CITU UNDER ATTACK
Immediately after the formation of CITU, It had to face several attacks by the Government and a section of the trade unions to isolate CITU. However, CITU remained firm and steadfast in championing the cause of the working class and the path of class struggle. Also CITU advocated the need to change the social system of capitalism based on the exploitation of the working class and fight for achieving the goal of establishing of a socialist system which alone can bring basic changes in the working and living conditions of the working class. The CITU called upon the working class to participate in the political struggle so that the capitalist policies to loot the people for increasing the profits of the Corporate Sector are firmly opposed by the trade union movement.
Immediately after the formation of the CITU, a big attack was made on the steel workers at Durgapur and a bitter long drawn struggle was launched by Durgapur Steel Plant and Alloy Steel Plant workers under the leadership of CITU unions there braving onslaughts and making immense sacrifice. The CITU organised countrywide solidarity action in support of the Durgapur workers.
The historic twenty-day long strike by the railway workers in 1974, braving all victimisations, repressions and atrocities, had been the most important event of united working class action soon after the birth of CITU, which played an important role in bringing back the major part of the trade union movement in the country in the trajectory of united countrywide struggle. The NCTU line of collaboration and cooperation with the Govt got explosed. The National Coordination Committee for Railwaymen’s Struggle (NCCRS), which led the strike, emerged as the broadest industry-based platform of unity for action of the railway workers, involving also the major central trade unions except the INTUC, at that point of time. CITU played frontline role in organising solidarity with the striking railway workers braving all repression and onslaught. CITU also organised legal aid in a big way for the victimised railway workers besides other forms of relief and support. The railway strike of 1974 had not only reflected the massive unity of the railway workers, irrespective of affiliations, but also had far-reaching impact in reorienting the united movement of the entire working class as a whole and also on the then political development.
DURING EMERGENCY DAYS
Due to the brazen pro-capitalist policies pursued by the Indira Gandhi Government and consequent acute economic sufferings of the toiling people resulted in wide-spread massive struggles of the people against the policies of Indira Gandhi Government.
Indira Gandhi, seeing the growing instability of her own government, declared National Emergency on 25thJune 1975. Several opposition leaders were arrested and detained behind bars without any trial. The trade union movement was suppressed and not allowed to have any activity in the country. A strict censorship was imposed on the newspapers. Without clearance from the Govt. officials, no article could be published in the news papers. CITU had to get clearance from the Court to publish ILO Conventions on Freedom of Association and for right to collective bargaining. The Censoring Officer did not allow to publish even an article written by Dimitrov during 1930s. It could only be published with the court directive.
Taking advantage of the emergency, the Government brought a Bill in Parliament bringing down the minimum payment of Bonus from 8.33% to 4%. The CITU opposed this Bill and Members of Parliament expressed their views in Parliament. CITU actively supported the broader peoples’ struggle against the emergency rule throughout the country with Jayprakash Narayan at the forefront.
In the emergency period, strike was banned. Even legitimate trade union activities were not permit. CITU lodged complaint to the International Labour Organisation against the government's steps to suppress the trade union movement. In several industries, the wages of the workers were frozen and the government did not allow any wage rise despite rise in prices of essential commodities. In the year 1977, government was forced to withdraw the emergency and in the elections, Indira Gandhi government was squarely defeated and the Government led by Morarji Desai was formed which was the first non-congress government at the centre since Independence. Indira Gandhi herself lost the elections and the people gave a verdict against the emergency and the CITU welcomed this development.
The strength of the CITU and other trade unions increased sizably despite emergency restrictions. The end of the emergency was an end of a shameful chapter in the history of trade Union movement.
Experience of United Struggle
The phase of united countrywide struggle both at national level and at industry level have become a regular phenomenon in the trade union movement of the country mainly after emergence of CITU which played an important role in channelising the trade union movement in the trajectory of joint countrywide movement on policy issues. And for maintenance of continuity of such process of united struggle, independent initiatives on certain crucial issues facing the trade union movement and certain turning points also played an important and cementing role.
In the coal workers’ sixth round wage negotiation in 2000, CITU had to take a dissenting role, in view of other unions taking a pro-management role in signing an anti-worker MOU. Following that MOU, CITU had to go for three days’ strike in coal industry single-handedly in November 2000, which was responded to massively by the workers of all unions and ultimately the anti-worker MOU had to be scrapped and renegotiated. And this single handed initiative paved the way for united movement by all the unions in coal industry in subsequent phases. Recently, all the federations in coal industry jointly decided for a three days strike action on 5th to 7th May 2010 against disinvestment and outsourcing from a joint convention held on 27th March 2010.
But subsequently following two phases of meeting with the Coal Minister and Finance Minister, the leadership of three major federations withdrew themselves from the strike programme although in both the meetings, both the ministers reiterated the decision for disinvestment in coal India. In that situation CITU went ahead with the strike action in coal industry on 5th May 2010. Although leaders of some of the federations backtracked from committed strike action, workers en masse, much beyond the support base of CITU federation joined the strike action of 5th May in a big way declaring their resolve to resist disinvestment in coal India Ltd.
Similar situation erupted in the current phase of wage negotiation in steel industry where CITU had to go for two days strike in public steel plants against pro-management MOU signed by some other unions in 2009 which received overwhelming response from the mass of the workers resulting pro-worker changes in the wage agreement.
In the current phase of wage negotiations in PSUs, joint struggle by the public sector unions under the banner of CPSTU compelled the Govt of India to change their directive for 10 year tenure of wage agreement for the workers. But at the time of industry level negotiations, in certain PSUs, some of the unions succumbed to the pressure of management for signing agreement with 10 year tenure.
CITU refrained from signing such agreement with 10 years tenure in most of the places despite remaining alone in the negotiating forum. CITU considers signing of ten-year agreement a surrender to management’s ploy and also surrender of the achievement earned through united struggle. CITU prefers not to compromise on such principle issues even running the risk of temporary set-back and is confident that the vacillating unions will ultimately realise the blunder committed by them.
Without such principled stand on certain issues facing the movement and consistent struggle based on those principles, trade union movement cannot be kept on right track, nor the unity based on unprincipled compromise can ever be sustained.
Independent struggles
There had been occasions when CITU had to go alone to defend the interests of the working class. In the year 1971, when the Congress Govt. introduced Family Pension Scheme, CITU published a booklet “Family Pension Scheme – A Hoax” which was translated in several languages. Other Central Trade unions welcomed the Scheme but CITU pointed out that workers pay more and receive less in the Scheme. The Govt. had a net balance of Rs.14000 crores when the scheme was wound up to be replaced by the Employees Pension Scheme 1995.
On the Employees Pension Scheme introduced in 1995, the CITU again opposed the scheme on the same ground that whatever is being taken away from the workers for the pension fund, workers will not get back even a small fraction of their own contribution in the form pension. Moreover, CITU had shown through its publication containing detail calculation that the scheme based on funding proposed by the Govt cannot be sustainable and workers will stand to lose further.
CITU demanded the scrapping of the scheme and demanded introduction of pension scheme as a third retirement benefit in addition to PF and Gratuity. However, other Central Trade Unions supported the Govt and CITU had to fight virtually alone. CITU along with a few other unions went for one day strike against the scheme which received good response among the mass of the workers. Present status of the Employees Pension Scheme and the meagre return received by the workers has proved every assessment of CITU made during the introduction of the scheme. Over and above the Govt of the day has made unilateral change in the scheme by way of reducing the benefits further exercising the power under the relevant legislation which was once supported unconditionally by all the Central Trade unions except CITU. The Steel workers Federation of India fought in the Supreme Court pointing out the shortcomings of the scheme, but could not succeed. Now after long drawn experience all the Central Trade Unions have become critical of the scheme.
STRENGTHENING PROLETARIAN INTERNATIONALISM
Indian Trade Union movement is a part of the world wide struggle of the working class against capitalist exploitation. In the foundation Conference itself, CITU advocated strong international solidarity of the working class.
It had developed friendly ties with WFTU. However, in eighties when WFTU advocated de ideologisation of the working class and gave up struggle against imperialist machinations, CITU strongly voiced its opposition against such approach. However, since Havana Congress of WFTU, there has been change in the policies of WFTU which spoke against imperialism and advocated class struggle as the bedrock of WFTU policies. The CITU welcomed this shift in policies and strengthened ties of friendship with WFTU and also has taken leading role in many of its wing organisation's such as TUI-Energy, TUI-Steel, TUI-Public Services etc.
CITU also developed ties of friendship with Trade unions viz ACTU of Australia, KCTU of South Korea, COSATU of South Africa, CUT of Brazil, KMU of Philippines, Zenroren of Japan, CGT of France who are outside the framework of WFTU.
It is playing a prominent role in the activities of Southern Initiative on Globalisation and Trade Union Rights (SIGTUR) which fights against imperialism and Globalisation.
CITU hosted two SIGTUR Conferences in Kolkata and Kochi which were very successful. CITU is playing an important role in International Energy and Miners Organisations. Though International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC) does not fight globalisation and imperialist machinations, many of their affiliates who are pursuing anti-globalisation and anti-imperialism lines are keeping close relations with CITU and maintaining regular exchanges of delegations and interactions.
The CITU Conferences are attended by larger and larger number of International organisations and CITU has developed bilateral ties with more than 40 countries in all the four continents. The CITU delegates attending ILO meetings are championing the cause of trade unions in developing countries and strengthen the ties of friendship with all trade unions that take anti imperialist positions and fight against the policies of neoliberal globalisation.
LOOKING FORWARD TO A BRIGHT FUTURE
The decision of the CITU’s 13th Conference at Chandigarh to increase the membership to 75 lakhs by the next conference is a big challenge before us. We have to pay more attention to the work among the unorganised sector workers. Major section of them is yet to be organised in the trade union movement.
We must also take special initiative in organising the contract workers whose number has been increasing every day in all the industries. We also have to strengthen our activities among the core sector of economy such as financial, energy, transport and communication sectors whose striking power against capitalist operation are of great significance. We cannot meet the capitalist offensive effectively unless we give more emphasis in strengthening our organisation and struggles in weaker areas. The prestige of our movement is stronger areas cannot be lasting unless we make advancement in the weaker areas. If we give more emphasis on organising local struggles in these areas, possibilities of growing are immense.
We have to further improve our work among the working women and involve them more and more in trade union activities. It is possible to increase the percentage of our women membership much beyond 30 per cent in the next three years. There is urgent need to streamline and improve our organisational framework at all levels to expand the intervening capacity of the trade union movement. Directions and guidelines of the Bhubaneshwar resolution need to be specially emphasised and implemented. Alertness by all our leading bodies to pressing issues of the working class and reflect them in our activities would result in faster expansion of the movement. We must fully harness the growing urge among the working class for unity and united struggles.
We must pay more attention to heighten the level of ideological and political understanding of our cadres. We must pay full attention to implement the decisions of 13th Conference of CITU in this regard. Year long education campaign at all the level of our organisation as decided by the 13th Conference must be taken up with all seriousness as a part of observance of 40th Anniversary year of CITU.
Our struggle against erroneous ideologies within the working class movement must be strengthened so that correct class ideologies are percolated among the mass of the working class all over India.
Popularisation of socialist ideology among the working class is of paramount importance today when capitalism is making strenuous efforts to sow illusions among the workers. The project of P Ramamurty Memorial Trade Union School will have to be completed at the earliest for which support of the mass off the working people is solicited by CITU. The working class and trade union movement in India must move forward with revolutionary orientation. The CITU has to play a crucial role in achieving this goal.
Let us move forward to a bright future
Working class and the people of India can decide their own destiny if they are united, ideologically equipped and determined to fight for changes for a bright future.
(Extracts from CITU publication)
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