TUCl Salutes Workers of all Countries on 134th Mayday
Uphold International Unity Of The Proletariat
Fight Covid 19 Pandemic
Fight Imperialism and It's Lackeys
Fight for Socialist System
MAYDAY MESSAGE
Comrades,
As world is facing the grave challenge of Covid 19 pandemic, nations fight to contain it and numbers of deaths and infections go high, we condole the death of our comrades who have fallen in the fight. More than 19 lakh are still infected and more than 2 lakh have died. We condemn the merciless neglect by the imperialist capitalist system and its rulers shown towards the workers and the poor toilers. We salute the brave and selfless workers serving in health care, sanitation, transport, communications, power, security, food, pharmaceutical services etc., who stay upfront in this fight; even laying down their lives. We dip red banner to salute these martyrs. We raise the red flag on 134th Mayday pledging remembrance of their sacrifice too.
The Imperialist system was facing an impending 3rd Depression from the beginning of 21st century. It now witnesses further sharpening of the Depression by Covid 19. Global GDP is predicted by IMF to go down to minus 3% and not to fully recover even by 2021. Now, like they did during 1873-96 Long Depression and 1929-45 Great Depression, International Finance Capital forces have begun to thrust the burdens of 3rd Depression upon the world proletariat and the toiling masses. Unlike in 2008, this time the systemic fall of capitalist imperialist structure was predicted much earlier and the slow down had started after 2018 itself, all through 2019, proving not to be a mere cyclic crisis. Still, the imperialist masters and their marketing monopoly capitalists are now busy branding it to be 'Corona Crisis'. They are demanding 'sacrifices' from the working class, to work for even up to 12 hours per day, for lesser wages. The bourgeoisie lays off workers, locks out industries and wants to take away Union rights even. The WFTU has called for a fight upholding the rights of workers. So, this May day, the proletariat in every country raise the red banner to put up fight against two pandemics: Covid and fetish Finance Capitalism.
Proletariat has clearly seen that the systemic difference between socialism and capitalism is of life and death. Socialist countries such as China and Cuba fought on the side of the people against pandemic; not alone within their boundaries but, extending their helping hand to the people of more than 100 nations including those of imperialist capitalist countries like USA, Germany, Italy etc. As USA plunges deep into pandemic deaths crossing 56800, the socialist system advanced far ahead of the much trumpeted capitalist havens in overcoming the pandemic. China has already declared recovery followed by Cuba making the graph flat. Vietnam has marked 0 death in its fight flattening the graph. The continuous implementation of neoliberal measures such as privatisation of health care, spending cuts in welfare plans and withdrawal of state from vital services have become fatal for nations that followed capitalist system. Still, US imperialism and its president Trump are not ready to learn lessons; instead, are levelling allegations against China and WHO. The US has withdrawn financial support to WHO; whereas China has enhanced its financial support. Even amidst the fight against pandemic, the US imperialism continued its draconian embargo against Iran, Cuba and Venezuela; even has moved naval fleet against Venezuela. Imperialism has proven again to be nothing better than the warmongering enemy of the world people.
In our country, an unprepared lockdown that had begun on March 24 has passed to second phase from April 14 to May 3rd inflicting unprecedented peril upon millions of un-organised and migrant labourers, city slum dwellers and rural poor including marginal peasants. The reverse exodus of migrant labourers and spread of the pandemic in Mumbai slums have shown the total lack of preparedness of the union government. Economy has lost 8.5 trillion so far losing 53% of production and making the whole 487.6 million working class jobless. Already the share of workers' income from the input in industries had fallen from 35% to 9% by the implementation of neoliberal policies. It is about to fall further because of anti-worker policies of Modi government. The union government has cut the DA till July and is thinking of increasing working hours to 12 per day amending Factories Act. TUCI protested against it and has raised demand that holidays with full wages be granted for the whole lockdown period and immediate relief of ₹5000/- per month up to three months for unorganized workers including migrant workers and MGNREGA workers. We have demanded harvesting of crops on war footing with provisions for procurement of crops. We have demanded distribution of grains, grams and edibles for free to workers and poor peasants.
The 2nd Modi government has not backed from the disastrous decisions to sell out Railway, BPCL, SAIL and to go for privatizing LIC, Banks and mineral sector. It has not retracted from the sinister plan to divide the people along communal lines by discriminatory citizenship law. It has not mended its negative attitude to the workers' and peasants' demands expressed in January 8-9 General Strike. So, the advanced legions of Indian proletariat has to enhance its efforts to close ranks and lead its close class-comrade, the peasantry, forging Worker-Peasant Alliance as the axis class alliance for an epic fight for basic policy change that facilitates the march towards the goal of socialism. That is the timely tribute to the valiant martyrs of the epic battle of Chicago struggle who made the banner red with their blood and lives.
It is our duty to fight imperialist Globalization and Communal Fascism now being unleashed upon the proletariat, peasantry and toiling masses in India by the fascist forces running the regime as the pivotal part of the said task; and the following constitute it in the concrete:
1) Fight the move to increase working hours, to deny union right and to cut wages and due allowances including DA;
2) Fight the move to lock out, lay off, retrench and deny work in the name of pandemic and the lockdown;
3) Fight against the move to scrape 44 labour laws and to impose labour codes;
4) Fight for the right of universal health care and against privatisation of healthcare;
5) Fight against the privatisation of Indian Railways, Defence Factories, Coal, Port & Dock, Air India, Banks, LIC, 76 PSUs etc. that are put under privatisation threat;
6) Fight for complete nationalisation of Petroleum, power, mine and mineral sectors;
7) Fight against all the anti-peasant policies, demanding to write off the farmers' debts and to procure the crops under procurement price system.
8) Fight for job protection for the workers in organised and unorganized sectors in the face of pandemic;
9) Fight against the divisive Citizenship Amendment Act, other communal, casteist, racist, regionalist and gender-chauvinist divisive policies and malicious ideologies thrust upon Proletariat and toiling masses by the government, capitalist and reactionary forces;
10) Fight against the government policy conniving with the forces of Finance Capital and its lackeying monopoly capitalists thrusting the burden of the 3rd Depression aggravated upon the proletariat and the toiling masses.
Hold high the Red Banner of May Day
Long Live International Proletarian Solidarity
Long Live Worker Peasant Alliance
Down with Imperialist Globalization and Communal Fascism
Uphold Socialism against Capitalism
AYYAPA HUGAR CHARLES GEORGE
PRESIDENT GENERAL SECRETARY