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Sir, The demands of the Central and Western Railway motormen are totally just. It is the worst kind of exploitation to keep workers on contract when they have been working continuously for over 20 years. It is indeed a strange principle that is applied in our country. Those in the highest positions are not at all accountable, they are paid the highest salaries and are afforded all kinds of perquisites, and they are permanent employees! On the other hand, workers at the lowest rung who are paid an apology of a wage have the sword of contractual employment forever hanging over their heads – this is the worst kind of exploitation.

The storm raised in India and abroad over the trial court verdict on the Bhopal gas tragedy of 1984 has deepened the crisis of credibility of the Manmohan Singh regime. From the painstaking evidence gathered by those fighting for justice for the lakhs of victims of this tragedy, it is clear as daylight that the then Rajiv Gandhi regime was more concerned about rescuing Warren Anderson and the management of Union Carbide from the wrath of the people, than about ensuring justice for the victims of the gas tragedy.

We had reported in the May 15-31 issue of MEL on the strike action of the Central Railway and Western Railway Motormen on May 3-4, 2010. They resumed work only when it was announced on May 4 by the Railway Ministry in the floor of the Parliament that the Railways would look into the grievances of the motormen and resolve the same by June 15. However as on June 15 the Railways Management has not announced any measures to address the grievances of the motormen.

The Delhi Regional Conference of the Party held in June reviewed the work of the Party since the last Conference in April 2009, and charted the future course of action. The delegates reflected the work of the party — workers, student and youth activists, veteran comrades, as well new comrades who have come forward to join the ranks of the party inspired by its ideals and its work. Nearly 40% of the delegates were women.

The text of the statement issued at the initiative of the Lok Raj Sangathan by the following organizations working in Mumbai on May 29, 2010 is reproduced below. It has been distributed to tens of thousands of workers in the financial capital of India, and has received huge support cutting across different sections of the working class and people.

Unhygienic conditions of work in Municipal Hospitals of Mumbai have forced 75,000 BMC workers to plan a three day strike from June 29, 2010.

Bank workers of the Bank of Rajasthan went on a three day strike to protest the merger of the Bank with the private sector ICICI Bank. The strike severely crippled banking services in Rajasthan from June 18, 2010.

Tea workers organized under Coordination Committee of the Tea Workers Union observed a 24-hours strike in West Bengal's Siliguri District on June 7, 2010 demanding hike in wages.

The Vidyut Karamchari Sanyukt Sangharsh Samiti (Power Employees Joint Action Committee) in Uttar Pradesh has demanded scrapping of the decision of the UPPCL to handover Kanpur’s power distribution management to a private company. The Union Samiti consists of workers in all three wings — generation, transmission and distribution.