Indra’s Drishtikona (Viewpoint)

Leftists, Unions, and Strikes

Posted : September 29, 2005 at 6:47 pm [IST]

I have many bitter experiences of strikes, gherao, and lockouts at HM. It does not bother me any more when I read about it. The organizers claim it to be among their democratic rights. They should also bother about their duties and responsibilities towards the people and the nation. I feel when they don’t find any other way to attract the public; they resort to these subversive costly methods to make their presence felt.

Recently I was following the strike of machinists at Boeing, USA. Boeing is perhaps one manufacturing company in US that still is held with a great awe and respect in manufacturing sectors, particularly by manufacturing engineers all over the world. It’s private company and pays pretty well. It has a huge order line up with commitment for completion in time. The machinists union went on strike to let their strength tested. And the company lost many orders to its competitor- Airbus. As usual, the strike was withdrawn, when some of the demands though halfway were met. The whole of manufacturing sector in US has lost its one time glitter, but still the union leaders don’t come out some alternative method for protesting. I think they should use some consultancy or R&D enterprise to find a new technique for protesting, otherwise one day there will be no enterprises and no union. As such, the membership has dwindled horrendously.

And our leftists though oppose every thing that is of American origin, but love to stick to this right to strike in the same manner as their counterparts in US do, rather with some new innovations sometimes such as ‘gherao’ that was totally local invention. I have not heard of a general strike in US bringing the whole nation at standstill.

In US, many new Asian and Europeans transplants for manufacturing have done away with union. Even in India, the new Japanese, Koreans, and even Indian companies try to operate without unions. Recent violent union related clashes at the Honda plant near Delhi was also for the same reason.

With lot of competition, a sound compensation system, grievance handling, participative management, and evolution of world-class practices as integral part of day-to-day administration, the concept of union to represent workers’ interest is getting obsolete. Today the work force can’t go on pressing for unreasonable raises and salary perks increases, as the industry is to remain competitive. At the same time, the management can’t keep their eyes closed to the requirements of their employees for long. With globalization, if you are not producing and offering the products and services at right price, someone else will do that and replace you. Every strike, slow down, work-to-rule affects the quality of the product and services that deteriorates. An indiscipline crops in.

Today’s strike will affect civil aviation, banking, general and life insurance sectors, defence industry, telecommunication sector, school and college teachers and the oil industry. All the workmen in these sectors are enjoying the best of a life without any strain on them with very good salary and perks. I have myself seen some defence units that hardly operate at 10% efficiency. The less you say about teachers, the better it is. BSNL with all its inefficiency will die its natural death with the private players coming up so fast. The performance record of civil aviation is shamefully below any standard. I am sure in years to come the PSUs in banking and insurance will become insignificant.

It is only the monopoly of these PSUs and government inability to privatize them or close that business because of political reasons that is responsible for this mesh. As otherwise how could a responsible leader of the allied political party in government make remark such as this as a reason for the strike? AITUC general secretary and a vocal MP of CPI, Gurudas Dasgupta says, “For 16 long months we have tried to get a proper hearing from the PM, but he has not paid heed to our concerns.” Is it not irresponsible and unbelievable? Do they not carry a responsibility as a political party supporting the government?

Why can’t they re-engineer their way of working and take some clues from the countries from where they have imported their ideologies? How long they will go on exploiting the toiling and illiterate mass? How long the public can bear all the inconveniences caused by such uncalled for strikes? How much the nation loses in a day, when they bring the whole nation to standstill? Why should they talk then of growth and poverty level?

P.S. Kolkata remains in lead.
See some visuals.
What is “Strike”?

- Indra

Category: Indian politics |