Editorial May 2014

 EDITORIAL      

                             THOTA  HANUMAIAH                                          

                                                  May Day 2014

 

On this May Day, 2014, the All India Loco Running Staff Association (AILRSA) extends its revolutionary greetings to the working class and toiling people of the world. The growing discontent and anger, against the impact of the imperialist dictated neoliberal policies on the livelihood and lives of toiling masses, has led to waging bitter struggles by Working class all over the world. More and more people are raising their voice against the rich and corporates   who constitute 1% of people but amassing and expropriating the wealth created by the 99% of the people.

There has been ever increasing global economic crisis for the workers and the common people. The capitalist class’s response to this crisis is paving a destructive way for more aggravated crisis. The burdens of this crisis are being shamelessly passed on to the common people by imposing the so called austerity measures and curbing their hard won rights, previlages and benefits. At the same time huge concessions and tax exemptions are being extended to the corporates and financial institutions responsible for the crisis. Working people across the world, in the developed as well as developing countries is specifically targeted for such attacks including cuts in jobs, wages, pensions, health care, and other benefits. The number of the working poor is increasing phenomenally reflecting deterioration in quality of work and menacing exploitation. Unemployment, particularly among youth and more so among educated youth has been on the rise to an alarming proportion. The World Federation of Trade Unions called for militant demonstrations, rallies and strikes against unemployment on the World Day of Action on 3rd October 2014. The AILRSA and other trade unions of India should endorse the call and call upon the workers in the country irrespective of their affiliations to join the militant action on the World Day of Action demanding decent standard of living and dignified jobs to all.

 Even in our own country the working class have been in continuous struggles to defend their rights and livelihood. Hundreds of thousands of workers both in organised and unorganised sectors, workers of big national and multinational corporations, employees of banks, insurance, telecom, Railways, postal and other central and state government departments, and workers in other sectors are waging the struggles against the anti labour policies of the government. They are marching forward heroically braving the severe repression unleashed by the government and by the employers with the open connivance of the government. So also, the loco men have to wage struggles, against the prevailing inhuman working conditions. Even in this 21^st century, the Govt. forcing them to work at a stretch for 20 hours or more, depriving of their regular weekly rest, keeping them away from their head quarters and families for more than 4 days at a stretch, depriving them of adequate home station and out station rest, not granting leave even for emergencies and urgencies, burdening with over load of work by not filling the vacancies and victimising them when they claim for their rights.

The AILRSA  extends its solidarity to the agricultural workers in the country who are fighting for land, better wages, employment, social security, housing and better living conditions and also calls upon the peasants and agricultural workers to join the industrial workers and the service sector employees in the fight to decisively reverse the neoliberal economic regime. On this May Day AILRSA reiterates its pledge for united struggles against these anti people policies of the government.

This May Day, 2014 is in the midst of general elections being held for the 16th Lok Sabha of Union of India. We call upon the working class and the people in general to seriously reflect on their bitter experience of sharp deterioration of working and living conditions under the neoliberal regime which was followed by successive governments that ruled the country, headed either by the Congress or the BJP during the last two decades. The working class must loudly voice their dissent and rejection to those policies and the politics behind them and assert for pro-people alternative policies championed by the progressive and left parties.

The continuing price-rise of essential commodities, the menacing rise in unemployment, the inaccessibility of basic services like health, education, housing, etc to vast sections of the people—all due to the anti-people policy regime, have  led to the severe deterioration in the living conditions of the people. Resistance is being met with state repression. Democratic rights are under attack. Policies are being designed for maximisation of corporate profits and privatisation of public properties; not for the welfare of the people. Corruption has become institutionalised with unprecedentedly huge amounts of public money being siphoned off into the pockets of the national and multinational corporates. Public wealth is being brazenly transferred to private coffers. The present policy regime is not only making the lives of the common people miserable; it is bringing out a severe distortion, perversion and disruption in the entire economy, polity and society at large. These policies and the politics behind these policies, under whatever brand name they are being sold, must be rejected lock stock and barrel.

On this May Day AILRSA appeals to the entire working class:

* to be vigilant against any attempts to divide the working class and disrupt unity in whatever name – religion, caste, community, language, territory or gender. Remember, Unity and struggles are our weapons in our fight against oppression and exploitation.

*to develop solidarity across all toiling masses to defeat the attacks on their rights, livelihood and lives.

*to strengthen unity at the grass root level and intensify  the struggle against the neoliberal regime not only to defeat these policies but also the politics behind them.  

Long Live International Solidarity of the Working Class!

Unite Against Exploitation and Oppression!