Warning bells for the Government

The successful one day strike by about 2 million workers of Central Public Sector Undertaking of the country on 2.2.2000 was the first warning signet of the working class that they are not going to be cowed down by the all out attack on public sector initiated by the BJP-led Govt. to satisfy the Fund-bank duo and their Indian appendage i.e. CII, FICCI, ASSOCHEM and other.

The response to the strike was over wheeling and notable feature was that the workers affiliated to the Unions, which did not give notice for the strike, also joined the strike spontaneously. Irrespective of trade union affection the public sector workers have realised that the situation is "now or never". It has become evident to them that whether lossmaking or profit making having good or bad record of performance, the onslaught of fund-bank dictated policy of closure, disinvestment and privatisation of public sector shall spare none. Therefore the movement for revival of sick units and for protecting the profit making units can not be separate but has to be a united movement of the entire public sector work force. That is why taking a cue from their collapses who fought shoulder to shoulder along with the workers in U.P. State Electricity Board, National Confederation of Officer’s Associations in Public Sector also supported the strike whole heartelly.

After the All Indian Dock and Port Strike, the strike of U.P. State Electricity Board employees, the 2nd February strike gives a very clear signet the workers are prepared fight the renewed onslaught of the Govt. They are on the path of struggle and every effort is being made for a broadest united trade union movement to protect economic sovereignty of the country which is being pushed into the total grip of national and global finance capital. The government of the day may be saleable the nation is not. That is the warning the workers are giving to the government.

7th February, 2000.