The Importance of the September 2nd General Strike
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- Published on Thursday, 01 September 2016 21:30
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A Socialist Project e-bulletin .... No. 1299 .... September 2, 2016
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The Importance of the September 2nd General Strike
What every working Indian needs to know about the all-India trade union strike -- and why it matters
Since India embraced what trade unions call the LPG route to growth (that is liberalization, privatization and globalization) in 1991, the country has seen 16 general strikes. And the 17th all India workers’ strike falls on September 2nd. The last general strike, observed on 2 September 2015, saw participation from nearly 150 million workers -- that's half the population of the entire U.S., or more than the combined population of the UK, Canada and Australia. This year, the unions expect a better turnout given the controversial labour policies pursued by the Narendra Modi-led NDA government.
Why are the... workers resorting to industrial action? And why have they been doing this so consistently over the past decade or more? In this strike, all central trade unions, except the RSS-backed Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh (BMS), will join hands with independent national federations of workers in banks, insurance, telecom and state and central government departments to protest what they call the "anti-worker, anti-people policies of the government pushing the lives of the working people at large as well as the national economy to the path of disaster." So, are these unions striking just for getting their kitty fatter, as alleged by a section of the media and office-bearers of the BJP and some ministers? A closer look at the unions’ charter of demands will give some clues.
