At the succesful meeting of the Asia-Pasific Regional Office of WFTU that was convened in Colombo, Sri Lanka on 6-7 October 2012, the AICCTU National Secretary comrade Rajiv Divri shared with the delegates of the region the living and working conditions of the Indian workers as well as a message of solidarity with the people of South Africa referring to the Marikana Massacre, as well as the people of Europe in struggle agains the policies of the EU, the IMF, the World Bank
and the local governements.
Referring to the situation in India he said that “the neo liberal policies, popularly known as LPG (Liberalization, Privatization and Globalization) which are being pursued since 1991 in the name of growth of Indian economy, have proved to be disastrous for the vast working masses and plunged the country into a national crisis today.”
Below you can read his whole speech:
“Dear comrades,
At the outset, we express our deep grief and outrage over the killing of more than 370 workers in fire accidents in two factories in Karachi and Lahore. This fire, together withthe fire at the crackers factory at Sivakasi in India, underlines the criminal violation of labour and safety laws in the subcontinent. We pay our deepest condolences to the families of the workers who died in these tragic incidents. In the incident of police firing at Marikana, SA, on 16 August 34 striking South African mineworkers employed in the British mining company Lonmin were killed. We strongly condemn this incident and pay our deepest condolences to the families of these workers.
World over the working people are rising in struggles against the policies of Imperialist Globalization, war and plunder. We hail the united struggles and big strike actions of working people, youth against ‘austerity measures’, wage cuts, growing unemployment in Greece, Spain and several other European countries; the Occupy movements of working people in the forms of occupy factories, occupy wall street, occupy parliament etc. We hail the workers’ struggles of subcontinent and other countries of Asia-Pacific region, where different sections of informal workers like garments etc. are rising in militant struggles. In India, united working class actions at national level are going on for last 3 years involving most of the major central trade unions including AICCTU.
Regarding situation in India, the neo liberal policies, popularly known as LPG (Liberalization, Privatization and Globalization) which are being pursued since 1991 in the name of growth of Indian economy, have proved to be disastrous for the vast working masses and plunged the country into a national crisis today. On the one hand, skyrocketing rise in Prices particularly of food items hovering at around 10%, cut in subsidies to common man , loss of jobs (at an average 20% job loss in 2nd quarter of this financial year), deep crisis in agricultural with debt ridden farmers committing suicides in large numbers, growing attacks on peoples’ struggles and trade union rights, and blatant violation of labour laws; and on the other hand, huge tax cuts and concessions to corporates to the tune of 5.28 lakh crores (trillions) which is more than the fiscal deficit of 5.22 lakh crores in 2011-12, free hand to corporate plunder of mineral and natural resources and land grab under the garb of PPP (Private-Public Partnership) model resulting into mega corruptions, like coal scam, 2G spectrum scam to the tune of around 3.62 trillion rupees etc., – all have become the hallmark of the present pro-corporate, proimperialist Indian ruling elite, with all governments whether at centre or at provincial levels following the same policies. All economic indicators are falling down. GDP has fallen down to 5.4% from around 9%, and also industrial production, manufacturing and service sector. In Human Development indices, India finds itself at the bottom of the world with more than 50% of children facing malnutrition.
But the central government has chosen to respond to this crisis by more vigorous implementation of the same policies, which have generated this crisis, and thus shifting the burden of this crisis on to the shoulders of common man. Further increase in diesel prices, opening up to foreign companies the common man’s hard earned money lying in Provident Fund and Pension and 49% of FDI (Foreign Direct Investment) in Insurance, 51% FDI in multi-brand retail for inviting the retail giants like Walmart, with single brand retail already permitted 100% FDI, further privatization of Public Sector Units (PSUs) through disinvestment of govt. shares, are some of the most recent steps taken by the government in response to this crisis which will only result in heavy loss of livelihood and further pushing the country into the clutches of MNCs and corporates. So, in the present situation, the reversal of these neo-liberal policies has become the need of hour.
In the industrial arena, the industrial democracy has been thrown to the winds, and corporate terrorism is taking its place. Maruti Suzuki, a Japanese MNC auto giant has come to symbolize this growing phenomenon. Around 80% of population is living with daily earnings of even less than 20 Indian rupees a day (less than 1/2 a dollar- according to Arjun Sengupta Commission). Rampant contractualization and phasing out of permanent workforce has become the order of the day, with around 60% of workforce as contract and casual. In construction sector it is more than 80% whereas even in organized sector, PSUs and government departments, the contract/casual/outsourced workforce is rapidly growing. The government has come out with even more exploitative method of employment in the form of honorarium/incentive based workers in various govt. schemes. Agricultural labour, the largest workforce in India works and lives in precapitalist conditions further deteriorating with deepening agricultural crisis with no or minimal rights and social security and no central Act to regulate their working conditions. This section along with inter and intra state migrant workers are reeling under extraeconomic coercion too. Most of Women workers are employed in low-paid, insecure and low-productivity jobs and are victims of gender discrimination, like in wages, and sexual harassment.
The working class of India is rising in struggles against this onslaught of neo-liberal policies. Apart from the consistent struggles of workers of PSUs particularly Bank, Coal, Steel against the ongoing privatization, the contract workers and the whole range of unorganized workers which includes casual/trainees/ honorarium etc.- the new working class- are rising in struggles and resistance and keeping the fighting flags afloat. The different parts of country have witnessed heroic struggles of particularly contract workers of Automobile industry, the most profit making industry employing overwhelmingly contract workers in most skilled jobs, in the face of all kinds of repression. Maruti-Suzuki, Hero-Honda, Pricol, GM Motors are some of the striking examples of these heroic struggles. These struggles have brought to the fore the united assertion of permanent and contract labour particularly the permanent labour joining hands with contract labour, thus giving a striking edge to the working class movement. The issues pertaining to contractualization, livelihood, minimum wages, price rise, job and social security, attacks on trade union rights and blatant violation of labour rights and Privatization have emerged as some central issues in the Indian Trade Union movement.
The working class, which has led the movement since 1991 against the neo liberal policies, has now been joined in this struggle by whole range of fighting masses- from peasants and tribals to students, youths and small traders. In this situation the joint trade union movement going on for last 3 years, has given a clarion call of 2 day national general strike on 20-21 February 2013 to resist and push back the policies of LPG.
The working masses in the entire subcontinent and countries of Asia are working and living in most exploitative and oppressive regime of these neo-liberal policies with overwhelming workforce as informal and devoid of rights and dignity. Even in the countries of their origin these policies (neo-liberal policies) are facing strong peoples’ resistance. The time demands of us to develop effective working class solidarity actions in general and particularly among affiliates of WFTU. Let this meet herald a new phase of stronger and more resolute workers’ solidarity actions in the subcontinent and Asia-Pacific region and efforts to strengthen WFTU in this region.
Inquilab Zindabad!
Long Live Revolution!
Long Live the fighting solidarity of Working People!”
