From the Declaration of 28 September 2018
National Convention of Workers
Joblosses due to Demonetisation
The estimates by independent surveys and those sponsored by employers’ organizations revealed loss of 70 lakh jobs with closure of 2.34 lakh small factory units in the first few months of demonetization. The livelihood-loss of another 6 crore people in informal economy and about 17 lakh job losses in organized sector speaks about the grim ground reality. Faced with such pathetic records the government is busy in concoction of statistics with twists to make fraudulent claims on employment generation. Regular Employment Survey which was conducted by Labour Ministry has been stayed.
Aggressive Privatisation of Public Sector
The government is aggressively going ahead with privatization of all strategic PSUs. Defence sector privatization is designed to destroy manufacturing capability and research initiatives developed during last over last six and half decades. Complete privatization of the Railways step by step is going on. Legislative measures to pave the way of privatization of major ports are also in the advanced stage. CPSUs even in core and strategic sectors like Energy, Petroleum, Telecom, Metal, Mining, Machine Building, Electronic and Digital, Road, Air and Water Transport, Port & Dock and more are under the privatization onslaught of the Government.
Outsourcing of Defence Production
Most dubious is outsourcing of more than 50% products including weapons and critical equipments, so long being produced by the Ordinance establishments. More than 250 items manufactured by Ordnance factories have been notified as non-core. Orders are placed to private players for supply of some of these items. Government is determined to close down 5 Ordnance factories manufacturing items used by our soldiers and officers and it would render thousands of workers jobless. Defence PSUs and shipyards are also being subjected to discrimination in respect of work orders while private corporates are being patronized by the Government in defence procurement deals.
Railways Privatisation
Operating private trains in the existing tracks built by Railways is being permitted. Moreover, free access to railway yards, sheds and workshops for maintenance of private coaches, wagons and engines etc are being offered to private operators. Already 23 railway stations in all metro cities have been shortlisted for privatisation. More than 600 railway stations along with land around them have been identified for development through private players in the name of “redevelopment of railway stations and land around them”. It was part of budget speech of the finance minister. Workers not only in Railways but in all Government and Public Sector Undertakings shall be worst victims of privatization in terms of job security, democratic trade union rights and protection of achievements in the areas of pay, perks, social security etc. Like Central Electricity Regulatory Authority (CERC), a Railway Development Authority (RDA) has been created. Given the sky-rocketing increase in electricity tariff by CERC, under RDA railway fare and goods freight is poised to be hiked hurting the common people and benefiting the private profiteers.
Attack on Road Transport
Attempts are being made by many State governments to dismantle public sector road transport by issuing route permits to private parties. The Central government intends to get the new Motor Vehicle (Amendment) Bill 2017 hastily passed in the parliament which will allow wholesale privatisation of road transport on the one hand and impose draconian measures on the road transport workers including those in private sector. The convention notes the widely participated countrywide strike by road transport workers on 7 August 2018 against the Motor Vehicles Amendment Bill.
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