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Online Report

With the country setting new lows in communalism and divisionism in the west (Maharashtra and Gujarat), the logic of survival has ensured that fresh hope has to emanate from the east (Calcutta). The unorganised sector observed a hugely successful strike in West Bengal on its eight-point demand in which over 50 lakh workers participated. The initiative for the strike was taken by the CITU which has now called for the movement to spread nationwide.

Later, at a rally in Calcutta on Friday, the senior CITU leaders Chittabrata Mazumdar, Niren Ghosh, Mrinal Das as well as Left Front ministers and the chairman Sailen Dasgupta addressed a mammoth rally where the demand charter was placed to the state labour minister Shanti Ghatak. They pointed out the faulty policies of the Centre which were leading to an exodus from the organised sector which had made the unorganised sector grow to an almost unmanageable two crores in strength in 55 core areas. It is a fact that factories and industries are closing down throughout the nation at an alarming rate and the workers are thus being forced to seek temporary employment in the unorganised sector. The need of the hour is thus to group them selectively in spheres so that they can organise the labour force themselves and make justified and tenable demands to the government. The strike on January 2 was only a beginning; the rally on Friday simply a continuance of the resolve but unless the Centre wakes up to the reality of this problem and the law courts help by clearing pending cases and withdrawing stay orders, then nothing much can be achieved. The lead taken up by the CITU has to percolate to other trade unions too and the Centre must be told in unequivocal terms that the need is not to just issue statements but back them up with action too.