[Reader-list] More fascism in WB

[A. Mani]

Source: Ganashakti

Mamata govt. moves to ban right to unionise
Our Correspondent

The authoritarian 8-month rule, which some have dubbed fascist, has
finally come up with the crowning glory of its policies so far, taking
away the right to form trade unions from the state govt. employees.
This direct attack on democracy was announced by the Labour Minister,
Purnendu Das, curiously a former trade unionist himself. Such might be
the character of rightist trade unionists, but all state employees
have slammed this undemocratic move.

The employees were earlier governed by a 1926 British law, which was
amended by the first left front govt., headed by Jyoti Basu, in 1980.
The Jyoti Basu govt. had conferred the full right of forming trade
unions along with the right to strike. It is significant to note that
only the left ruled states of Bengal, Kerela & Tripura have this law,
which also extends to the police. Every citizen in a modern democratic
country should have the right to protest & strike, as Jyoti Basu used
to remind the employees & that they should not shirk from using it if
they felt that the govt. of the day was trampling on their rights.

This Trinamul govt., which has stopped paying salaries & pensions to a
large section of its employees, wants to go back to the British law &
deny its victims the right to protest or strike. The Labour Minister,
a true follower of his leader, has threatened to apply curfew in order
to stop any critical ‘discussions’ about the govt. He has, in a
characteristic fashion, chosen calumny to discredit the state govt.
employee unions, by accusing them of being run from Alimmuddin Street.
This has drawn a stinging reaction from the union leaders, dismissing
the false allegation, slamming the move as undemocratic. Co-ordination
Committee, the largest of these unions said that they have been
fighting anti-labour policies of govts, even before this law was
instituted & will continue doing so in the future.


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