Numerous trade unions and progressive people’s movements came under the banner of the Trade Union Centre of India (TUCI) on August 13th in an all-India struggle against globalization through the demands for just and egalitarian labour laws. Rallies were held in the capital cities of over a dozen states in the country.
In Ahmedabad, over a thousand workers and other activists gathered for a meeting at Juna Vadaj, were addressed by leaders of the Gujarat Federation of Trade Unions, New Socialist Movement and Jan Sangarsh Manch. Amrish Patel, General Secretary of the GFTU outlined the demands raised by the TUCI with the central government on an all-India basis. Following the meeting the workers and activists held a rally from Vadaj to the Collector’s office to hand over a memorandum addressed to the Labour Minister of the Government of India. The memorandum called for numerous demands to nullify pro-globalization and anti-labour legislation, including – (1) Amendments to existing industrial and labour law to make permanency the statutory right of workers who have completed 240 days or more of service; (2) Prohibition of contract labour in perennial economic sectors; (3) Payment of back wages as a statutory right of workers in illegal terminations; (4) Immediate enactment of social security and urban housing legislation for the working poor and; (5) Immediate implementation of the Construction and Other Building Workers Act.
A cause for much hope in terms of the future of the broader struggle was the large-scale participation of non-industrial, non-unionized labour, especially large numbers of informal workers, both men and women, in the rally. In addition there was the active engagement by movements fighting for civic and human rights. This bodes well in the larger fight for protective legislation and organizing of workers in the informal sector, who form the overwhelming majority of India’s workforce. The oppression and exploitation of the working-class is one of the biggest, most virulent fallouts of globalization and the increasing penetration of monopoly capital. But the onslaught by the money-bags and powers that be can be fought back if labour unions and people’s movements remain united in treading a progressive and revolutionary path in fighting for the emancipation of those toiling masses facing the brute-end of globalization. The all-India rally held by TUCI on August 13th, 2009 was one such step in this direction.
No comments:
Post a Comment