Transform the Indefinite Nationwide Strike
of July 11
into a General Political Strike
Carry Forward the Struggle
For Establishment of a Workers’ and
Peasants’ Government
Comrades,
The strike with participation of 13
lakh railway employees is going to inaugurate on July 11. After 1974, it would
be the first nationwide, indefinite strike of railways. Immediate and prominent
demands of the strike include: Review of the recommendations of Seventh Pay
Commission and the New Pension Policy, an increase in minimum wages from Rs.18000
to Rs.26000 pm and filling of the vacancies in railways. With declaration for joining
the strike by the employees in Defence and Postal sectors, the total number of
strikers may go beyond 35 lakhs.
From this angle, the strike of July
11 is very important. This strike may shake the capitalist government to its
hilt, may bring it to its knees, and may pose a big challenge to the government
led by capitalists.
To achieve this, broadest possible base
must be acquired by the strike. To prevent its isolation and to make the strike
effective, wider sections of the working class, especially those employed in
strategically important industries and services, must be drawn to this strike. Alongside
of raising and adding the demands that may influence the workers, employees all
over the country, we must strive for transforming the strike into a general
political strike, that finally must be turned to a revolutionary struggle
against the capitalist government.
The new phase of the crisis set in
at the end of the year 2008, that had once again destabilized world capitalism,
is stirring the working class, the world over. From US to Europe and from Latin
Americas to Middle East, the working class is gravitating towards struggle. In Europe,
Greek and French workers are up in arms. In India, the recent struggle of
garment workers in Begaluru, is the clear sign of this new age of proletarian
struggles.
Today when the capitalists of the
world are engulfed in the economic crisis, the attempt of these governments, as
always, is to shift the entire burden of this crisis to the shoulders of the
toiling masses. With this, the attacks upon the workers, toilers and their living
standards are becoming sharper and more frequent.
The right wing saffron government under
Narendra Modi, holding power in India, has been the frontrunner in carrying out
attacks upon the workers and toilers. Modi government has taken clear lead over
all other right-wing governments including that under Congress. Under Modi
Government, the communal polarization and anti-worker policies are being taken
to their zenith.
Firstly the governments led by the Congress
and then those led by the BJP, have made India a partner in most violent
military campaigns and uninterrupted wars of world capital, by tying the
country behind the military gang of NATO led by the US, sole aim of which is to
fulfill the regional hegemonic aspirations of the Indian capitalists.
The capitalists ruling over the countries
and the world, and the governments serving under them, that are instruments of
unlimited exploitation of the toiling people, during this period of crisis, are
resorting more and more to wars, violence, repression and bloodshed. Capitalist
gangs led by the US, have unleashed a campaign of violence and destruction in
the name of war upon terror. World Capitalism and its national lackeys have
pushed the world into infinite war that would transform any moment into a
nuclear conflagration. The ecology is the worst victim and sufferer for an irreparable loss under the axe of capitalist
loot and blind race for profits.
Living conditions of the toiling
masses are specially pitiable in south asia. Countries like India, Pakistan,
Bangladesh, Srilanka and Nepal are home to illiteracy, disease, hunger, poverty
and malnutrition. Blind to this all, the capitalist governments in these
countries, stuck to imperialist poles, are diverting major share of national resources
to the blind and uncontrolled race of acquiring and stockpiling armaments. Surrendering
the natural and human resources of their countries to world capitalism, these
governments have thrown open the floodgates to uncontrolled global loot and
exploitation of the masses.
Capitalism has generated these unbearable
living conditions in which billions of working and toiling people of India,
South Asia and the world are immersed. The historic mission of the working
class is aimed at changing these conditions and destroying their source,
capitalism. Political aim of the working class is to overturn the capitalist
class and its agent governments and to establish workers and peasants
governments instead of them. Destruction of capitalism and establishment of
socialism is its paramount purpose. Every struggle and every strike of the
working class must be consciously directed towards this purpose only.
Working class has continuously
fought to change and reverse these conditions. But the false left leaders have
everytime betrayed it and have played significant part in defeating these
struggles. The trade unions led by them have not only failed to defend the
common workers, employees from ever escalating attacks from the pro-capitalist
governments, but they have prevented workers from the struggle and from opening
offensive against the capitalist power, instead of fighting themselves for the
workers. Their opportunist leaders have adhered themselves to capitalist
establishment and they have tied workers to this regime. New generations have been
completely cut-off from struggles and strike is converted into a bad word.
All over the world, the role of
trade unions and their leaders has continued to become more and more reactionary
and anti-worker and under their leadership the working class has continued to become
more and more hopeless, frustrated and defeated. Majority of the leaders in
these trade unions do not come from the ranks of the workers, but are
professionals who have repeatedly betrayed the interests of the workers and in
collusion with the capitalist establishment have acquired luxurious living
standard for themselves and have abandoned ordinary rank and file workers to be
beaten and to die. Their relationship with these ordinary workers is limited
only to collect union subscriptions.
The false opportunist left of
various pseudo socialist and Stalinist parties and the trade unions under them,
has remained adhered throughout to the pro-rich parties and leaders on the one
or the other pretext. Instead of challenging capitalism it has reinforced it and
has provided critical aid to it to come out of the crisis on more than one
occasions.
Last year the conventional call by
12 trade unions for one day nationwide strike on September 2, had gathered a
strong momentum with huge participation from the employees. But the trade union
leaders refused to turn this momentum against the power of capitalists and
capitalist system and permitted it to drain off.
The trade unions had to call for
this strike of July 11 in view of the anger building among the ranks of workers
and the pressure from below, but they are eagerly seeking a compromise with the
government. These leaders have made no sincere efforts for the success of the strike,
have run no effective and wide campaign among the workers and employees for it,
and have carried out no real mobilization. The strike is confined to petty
economic demands only. No direct threat is posed to the power of capitalists
and no political demands are presented. It is clear that their focus would be upon
heading off this strike, called in lifeless and unwilling manner, sooner than
later through a settlement.
Yet neither the government nor the
trade unions can prevent the strike from transgressing the petty demands and opening
the broad political offensive on revolutionary road. The workers, employees and
the toilers struggling against the spiraling prices and resultantly falling
living standards, have no other option except to fight against their abominable
living conditions. This strike is the expression of the widespread anger among
the masses and a milestone in the struggle.
To achieve victory in the
struggles, the workers have to turn their back upon these trade union
bureaucrats and the movement has to be based upon independent and militant
initiative of the common workers. Proceeding, for the time being, from the demands
that are put forward by this strike, this strike itself must be transformed to
a revolutionary platform against the class of capitalists and their power. The
fight has to be carried forward far beyond these demands for establishment of
the government of workers and peasants.
With this purpose, we call upon the
advanced sections of the proletariat that they forthwith organize ‘strike committees’
among the most militant workers in all major cities, mobilise the workers
around them, call ‘workers assemblies’, prepare demand charters with consent of
common workers, join the ranks with Workers’ Socialist Party, and support its
campaign centered around the slogan- Down with Capitalism and Capitalist
Government! Long Live the struggle for a Workers’ and Peasants’ Government!!.
Workers’ Socialist Party
website: workersocialist.blogspot.com; email:
workers.socialist.party@gmail.com
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