Letter to Editor,
I recently revisited some statements issued by the Central Committee of CGPI that dealt with the attacks on the working class in the country today. It is evident that the enactment of the three labour codes passed by the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha in September 2020 has further aggravated the situation.
In the beginning of November 2020, the Deccan Chronicle reported that India had so far lost 5.5 lakh jobs. If one were to look at the monthly (or weekly or daily!) unemployment report of the CMIE it looks like a graph on a lie detector with the pointers chaotically jumping up and down. It feels like a terrible and inhuman joke.
The arbitrary manner in which industries and companies treat their employees and workers is nothing short of fascist. Not only does a worker not have a guarantee of a job, he/she is further insecure at the job with no provision for health, occupational safety and security. As per the change in the labour codes women can now be employed in all establishments for all types of work. There is no restriction on night shift work or work regarded as hazardous. As a woman this makes me feel extremely insecure. If I want to keep my job (without even a guarantee of how long!), I have to put myself at risk because in reality industries and companies do not ensure safe travel to and from place of residence, or follow basic safety protocols in place of employment! All sections of workers are left to fend for themselves. They just keep increasing the number of workers they can “legally” harass and oppress!
All this clearly shows that policies and the political system in place in the country works to serve capitalist interests. As workers they are making it more and more difficult for us to be able to think beyond fending for ourselves, because we are exhausted and worried about losing our income, which makes it easier for us to be treated inhumanely and be paid less. This is crucial for capitalism, because if we are worrying about the rent, or where our next meal is going to come from, we are not focussing on how to come together to tear down this extremely unfair and dehumanising system.
The alternative to this oppressive system provided in the statement (and numerous other statements by CGPI) is absolutely correct! The only way forward for the working class is to strengthen our fighting unity against the capitalist class and all attacks on our rights. Reorienting the economy to fulfill human needs instead of fulfilling capitalist greed is truly the only way forward!
Suhasini
Okhla, Delhi