Editorial May 2016
FIRE MAGAZINE EDITORIAL MAY 2016
Chie Editor
Thota Hanumaiah
On this international day of working class solidarity and unity, the AILRSA extends revolutionary greetings to the working class and toiling people of the entire world and expresses solidarity to their struggles against all sorts of exploitation and oppression faced by them.
The global economy has been in deep crisis for the last 8 years with out respite. The evil effects of economic crisis are passed on to the common people making their lives miserable across the world. But at the cost of common people, large scale concessions and tax exemptions are being given, to the corporate and financial institutions which are actually responsible for the crisis. The NDA government at the centre is working over time in furtherance of the interests of the national and multinational corporations and big business houses by extending tax concessions, rewards to tax and bank loan defaulters, and exemptions from laws of the land including labor laws. The wealth of nation is created by the working class and toiling masses. But they are not given any control over that produce. On the other hand, the control of our nation’s wealth such as our public sector, our lands, our mines, our seas, our hills and our forests, and most of all, our people, is being handed over to the corporate, facilitating them to exploit the wealth, unabated. The globally competitive engineering giant BHEL, the profitable oil PSUs like ONGC, HPCL, BPCL, IOC, the Defence sector PSUs like BEML, HAL etc have been initially short listed for the strategic sale as per the report appeared in the Hindu news paper of 5th Feb, 05-02-2016.The very intent of Government to sell these profit making PSU’s which are fetching huge contributions to the National exchequer besides making capital investments in the national economy out of their own resources, and offering Railways for privatization and to FDI is highly condemnable. The patriotic people of our country cannot tolerate this disastrous game of the NDA government at the centre.
At the same time, the vast majority of workers and the peasants who produce wealth by their sweat and blood are pushed into slavery and penury. They are stripped of their lands, their jobs, their rights and their livelihood. The Laws are being amended to make the illegal as legal, in order to legitimize corporate loot of our people and our national resources. Expenditure on social welfare programme is being drastically cut. Agrarian crisis is looming large with peasant suicides continue, unabated. Despite the tall projections of ‘Make in India’, ‘Start up India’ and ‘Stand up India’, employment generation is slowing down.
On March 18, the finance ministry notified the establishment of Senior Citizens Welfare Fund comprising of unclaimed deposits in small savings schemes in post office savings account, public provident fund and EPF to be transferred to the aforesaid fund, even though the EPF money cannot be transferred by any notification like this. After the vehement opposition from workers and employees and the protests by all trade unions, the finance minister withdrew the proposal. Not stopping there, the government made steep cuts in interest rates on small savings schemes like the Public Provident Fund, National Savings Certificate and Post Office Savings. While the interest rate on PPF and savings of senior citizens were reduced by 0.6 percent and in the case of post office deposits, interests have been lowered in the range of 0.6 to 1.3 percent. This reduction in interest rates in small savings has hit the working people and middle class badly as bulk of their savings are in small savings schemes. The latest in these attacks is the reduction of interest rate for EPF by the finance ministry, despite the unanimous recommendation by the Central Board of Trustees of EPFO and availability of funds to further increase the rate. The reduction is withdrawn in view of stiff resistance put up by the workers and unions.
The government, in the month of Feb, 2016 notified amendments to rules on EPF withdrawals stating that in the case of withdrawal of EPF before superannuation, due to loss of employment, resignation etc,the workers can withdraw only their part of the contribution and the “employer’s contribution” in the EPF could be withdrawn only at the age of 58. This was opposed by the trade unions and they demanded that option be given to the workers to decide upon withdrawal or retaining the money in the EPF. When this amendment was sought to be implemented, it met with stiff resistance from the workers.
The huge protests by workers, particularly women workers in Bengaluru and the protests in Visakhapatnam have forced the government to announce withdrawal of the notification. The workers have foiled the attempt of the government to deprive them of part of the money accruing to them in the EPF.
These anti-working class measures have come in with the deliberate attempts made by the NDA government with intent to dilute and weaken various labour laws. One such bill expected to be taken up in parliament is the amendments to the Factories Act. The amendments, if adopted, will take away more than 75 percent of the industrial workforce out of the purview of the Act by changing the definition of factory. All factories with workforce up to 40 will be out of the purview of the Factories Act. A new bill is to be brought for small factories, i.e., for those up to 40 workers. That bill states that 14 basic labour laws will not be applicable to small factories.
The NDA government is taking all these anti-working class measures in the name of ensuring “ease of business” under the dubious claim that, they will increase employment. The working class movement is opposing all these anti-labour measures, vigorously. The Central Trade Unions have given a call for a general strike on September 2 against all these anti-working class measures and other demands. The fight put up by the working class is a vital part of the struggle against the anti people policies of the NDA government.
The discontent and anger of the people is simmering against the impact of the pro-corporate and pro-rich neo-liberal policies, as it has resulted in the widening of income disparities. It has led to their growing participation in struggles to protect their working conditions and livelihoods. The pro-rich neo-liberal policies has resulted in obscene levels of inequality and disparity with 62 richest people owning wealth equal to that of half the world’s population and 1 percent of people owning more than that owned by the other 99 percent combined. In India, trend is almost the same, rather more obscene. The richest 1 percent Indians own 53 percent of country’s wealth while the top 10 percent own 76.3 percent.
It is an imperative need to spread awareness among the working class and the toiling people in general about the real culprit of their miseries and depravations being the exploitative capitalist system of economy, so as, to rouse them to the urgent need to uproot it and to prepare them for the ultimate struggle to end all sorts of exploitation, for establishing socialist system of economy where in, the equitable distribution of produce is ensured.
There is a serious attack on the basic democratic rights of the people. Dissent is sought to be curtailed. Voices that question are being suppressed. It is the need of the people to extend support to the surging struggles within the country against the attacks on democratic rights, to condemn the attacks on students and universities expressing differing opinions or encouraging debate and to support the students and youth asserting their fundamental rights of freedom of expression.
The people of our country should be made aware of the twin dangers that confront the working class and all sections of the common people today (1) the neo-liberal policies zealously being pursued by the BJP led NDA government resulting in deterioration of the conditions of our working people on the one hand, and (2) the vicious attempts to weaken the struggles against these policies, by dividing people on the basis of religion, region, caste, etc and disrupt their unity, on the other.
The working class of the country to be in the forefront to unite all sections of toiling people – the peasants, agricultural workers, unemployed and youth; to raise in one voice their strong opposition to the neo-liberal agenda of the ruling classes; and to resist all attempts to disrupt their unity, whether in the name of religion, caste, region or gender.
The priority for the working class of India is to consolidate their unity, irrespective of their trade union affiliations, strengthen united struggles against the anti-worker, and anti people neo-liberal policies of the Government, to strengthen bonds of solidarity across sectors and states to resist and defeat the attacks on their rights, on their jobs, on their livelihood and living conditions, to forge unity with all the other sections of toiling people, the peasants, agricultural workers, artisans and other rural workers to take the struggle against the neo-liberal regime to a decisive level to defeat its anti people policies and to identify the capitalist system, its politics and the forces that promotes it as the real cause of their worsening conditions and to wage the struggles to change this exploitative system.
The central Government employees including Railway men are on struggle path against the retrograde recommendations of the 7th central pay commission demanding a minimum pay of Rs 26,000 a month, suitably revising the fitment factor for fixation of pay and for other important demands. The strike is imminent, if the negotiated settlement is not arrived at, after the election code is over.
The Loco men were given a very raw deal in the 7th CPC. All categories of loco running staff from LP (shg)-1, to LP (Mail) were bunched in to level 6 of pay matrix of 7th cpc, even though all these categories are promotional posts with distinctly different duties, responsibilities and skills. Similarly, the LP (shg), & ALP’s were dumped in the lower pay matrix levels 4&2 respectively.
In recognition of peculiar nature of duties, responsibilities, technical and operating skills, risks & sacrifices of loco men In discharging their onerous duties for keeping the wheels of trains running round the cloak in taking the passenger and freight safely and punctually to their respective destinations, the Government of India, Ministry of railways is required to take steps to suitably modify the 7th c p c recommendations and allot pay levels 6,7,8,9,10 of pay matrix to ALP,LP(SHUNTING),LP(GOODS),LP(PASS),LP(MAIL), respectively. Similarly, the other issues pertaining to the loco men like review of running allowances, special allowance, dress allowance as well as, the implementation of various committee recommendations, as raised by their organization, should also be resolved amicably and early.
The AILRSA’s consistent struggles have resulted in constitution of National Industrial Tribunal by Ministry of labour, Government of India to adjudicate the Demands raised by it AND THE ADJUDICATION IS IN PROGRESS. In addition to that, various committees viz; HPC, HLSRC, KHANNA COMMITTEE, SPAD MEETING, PARLIAMENTARY STANDING COMMITTEE ON RAILWAYS had given their Recommendations on HOER, SAFETY, SPAD PREVENTION, and increasing the educational qualification of ALP to that of Diploma level etc. But the Ministry of railways is sitting over the recommendations with out implementing them. The AILRSA HAS LAUNCHED SEVERAL NATION WIDE AGITATIONAL PROGRAMMES INCLUDING THE 36 HOURS FAST BY CENTRAL LEADERS AT JANTAR-MANTAR IN NEW DELHI ON 14&15-12-2015. THERE WAS A MAASSIVE SURGE OF, MORE THAN 3000, LOCO MEN COMING FROM ALL OVER THE INDIAN RAILWAYS AND SAT IN SUPPORT OF FAST, IN NEW DELHI. The leaders of sister Trade Unions spoke in support of our programmes. The AILRSA leaders had discussions, with railway minister, chairman railway board, member staff and labour minister along with members of parliament on the issues, duly submitting representations, and they gave positive assurances for implementation of the recommendations. But the implementation is yet to see the light of the day.
The AILRSA should pursue its agitational path, as required, to achieve the demands raised by it, to a satisfactory level.
AILRSA-ZINDABAD! UNITE WORLD WORKING CLASS!
Thota Hanumaiah
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