[Reader-list] Maharashtra’s Black Act

[A. Mani]

Source: PD

CITU Decries Maharashtra’s Black Act



THE Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU) has expressed serious concern
and registered its emphatic protest against the notification of the
draconian Essential Services Maintenance Act 2011, virtually imposing
a total ban on the right to strike following the presidential assent
to the bill passed by the Maharashtra legislature.



The CITU statement, issued by its president A K Padmanabhan on August
4, recalled that even when the said bill was introduced, debated and
passed in the Maharashtra assembly, all the trade unions in
Maharashtra, irrespective of affiliations and from all sectors,
recorded their strong opposition to such draconian legislation on all
occasions. But most unfortunately, a government elected by the people
has been so captivated by and made subservient to the corporate and
big business lobby, both domestic and foreign, that it demonstrated
heinous contempt for the basic democratic rights of the working people
who keep the wheel of the economy running.



The concerned legislation, the MESMA, seeks to ban all strikes on the
plea that they would affect public life. But 'public life' and 'impact
on public life' have been so widely defined that leave room for open
ended interpretation by the enforcement authorities. This, the CITU
said, thoroughly exposes their ploy to impose a complete ban on the
right to strike in all services and establishments and all the
occupations. This warrants condemnation from all concerned.



It is unfortunate that the Maharashtra government could not conceive
of a legislation to impose a ban of lockouts and closures although the
state witnesses rampant and unlawful usage of such weapons by the
employers, affecting the livelihood of several thousands of workers.
The state is also the home of highest number of sick and closed units
where lakhs of affected workers did not get any compensation. Almost
all the labour laws are being violated by the employers, and the
enforcement machinery has become non-existent. The CITU’s question is:
Does the Maharashtra government not consider those lakhs of workers
who are deprived of statutory benefits as public?



The CITU has demanded the Maharashtra government scrap the said
draconian legislation, and has urged the central government to
intervene in that direction since this legislation to ban strike is an
affront to the basic provisions and spirit of our constitution.



The CITU has also called upon the working class to unite and protest
the said draconian law and defend its right to strike by confronting
the nefarious assault by bravely asserting the said right in the days
to come. The entire working class of the country would firmly stand by
the working class of Maharashtra in their struggle to defend their
right to strike, the CITU has assured.

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A. Mani






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