywise to avoid any ambiguity or confusion on issues. This was considered necessary to ensure that joint mobilisation deepens at grassroots and eventually becomes all-embracing at the national level. The implications for policy-makers and economy would ipso facto follow, it was assumed.

In the private corporate sector, for instance, the key issue has been ensuring workers’ right to form union and have collective bargaining. Both basic rights have become a casualty under Manmohan Singh’s regime. Even the earlier NDA rulers were hesitant to go that far in support of the corporate sector. Workers’ struggle in Reiko industry earlier (UPA-I) and Maruti plant more recently in Gurgaon industrial area was to assert workers right to form union. In Reiko, a worker was killed by employer’s goons and in Maruti, 12 workers’ services were terminated because they were involved in forming union. Government kept watching till the struggle was seen to be taking a massive support. In Maruti, management sought to impose hand-picked union which was not acceptable to workers. At last, Maruti management had to take back dismissed workers. Special Economic Zones (SEZ) are similarly seething with discontent. The proposed National Manufacturing and Investment Zones (NMIZ) are on the same lines.

The phenomena of contractorisation and casualisation of workers is common to both private and public sector enterprises.

As for public sector, privatisation and increasing inroads of MNCs into this sector is being encouraged by the Manmohan Singh government. The process of wage negotiations in PSUs every five years is under attack. PSU unions have made it a point to support demand for better working conditions for contract workers and succeeded at places too.

As part of the ongoing struggle, bank employees’/officers’ organisations and coalmen’s unions’ joint committee have already served notices of strike. Accordingly, bankmen led by the United Forum of Bank Unions (UFBU) will be on a nationwide strike on August 5. They are protesting against the policy being enforced to ensure financial institutions’ alienation from people. They oppose consolidation of banks, Khandelwal Committee recommendations and outsourcing of work to private agencies. Instead, they demand expansion of bank branches. Nine lakh bank employees will keep bank operations closed on that day.

Likewise, coalmen unions of all orientations are to go on three-day strike on 8-10 August. They are collectively opposed to privatisation of coal-belts. Their five-year wage agreement has come to an end; they demand setting up of Bipartite Wage Negotiation Committee (BWNC) in coal industry so that fresh wage negotiations could be initiated. The Finance Ministry has mandated the Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE) that an agreement on “10-year” wage settlement should precede any start of wage negotiations with unions. All coalmen unions have opposed this pre-condition.

CTUOs are planning to also bring together all unions of workers in the transport sector including those in railways, bus services, air services and Port and Dock. Considerable advance seems to have already been made in this direction. (IPA Service)