MAY DAY MANIFESTO 2011

On the occasion of May Day 2011, the day of the international solidarity and unity of the working class, the Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU) extends warmest revolutionary greetings to the entire fraternity of the working class and the toiling people of the country and the world. On this great day the CITU re-affirms its commitment to class struggle and reiterates its goal for establishment of a Socialism to ensure complete emancipation of the human society from all forms of exploitation. 

Fraternal Greetings

CITU conveys its firm solidarity to the struggles of agricultural workers, poor and middle peasantry against the disastrous impact of deepening agrarian crisis under neoliberal order and for better wages, right to land, remunerative prices, institutional credit at low interest rates, and input and infrastructural support through massive public investment. CITU aspires for an effective joint struggle of workers, agricultural workers and small peasants against neoliberalism in the days to come.

CITU also conveys its fraternal greetings and message of solidarity to the struggles of the youth and students organizations for the right to education and employment and against commercialization and privatization of education which were also the offshoot of the neoliberal policy regime. CITU expresses solidarity to the struggles of women’s organizations against discrimination, violence and for their right to appropriate representation and empowerment.

CITU reiterates its commitment of solidarity to the struggles of working people in the capitalist world fighting against the onslaught on their rights to employment, living wages, social security and trade union rights unleashed by the crisis stricken neoliberal economic order. Struggles are on the rise both in the developed and also in the developing countries against the attack on their rights and livelihood by the recession stricken neoliberal capitalist order and the imperialist agencies.

CITU conveys its warm revolutionary greetings to the World Federation of Trade Unions (WFTU) for having held the 16th World Trade Union Congress in Athens, Greece, where it has been decided to carry forward the class oriented Trade Union activities and struggles against the imperialist and capitalist offensive against the working people all over the world.

 

Greetings to Socialist Countries

On this May-day, the CITU conveys its fraternal greetings to the working class of the socialist countries for their continued fight to protect the gains of revolution, to continuously improve and expand the rights and the living condition of the people in the midst of worldwide crisis of the capitalist order, and holding high the banner of socialism and defending the superiority of the socialist system.

CITU rejoices over the successes attained by Socialist Cuba in carrying forward its advancement braving the economic blockade and sanctions thrust upon it by the US imperialism. Cuba’s steadfast and uncompromising stance against US hegemonism will continue to be the source of inspiration for the toiling people’s movement all over the world.

 

Rising Assertion for Democracy and Against Authoritarianism

On this May-Day, CITU welcomes the rising peoples’ assertion in the Arab World against authoritarian rule and for democratic rights, which started with peoples’ uprising in Tunisia and thereafter in Egypt unseating the Hosni Mubarak Govt. This has spread like waves of similar peoples’ action in Bahrain, Libya, Yemen, Oman, Jordon, Morocco, Turkey, Algeria and other places opening up the possibility of changes towards a more democratic order in most of the countries. CITU notes with pride that working class played a crucial frontline role in many of these countries in such peoples’ assertion against autocracy. It also notes that unbearable sufferings of the mass of the people owing to severe economic crisis reflected in widespread joblessness, rising food prices, widening poverty among the masses, rising cost of public utilities, corruption etc and denial of rights to even voice the resentment by the repressive autocratic Govts led to such flare-up of popular uprising in Tunisia, Egypt, followed by other countries in the region.

While welcoming the mounting peoples’ assertion against autocratic regime in the Arab world as a positive development in world political scenario, CITU notes with anxiety and anguish the satanic ploy of US imperialism and NATO to intervene into the situation with an aggressionist approach. In Libya, NATO’s mass-scale air-strike on the vile plea of protecting civilians under the garb of UN Security Council’s Resolution, has actually killed large number of civilians, besides exposing the imperialist’s ploy to re-establish control on the Oil-rich Libya. Hypocrisy of the imperialism led by US stands thoroughly exposed when the same US administration supports the Saudi Arabian military intervention to prop up the Autocratic Khalifa regime at Bahrain in its brutal crack-down on mass of the civilians protesting against autocracy and demanding democratic changes. The same imperialists are also lending tacit support to brutal crackdown on the protesting civilians to kill and maim them by the respective despots in Tunisia and Yemen.

Therefore, while welcoming the popular pro-democracy uprising in the Arab world, CITU joins the world’s peace-loving community in condemning the imperialist’s and imperialist-backed aggressionist interventions in some of the countries.

 

Against Imperialist Machinations

On this May Day the CITU expresses its deep anguish and reiterates its condemnation against the aggressive hegemonic machinations of the imperialist forces led by US imperialism. Besides continuing its de-facto occupation on Iraq and Afganisthan, it has been in continuous quest for new areas of intervention particularly focusing on the oil-rich Arab world.

CITU reiterates its solidarity with the struggling Palestinian people in the face of inhuman military onslaught by Israel with active support of the military strength of US and its European allies. CITU also condemns the continuing conspiracy of the US imperialists to attack Iran, Syria and DPRK (Democratic People’s Republic of Korea).

There are indications of changes too arising out of murmuring and not so loud contradictions within the imperialist powers and their allies indicating prospect of emergence of multipolarity in the international arena. And even in the matter of NATO’s intervention in Libya, Germany and Turkey have withdrawn themselves and Germany along with Russia and India abstained from voting on UN Security Council’s resolution on Libya.

In the face of the rising opposition to its economic political and military hegemony and its increasing isolation, the US has become desperate to consolidate its influence. The US has been desperately attempting to tighten its grip over the ruling polity in the developing countries in the eastern hemisphere including the Indian sub continent. The strategic military cooperation and the Indo US nuclear deal are expressions of this intent. US imperialism has redoubled its conspiratorial attempts to weaken the opposition to its interventions and interference by the Left and other progressive forces in the developing countries, including India. Recent Wikileaks expose has thoroughly exposed as to how the US administration has long been monitoring and interfering in the day to day governance of our country including appointment of ministers, important policy decisions on both political, economic and foreign policy fronts while Indian ruling polity has been subjecting itself to that process obligingly.

 

Rising Struggles Worldwide

This year’s May Day is being observed the world-over in the midst of widespread protest mobilizations and united actions by the toiling masses against the onslaught on their rights and livelihood following the worst-ever global crisis of the capitalist order in the form of mass-scale joblosses, lay-off, closure, wage-cut etc. Despite all optimistic talks of recovery, the situation in the advanced industrialized economies of the Europe and the West continued to remain critical with rising unemployment and deep-seated recession owing to their sticking to the same bankrupt finance-capital driven neoliberal path.

Following global meltdown, public exchequers in these countries were liberally utilized to bail out the bankrupt banks and financial institutions which in turn plunged these countries, the European countries in particular in acute debt crisis pushing the Govts into virtual bankruptcy. This resulted in the respective Governments adopting a drastic cut on all public related expenditures in the name of so called austerity measures while letting the capitalist lobby a free hand to loot the workers and the people. All aspects of the working life of the people, right to employment, social security, wages, working hours etc are under severe attack by such exercise of austerity and the workers enmasse are opposing such loot and plunder through strikes and militant mobilizations all over the world. During the period since last May-Day 2010, entire Europe and also USA became a theatre of militant strike actions and massive protest mobilizations by millions of workers and toiling people from all walks of life boiling in anger owing to price-rise, unemployment, cuts in wages and social security and other attacks on their life and livelihood thereby exposing the utter inefficacy of the neoliberal capitalist order to address the basic problems of mankind. CITU garners strength and inspiration from such rising tide of the worldwide struggles by the working class, voices its solidarity which those struggles and stressed upon the urgency for sharpening those struggles to force upon reversal of neoliberal capitalist order itself.

 

Capitalism Stands Exposed

The current spate of crisis fuelled by so called global financial meltdown has been the inevitable culmination of the finance capital driven neoliberal imperialist order. All aspects of economic governance are subordinated to finance capital’s lust for quickest possible gain. This crisis thoroughly exposed the extreme fragility of the world capitalist order while exploding the much-touted idea of seeking “opportunity for development” in the neoliberal packages. It has also exposed the dubious mode of operation of modern capitalism under neoliberal order. When there is a boom, there will be no regulations and the speculators will reign. They will create artificial boom by fraudulent methods using public funds for their personal or cartels’ gains. When the boom bursts, the government will rescue the collapsing institutions by public funds, but the people will continue to lose through unemployment, loss of savings, wage cut etc. This is the real face of present day capitalism under neoliberal globalisation, which is nothing but a loot and fraud on the people and the economy, integrally built-in the working of the capitalist system. On this May-day, CITU renews its commitment to work for exposing this dubious system before the people while continuing to fight against its depredations.

 

In India

CITU takes pride along with the entire toiling class that owing to consistent opposition and united countrywide struggle by the working class and stout resistance by the Left forces in Parliament, the financial sector of the country could not be privatised or deregulated fully, privatisation of public sector units could be halted and the country’s economy could be saved, at least partially, from inevitable collapse and disaster in the midst of global economic meltdown.

At the same times, CITU notes with anguish that the ruling polity, instead of taking lessons from the crisis has been pushing through the same failed path of financial sector deregulation and privatization and already Bills are introduced in that direction. This is also reflected in ongoing aggressive exercise of initiating a free trade regime with the European Union etc. At the same time, it has set in motion a regime of widespread corruption, loot and fraud on the mass of the people.

The intervening period has witnessed exposure of numerous cases of the worst kind of corruption involving huge loss to public exchequer in telecom, mining, construction of Common Wealth Games infrastructure, various land and housing deals etc benefiting the big corporate houses, both domestic and foreign. This is also reflected in huge drainage and accumulation of black money in foreign banks. The manner such corrupt deals are promoted by those in governance reflects the depth of criminalization and simultaneous corporate-captivity of the entire governance under the neoliberal economic order. In fact corruption got totally institutionalized and neoliberal policies paved the way for the same.

The same corruption in governance is reflected in the management of the economy under the neoliberal format. The same corrupt approach surfaced in the management of continuously rising prices, the food inflation in particular. It has become a joint venture of the Government and the corporate speculators in the commodity market where shortage and scarcity of food articles and resultant price-rise are being cultivated and promoted further to ensure windfall gains for the corporate speculators in the commodity market. The refusal of the Govt to universalize the public distribution system and dilly-dullying in Right to Food legislation are integral part of that joint venture exercise. The whole system of economic governance including the agricultural credit have been so much biased in favour of big corporate landlords and the corporate lobby in commodity trading that the small and middle peasants who produce the food grains do not get enough price for a human survival on the one hand and people as consumer pay through their nose for their food just to survive.

At the same time the mass of the people are being cruelly fleeced through higher burden of taxes and duties and drastic cut in basic subsidies like food, fertilizers and fuels. Most of the crucial inputs and commodities like fuel, fertilizers, medicines etc are being sought to be priced at par with global rates while keeping the mass of the people deprived of even the statutory minimum wages at home and/or minimum level of earnings to ensure a barely human living. The crucial public utilities like health, education, roadways, transport etc are being sought to be privatized and commercialized through so called PPP model and blue chip public sector units in strategic, infrastructure and natural resources sector are being sought to be privatized in phases at throw-away prices.

And simultaneously as a supplementary measure, all basic labour laws are being allowed to be desperately violated by the employers in collusion with the custodians of law and order. Trade unions are not being allowed to be formed in many places and rampant victimization of workers for forming trade unions has become the order of the day. The motive is to weaken the peoples’ opposition and resistance to anti-people policies and anti-national designs. The attack on the labour rights, as the history shows, has always been precursors to onslaught on the democratic rights and institutions.

And of late, active move is afoot to completely change the labour laws to legitimize the violations and empower the employers to hire and fire at will; pension system is being totally privatized to allow the pension funds to be handled by the speculators, both domestic and foreign along with switching over from a system of assured pension to a system dependent on the market forces.

On this May-day, CITU vows to redouble its initiative to unite the toiling class in the resistance to the regime of loot and plunder on people, who produces wealth and push up GDP numbers by their sweat and blood. The brutality of the employers class, howsoever atrocious it might be with the active patronage of those in governance, have to be combated by the working class through demonstration of greater unity, vigour and conviction to combat and defeat the exploitation and the exploiting class as well.

That is the challenge destined to be taken up by the working class in the coming days. In view of the set back of the Left forces in the last Lok Sabha election and a weakened Left inside Parliament, the historic responsibility to build the resistance to such grave anti-people and anti-national designs of ruling combine has fallen on the life-line of the Left movement in the country—the working class.

CITU notes with confidence, while the correlation of forces in the political arena inside the Parliament has somewhat tilted towards the right, developments outside signal differently. All the trade unions, irrespective of affiliations, came together on the same platform to raise voice against price-rise, against state-sponsored violation of labour laws, against reckless contractorisation and casualisation of workforce, against disinvestment and privatization and demanding universal social security coverage for unorganized sector workers. Workers in various sectors are on bitter struggles in respective industries. More than three hundred thousand coal workers went on countrywide strike action on 5th May 2010 against disinvestment at the initiative of CITU alone and that paved the way for all in united strike action in the industry in the days to come. In Banking and financial sector and in telecom sector also the workers protested against deregulation through massive united strike action during the intervening period. On 7th September 2011, countrywide all in united general strike by around 10 crore (100 million) workers created history in the annals of the trade union movement in the country. And as a follow up to that historic action, around half a million workers thronged in the national capital at New Delhi on 23rd February 2011 to stage militant demonstration before Parliament. On this May-day CITU calls upon the working class to widen further the all in unity of trade unions at the grass root level and carry the united struggle of the working people to a militant height to fight for reversal of the anti-people pro-imperialist policy regime.

 

Combat the onslaught on Left and Democratic Movement

May Day 2011 is going to be observed at a time when the country is in the midst of a grim political battle in two major stronghold states of the working class movement where the Left and Democratic forces are running the state governments. In these two states –the elections for the state legislature which has already started in the first week of April 2011 and end on 10th May, symbolizes the fight between policies of neoliberalism and the progressive forces opposing the same and fighting for pro-people alternative. It is going to be a fight between Left and democratic forces and the forces of extreme right reaction, between the pro-people welfarist policy of governance and the corporate captive policies of loot, plunder and fraud on mass of the populace. It is also going to be battle between the policy of empowering the working people and policies for subjecting them to slavery and worst exploitation for corporate sector’s windfall gain, both domestic and foreign. The working class movement of the country must stand and battle for victory of the Left and democratic forces since the aspiration of the working class for better life and expanded rights coincides with the vision of the Left forces.

On this May-day the CITU therefore calls upon the working class movement to fight and combat the grievous onslaught being perpetrated on the Left and democratic movement which always stand by the working class in all its struggles and always voice their concern and work for their victory in all the states where state legislature’s elections are taking place.

We must note that in the face of Left’s uncompromising stance against neoliberal and pro-imperialist policy regime and its successful blockade to many of their anti people projects, all the forces of right reaction aided and abetted by the imperialist agencies and the big-bourgeois-run media have become desperate in launching an all round attack against the Left movement.

Along with, concerted physical attack is also being launched against the Left and democratic movement in the strongest bastion of Left in West Bengal by the gang-up of extreme right reaction and extreme ultra-Left combine in the garb of so called Maoist outfit and all kinds of divisive and separatist forces. In Kerala all the anti-Left forces have ganged up along with the bourgeois media to carry on malicious campaign against the Left and Democratic forces to confuse the people against the Left forces.

The people of West Bengal have been physically in the frontline of this resistance struggle, bleeding and laying down their lives. The people of Kerala are also heroically combating the heinous campaign against the Left. The enemy they are fighting is the enemy of the entire toiling class, enemy of democracy, enemy of peoples’ empowerment and finally the enemy of the people. Therefore, there must be no let-up on the part of working class movement in other states in the continuing campaign to expose the game plan of the right-reactionary-ultra-left-imperialist agencies behind the continuing attacks campaign against the Left forces in these states and also in solidarity actions. On this May Day CITU pledges to rouse the working class throughout the country ideologically and organizationally, to unite and fight against the brutal onslaught on their fellow travellers in West Bengal and Kerala who always remained in the frontline of battle championing the cause of the working class and led the struggle against exploitative regime of the capitalist order.

 

The Appeal of May Day 2011

On this May Day 2011, CITU reasserts its commitment to international solidarity with the struggles being carried on by the working class throughout the globe against imperialist offensives and the neoliberal order and in defence of their rights and livelighood.

CITU reiterates its firm support to the Left forces in their struggle against right reactionary and the imperialist forces. CITU’s call to the working class to support the Left candidates in the forthcoming assembly elections in West Bengal, Kerala, Assam and Tamilnadu is part and parcel of this struggle.

CITU appeals to the working people in the country to work for building all in unity of the class to combat and confront the onslaught being brought down by the corporate captive ruling polity on the rights and livelihood of the workers at every workplace; the struggle against attack on labour rights in workplace must be supplemented by solidarity actions in all others. Solidarity actions must form an inseparable part of the day to day collective life of the working people. This is the call of May-day.

On this May-day CITU calls upon the working class to remain vigilant and fight against the divisive forces of all hues- communalism, casteism and parochialism while defending and expanding the unity of the class and the people in the struggle against oppression and exploitation.

Long Live International Solidarity of the Working Class
Down with Capitalism & Imperialism
Down with Neoliberal Imperialist Globalisation
Long Live Socialism

May Day in Greece: Workers’ class response to the capital

The strike mobilisations on the MayDay organised by the All Workers’ Militant Front (PAME) in 75 cities throughout Greece, were a watershed event in the mobilisations of the class movement during the last period. The participation exceeded all the previous as tens of thousands of workers, men and women, young people, pensioners and immigrants, self-employed demonstrated their determination to clash with the new anti-workers, anti-peoples’ measures decided by the social-democrat government together with imperialist unions and organisations such as the EU and the IMF and with the support of the conservative party of the ND and the nationalist LAOS.

Thousands of workers and especially young ones -to whom this year’s Labour Day was dedicated- have rallied once more and in a difficult and critical juncture with PAME, the main and authentic force that expresses the interests of the working class in the labour and trade union movement and in the struggles.

The participation of the workers proved that once again they turned their backs on the opportunist parties and on the compromised leaderships of the confederations of the trade unions in the private (GSEE) and public sector (ADEDY) that seek a variation within the EU supposedly in favour of the people, exonerating it in a provocative way in contrast with the IMF and sowing illusions for the possibility of the formation of a different, a “good” stability pact within the imperialist EU. Their rallies had not only scant participation but also prearranged provocative incidents took place aiming to make large masses of workers withdraw from the struggle and to be reproduced by the media in order to cover the slogans and the volume of the demonstrations of PAME that targeted against the aims of the plutocracy.

As noted by the main speaker of the rally of PAME in Athens “In the name of all the dead of our class and of the young generation, PAME calls upon the working class to lead the struggle to confront the brutal offensive against all peoples in Europe”.

The new measures announced by the government on Sunday, May 2 are literally a slaughter: they abolish the 13^th and 14^th wage in public sector and transform them to a gratuity; likewise the 13^th and 14^th pension (both in private and public sector); they freeze the wages in public and private sector for thee years; they promote the anti-social security measures for the increase of retirement ages; they impose drastic cuts on pensions; they increase the redundancy threshold from 2% to 4%. Moreover, they impose rise in VAT on public consumption goods from 21% (after the rises before two months) to 23%, the abolition of the collective labor agreements, drastic cuts of benefits and redundancy payments, mass dismissals in public sector and local administration.

But above all the measures include the most important element for the increase of the capitalist profits that is the complete overthrow of the labour relations while they grant new provocative benefits to the big capital. At the same time, they prepare the ground for the complete abolition of the 13^th and 14^th salary and pension both in private and public sector.

The class oriented forces of PAME are giving a militant response to this wave of anti-labor measures. They call on the people to be in alert and to go on a new general strike on Wednesday 5 May. With the slogan “the plutocracy to go bankrupt” they call the working people to participate even more determinately in the picket lines and the strike demonstrations of PAME throughout the country.

“No matter how many billions they lend to the Greek state this does not mean anything for the people. After all capital will continue exploiting the working people even harder and the decayed political system will continue treading down and intimidating them, it will continue to need workers without dignity”, stated Aleka Papariga, General Secretary of the Communist Party of Greece at the demonstration on May Day.

On behalf of Communist party of Greece she also rejected the ostensible meeting of political leaders which as she stated “it aims only at giving the impression that people consent”. In addition, KKE stated that “there is absolutely no need to meet with the representatives of the “troika” (EU, European Bank, IMF)” and therefore refused to participate in such a meeting as the yellow trade unions and the other bourgeois parties did.

May Day demonstrations around the world

May day rally in Russia led by Communist Party

Millions of workers marched in May Day demonstrations around the world Friday, celebrating international proletarian solidarity.

In Greece, 6,000 people marched in a peaceful demonstration in Athens. In central Athens, 4,000 policemen were deployed, as authorities feared a possible replay of the December riots that followed the shooting death of 15-year-old Alexis Grigoropoulos. Police fired teargas at a group of demonstrators from Athens Polytechnic, which had been at the center of the December demonstrations.

An estimated 1 million people (450,000 according to police) marched in hundreds of demonstrations in France. The demonstration in Paris drew 165,000 marchers, carrying banners reading “Sarko [President Nicolas Sarkozy] promised us, Sarko lied” and “We won’t pay for the bankers.”

There were also marches in big cities in Spain, burdened with the highest unemployment rate in Europe — 17 percent. More than 65,000 people, according to organisers, gathered in the centre of Madrid in a demonstration run by the country’s two largest trade unions.

In Italy, union leaders shifted rallies from major cities to the earthquake-stricken town of L’Aquila, as a sign of solidarity with the thousands who have lost their jobs since last month’s deadly quake.

In Germany, the DGB trade union federation mobilised its entire organisation this May Day to proclaim its willingness to work with the government to ensure that the traditional demonstrations proceeded peacefully. However, there were reports of violent clashes and injuries in demonstrations in Berlin and Hamburg.

According to its own figures, the DGB organised around 400 demonstrations and rallies across Germany. Participation at the rallies was increased in a number of cities by large delegations of foreign workers.

The main event of the DGB took place in the northern port city of Bremen, where DGB chief Michael Sommer addressed a crowd of around 2,500. Sommer repeated his warnings of social unrest, but then offered the cooperation of the trade unions to the government, advising the implementation of new government stimulus programmes.

The German Social Democratic leaders did not speak at the main meeting in Bremen. But SPD chairman Franz Müntefering spoke at the DGB rally in Wuppertal and SPD foreign minister and chancellor candidate Frank-Walter Steinmeier spoke in Ludwigshafen.

The May Day meetings and rallies in Germany have been traditionally used by the trade unions and the SPD to cover their political tracks and talk “left.” But as the financial crisis deepens—and the active role of both organisations in the destruction of jobs, wages and working conditions becomes evident—such a balancing act is becoming increasingly difficult. Despite the rapid growth of unemployment in Germany in the past months the low participation at the rallies in Germany is testimony to the growing credibility crisis of the trade union bureaucracy.

In Russia, 25,000 marchers gathered for rallies in Moscow, led by trade unions and the Russian Communist Party. They rallied around a statue of Karl Marx and called for the resignation of the government. Police arrested 120 marchers at a demonstration in St. Petersburg.

Rally in Turkey

In Turkey, 2,000 demonstrators marched into Taksim Square, for the first May Day demonstration since the government legalized the holiday last year. Police fired tear gas and water cannon and charged hundreds on the square—the site of a May 1, 1977 massacre of demonstrating workers by unidentified gunmen.

Latin American countries celebrate May Day

Latin Americans held marches, rallies and other events on Friday to mark the May Day, during which workers also expressed their demand and concerns.

In Caracas, the capital city of Venezuela, thousands of workers marched to the city center near the Miraflores Palace, headquarters of the Venezuelan government, from three separate locations.During the march followers of President Hugo Chavez shouted "we are majority, we are joyous."

May day rally in Caracas

Panama, unions celebrated May Day with marches and rallies in the historic Cinco de Mayo Square in Panama City. During the events, workers demand salary increase, freedom of unions, better working condition and called for a constitutive process for Panama's May 3 elections. The Single Workers union of Construction and Similar (Suntracs) urged the Panamanian government to raise the workers' salaries.

Cuban leader Raul Castro, along with more than 2,000 friends of Cuba from 70 countries and 200 unions across the world, attended the May Day celebration with a slogan "united, productive and efficient" in Revolution Square in Havana.

General Secretary from the Workers Central of Cuba (CTC) Salvador Valdes Mesa reaffirmed Cuban workers' support for the Socialism under the leadership of Cuban former leader Fidel Castro and leader Raul Castro.

Meanwhile, a traditional parade, led by professors, students as well as health care workers, which are considered important parts of the Cuban Revolution, was held.

In Honduras, thousands of workers shouted "Entrepreneurs, entrepreneurs pay a good salary", "people want to talk, let's hold a people's consultation" during a march to celebrate the May Day. The workers also demanded more safety and price cuts in basic products.

In Uruguay, the single workers Union (PIT-CNT) called for unity of the Latin American people and governments in order to tide over the global economic crisis.

Chilean President Michelle Bachelet said one of the challenges for her government is to create more jobs amid the world economic crisis at a May Day breakfast with a group of "home advisors" in the Santa Zita foundation.

In Pakistan, there were May Day demonstrations in all the major cities in three provinces, including Quetta, Peshawar, Lahore, Multan and Faisalabad.

In Sindh, the Pakistan People’s Party-led provincial government banned all May Day demonstrations, using as a pretext the ethnic violence that erupted in Karachi on April 29 and resulted in more than 30 deaths. The People’s Labour Bureau, the trade union wing of the PPP, supported the ban.

In the Philippines, 7,000 demonstrators marched in Manila to Mendiola and the US embassy, as police blockaded the streets in central Manila. Protesters denounced President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo’s offer for the unemployed to join the armed forces, noting that the daily cost of living for a family is pegged at 922 pesos, while the minimum wage is 382 pesos per day. Protesters also held rallies at Olongapo City and Subic Bay.

On thesame day, a government-run job fair offered 200,000 overseas jobs in construction, engineering and other work, attracting thousands of applicants in cities across the country.

In South Korea, 16,000 demonstrators converged on the National Assembly in Seoul, demanding job protection, employment and the resignation of conservative President Lee Myung-bak. Several protesters were detained after clashes with riot police.

In India, workers took part in a May Day march in New Delhi protesting job and wage cuts. The protest was organized by the Indian Federation of Trade Unions. Workers all over the southern state of Kerala observed the day, holding marches and meetings.

In Kolkata, the capital of the eastern Indian state of West Bengal, workers participated in a May Day rally and meeting. They carried placards denouncing India’s foreign policy, imperialism and communalism.

In Chennai, the capital of the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu, about 2,000 workers participated in a May Day rally and about 3,000 gathered for the meeting at the conclusion of the rally. They were organized jointly by the Center of Indian Trade Unions (CITU) and the All India Trade Union Congress (AITUC), union federations affiliated to two main Stalinist parties, the Communist Party of India (Marxist)—CPM—and the Communist Party of India (CPI) respectively.

Perambur, where the rally and meeting were held, is a working class area in the city. Workers from the Chennai port and docks, as well as railway and municipal workers, bank and insurance workers, rickshaw drivers and workers from various auto manufacturing plants, took part in the rally and meeting. There was also a group of women workers from the unorganized sector. The groups marched under their respective union banners.

In Andhra pradesh also various functions were conducted by trade unions in commemoration of May day. In Karnataka too rallies and meetings were conducted

CITU May Day Manifesto - 2009

On the occasion of May Day – 2009, the day of the international solidarity and unity of the working class, the Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU) extends warmest revolutionary greetings to the entire working class and the toiling people of the country and the world as a whole. The CITU re-affirms its commitment to class struggle and complete emancipation of the human society from all forms of exploitation.

Fight the Imperialist Machinations

On this May Day the CITU condemns the aggressive hegemonic machinations of the imperialist forces led by US imperialism. Iraq and Afghanistan continues under US military occupation. While in Iraq resistance is growing from within, the US occupation of Afghanistan is contributing in deteriorating political situation in Pakistan.

Israel continues to occupy Palestinian and Arab territories. The recent Gaza massacre by Israeli military forces is the latest examples of imperialist brutality against humanity. Moreover, the US is continuing with its conspiracy to attack Iran, Syria, DPRK (Democratic People's Republic of Korea).

On the issue of deployment of Missile Defence System in Europe, contradiction between USA and Russia is getting aggravated despite change of guard in US Administration.

Special Significance of This Year's May Day

This year's May Day shall be observed by the working class all over the world at a time when neo-liberal economic ideology under finance capital driven imperialist globalization has collapsed and the world is in the grip of a worst ever capitalist economic crisis since the Great Depression of 1930s. According to Cuban President Fidel Castro, "But it is not the usual crisis that happen every certain number of years, or even traumatic crisis of 1930; rather, the worst of all since the world started to pursue this model of growth and development."

True, neo-liberalism has been totally exposed and "the crisis has certainly destroyed the credibility of the neo-liberal ideology." The neo-liberal policies must be reversed and the struggle must march forward towards the ultimate goal of a new people oriented progressive social order. We must understand that the birth of a new social order over the graveyard of neo-liberalism is not automatic but depends on how far the working class movement would successfully organize the fight against the system in strict adherence to ideology of class struggle.

Impact of the Crisis on Working People

According to a ILO forecast in January this year, by the end of 2009 world unemployment could increase by 5 crore (50 millions) over 2007 alone reaching to 23 crore (230 millions) and besides that the number of working poor increasing by 20 crore (200 millions). Closure, lay offs, retrenchment, wage freeze, withdrawal or reduction in social security measures etc has been pushed to a dangerous dimension by the employers' class. Already 3.8 crore (38 millions) people have lost their jobs over last couple of months whereas job creation is going to be far below compared to what it was two years ago.

Private business houses are given huge financial support at the expense of Government exchequers in the name of bail-out packages. Huge concessions are doled out to the capitalist class through repeated reduction in capital cost, interst-rate, tax cuts etc. instead of job protection and employment generation. Around 32 governments, which had spent about 1.19 trillion US dollars on stimulus packages, had spent a meager 9.2 per cent on relief to suffering people. The so called stimulus packages are mainly aimed at heating the financial markets for the benefit of the speculation and finance capital and the amount flowing for real economy are a meager less than one fifth of the total financial bailout packages. The Director General of ILO has commented, "People, Families and Communities did not create the crisis and yet they carry the highest human costs. And they are legitimately protesting."

World-wide Wave of Strikes

The world is reverberating with Strikes and militant Street Demonstrations as well as different other forms of struggles participated by millions and millions of worker to protest against brazen neglect of toiling people by the Governments in handling the economic crisis. It is a situation of "billions for banks, pennies for people."

The countries under the European Union have witnessed the maximum protest action. Eight national Federations of Trade Unions of France have jointly organized two giant strikes in quick succession. On 29th January and on 19th March this year hundreds of thousands of French workers marched through the streets of the cities of France including Paris. The next action is on the May Day in which ten lakh (one million) workers will take out 200 rallies all over France.

On 13 February the Metal Workers’ Union had strike work in Italy. In solidarity with the strikers, "In Rome 700,000 blue and white collar workers marched side by side, in a unity that has not been seen in Italy for some time." Russia also witnessed militant street rallies in almost every major city in January. In Britain sectoral strikes took place in different industries. More than one hundred thousand workers from different Eurepean countries jointly staged millitant demonstration in London on 2nd April 09 at the venue of meeting of G-20 leaders including Obama, Gordon Brown, Sarkozy, Manmohan Singh.

Shocking Acts of the UPA Government

In our country the neo-liberal policies were introduced by the Congress Party-led Government headed by late Narsimha Rao with Manmohan Singh as Finance Minister. And the BJP-led NDA Government pursued the same policies more vigorously and caused maximum damage to the economy. During NDA regime, many blue chip capital rich CPSUs were sold out almost free of cost and involving deep corruption. After the defeat of BJP-led NDA in the hustings, the Congress party-led UPA Government that followed thereafter also tried to follow the same path leading to the present crisis.

In India the export-oriented sectors like textile and apparels, information technology and ITES segments, gems and jewelleries, leather, tea, automobile parts, construction, aviation etc. have already been seriously affected. Moreover Small and Medium Size Enterprises (SMEs) have been hit hard. There has been full or partial closure of industrial units, particularly the export oriented ones, then cut in production in the industries due to down turn in the market and resultant retrenchment, lay off etc. The official figure of job losses so far is only five hundred thousand but the actual figure of job-losses are many times more and this is increasing by leaps and bounds every day.

The bail-out packages of the UPA Government are still prioritizing on pumping funds to financial market to allure foreign and Indian speculators and not at all on protecting employment, promoting public investment in agriculture, infrastructure, public services and material production and expanding social security and public distribution system – which alone can improve purchasing power of the people, expand domestic market and save the national economy and the mass of the people from the onslaught of the crisis. By their perverse actions, the Congress led UPA has clearly demonstrated that their commitment is not to the people and the country's interest but to the big Corporates and their strategic partners in the imperialist block.

The Ongoing Parliamentary Elections

This year May Day is being observed by the Indian working class in the midst of the on going parliamentary elections. The political parties in the electoral fray are mainly identified into three combinations. A major set back suffered by the UPA and the NDA led by the Congress party and the BJP respectively is that some of their major constituents have deserted them. On the other hand the Left parties have succeeded in launching the Non-Congress non-BJP Third Alternative. Reckoning fact is that the right from the inception the Third Alternative is continuously strengthening with support from different political parties. With every passing day the possibility of formation of an Alternative Government without BJP or Congress party at the centre after the elections is becoming more and more brighter.

The country needs a Government at the centre that would completely reverse the economic policies which have created the crisis and adopt new policies concretely directed to address the sufferings of the people inflicted by the economic crisis. Need of the hour is protection of jobs, generation of new employment, stimulating domestic market by empowering the people economically. Speculative economic activities must be rejected. In other words, not only dismantling of public sector must be stopped but further strengthened by fresh investment by Government.

This year's May Day calls for intensified campaign by working class to fight communalism and religious fundamentalism. The BJP-led NDA is dangerous for their rabid communal and divisive agenda. The election manifesto of BJP has revived its 'hindutva' agenda and made the 'Ram Mandir' an election issue. The Gujarat and Kandhmal (Orissa) carnage apart, communal riots has become the hall mark of the BJP ruled states. The BJP’s game plan is to divide the working class and divide the people.

Moreover, the fight against terrorism and the casteist forces are also very much important. On this May Day the working class of India has to take the pledge to relentlessly fight the forces pausing serious threat to national integrity, communal amity and unity of the working class till these forces are decisively defeated.

On this May Day let us remember that crores of Indian worker participated in 12 nation-wide general strikes, scores of industry-wise strikes and innumerable agitations, demonstrations and other forms of action against neo-liberalism in the country. But for these struggles of the Left Parties against UPA Government's move to privatize banking sector and opening up insurance sector to foreign insurance companies, privatize the pension and social security funds etc, the impact of the meltdown of stock market and consequent financial crisis would have been much more severe than what the country is experiencing today. Enactment of PFRDA Bill aimed at facilitating speculation with pension funds could be stalled by the Left Political Parties and Left Trade Union movement and has saved the social security savings amounting to thousands of crores of rupees belonging to lakhs of workers from the great risk of being wiped out anytime due to down turn in stock market, as has happened in USA and European countries. Unfortunately access to Provident Fund money has been granted to private mutual funds including Reliance Capital by the UPA Government. The working class will have to fight to reverse the decision.

This May Day enjoins upon the toiling people of the country a vital responsibility to ensure the defeat of the Congress-led UPA and the BJP-led NDA in the on going parliamentary elections. At the same time the victory of the Left, Democratic and Secular Alternative must be ensured so that an Alternative Government is formed after this elections at the centre.

The Pledge of May Day 2009

This year's May Day pledge must be to intensify class struggle at the level of nation states and to consolidate the international unity of the working class to fight the menacing burdens of the economic crisis – principally, job losses, wage freeze, casualisation of employment, deterioration in quality of employment, social security, protection of the rights of migrant workers.

Long Live International Solidarity of the Working Class
Down with Imperialist Globalisation
Down with Neo-liberal capitalist Path
Down with Capitalism
Forward to Socialism
Workers of the world, Unite!

First May Day In India

"There will come a time when our silence will be more powerful than the voices you strangle today!"

August Spies
Haymarket Martyr

Although internationally, mainly in the West, observance of May Day began in the year 1890, its observance in India started at a much later. Labour movement itself began in India much later than that in the west european countries and the USA because of extremely delayed growth of industries in colonial India. In 1889 whe the world socialist leaders met in Paris and formed the Second International and on that occassion called upon the working class to observe May Day Internationally, they did it from an ardent international outlook. Even though Western newspapers and certain Indian newspapers published the news of Haymarket tragedy and execution of the May Day heroes, hardy anybody in India at that time had that extent of political and social awareness as to grasp the significance of those events.
May Day with all its revelutionaly significance was first observed in India in 1923. The AITUC was formed in 1920 and along with the formation of the emigre Communist Party in the same year, Some Communit groups were formed in India. Even the AITUC did not call for May Day observance before 1927. But itall goes to the credit of revolutionary spirit of Singaravelu Chettiar that he took the first individual initiative in organizing May Day Rally in Madras in 1923. Singaravelu chettiar was one of the earlies believers in Marxism. He formed Hindustan Labour Kisan Party in 1923, correspondance with M N Roy, who was in charge of emigre Communist party contributed to the formation. He also published Labour Kisan Gazette and Thozilalan wwekly. He was also arrested in the Kanpur Bolshevik Conspiracy Case of 1924.
The Hindu published from Madras covered the news of May Day celebreations. According to the report 2 may day meetings were held in Madras - one presided over by Singaravelu chettiar aa the beach opp. High Court and the other at Triplicane beach presided over by S Krishnaswamy Sarma. Hindu reported there was an enthusiastic gathering of labourers. The Hindu summed up Sigaravelu's speech of the May day meeting at Madras sea beach in the following words:

M Singaravelu Chettiar in explaining the significance of the day, said that the 1st May was a sacred day for the worlkers all over the world. The labourers in India also should celebrate the day ina amanner befitting their position and signify their coopration with their comrades in other parts of theglobe and also lay the foundation stone of a laboru office so that inthe years to come it might attain its full growth and be a source of strenght othe suffering labourers in this coutnry. It should also make them realise that they belonged to one class...Further the party aimed at the solidarity of labour for a common end. In the natural process of evolution labour would ultimately wield power after putting forth a great struggle.

Singaravelu also hoisted red flag in his residence on that day. However after this first inidvidual effort by Singaravelu to observe May Day, in some other centres also May Day was observed subsequently on the basis of local efforts.

Source : May Day and 'Eight Hours' Struggle in India" by Sukomal Sen