By Dr. Gyan Pathak
Government Employees and Trade Unions are up in arms against Modi government’s policies and preparing themselves for a more aggressive struggle in the coming weeks, including all Indian strike action from May 1 in the midst of Lok Sabha Election 2024. Election Commission of India (ECI) may therefore face some peculiar difficulties on account of potential social tensions, hurdles in traffic movement, clash between the workers and the followers of PM Narendra Modi and BJP rank and file, because workers will be campaigning against them with a call for “Defeat Modi, Defeat BJP, Save India.” Since ECI also deputes government employees in election duty, it would need to plan and prepare in advance for any eventuality.
ECI will have to take note of the recent development of the call by the Joint Forum for Restoration of Old Pension Scheme (JFROPS) for indefinite strike from May 1, the decision of which was taken through ballot. Participants in the Railways, various departments, and PSUs under the Centre cast their nearly 100 per cent of their vote in support of the strike action. All trade and employees’ unions would participate in the strike action except the pro-government Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh (BMS). This platform of trade unions and associations works among 28 lakh employees of the Union government, including the Railways and Central Public Sector Undertakings, and also among more than three crore employees and teachers with the State governments across the country. Several Railway unions, including All India Railwaymen’s Federation, have threatened to stop all trains from May 1, as part of their agitation.
All Central Trade Unions, barring RSS-BJP supported Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh have already been agitating since 2020 against the four controversial labour codes Modi government had got passed in the Parliament of India, alleging them to be anti-labour and pro-Corporate and demanding their withdrawal. Farmers and Farm labours are agitating with their chief demand of legal guarantee for MSP. Employees of PSUs, Public Sector Banks, Public Sector Insurance Companies have been agitating against privatization policy of the government.
In addition to these, government employees have been agitating with their demand to revert to Old Pension Scheme (OPS), that was replaced with New Pension Scheme (NPS) by BJP led government in 2004. Joint platform of Central Trade Unions has also been demanding enhancement of minimum pension from the present Rs1000, which Union Ministry of Finance has recently turned down. Agitating farmers and farm labours are also demanding pension.
Though agitating government employees and trade unions know that Election Commission of India will soon announce schedule for Lok Sabha election 2024 during which the ruling establishment led by PM Narendra Modi would be legally restrained to announce any policy decision due to the Model Code of Conduct for election in operation, they have decided to go ahead with their agitation, with all their unresolved problems and unmet demands. It is very difficult to visualize at this moment about the turn of events in about 70 days from now, since the trade unions have resolved last year to take their agitation to logical conclusion.
The immediate cause of potential escalation of the workers agitation is the decision of the JFROPS to serve strike notices on March 19 to respective administrations. The Steering Committee of JFROPS have unanimously decided to go on an indefinite strike from May 1 demanding the restoration of OPS replacing the present NPS in operation.
It is worth recalling that JFROPS had observed relay hunger strike at Jantar Mantar, New Delhi, state capitals, divisional and district level across the country during January 8-11, 2024 over their demand for restoration of OPS. All the talks between the JFROPS and the Central government has failed so far. The Convenor of the JFROPS and the general secretary of All India Railwaymen’s Federation (AIRF) Shiv Gopal Mishra has said that the decision of the indefinite general strike action from May 1 was taken after discussions with the Centre failed.
“We held several protests demanding restoration of OPS. We wrote letters to Prime Minister and Finance Minister urging them to restore OPS. We have also been raising this issue in the Joint Consultative Machinery (JCM) meetings, but the government ignored out demands and we are now forced to go on an indefinite strike,” Mr Mishra, who is also the secretary (staff side) of the JCM, has said.
JFROPS is aware of the possibility of Model Code of Conduct for election to be in operation by the time when they would serve notice for the strike. However, Mr Mishra has said that they want the issue of OPS to be discussed during the election campaigns as it involves lives of crores of people, adding “Let the people discuss and decide on our demands. Even the Model Code of Conduct comes in picture, the Cabinet will be there, the Cabinet secretary will be there and they can take a decision on our demand.”
Joint platform of 10 Central Trade Unions and Farmers Unions led by Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM) are planning for aggressive agitation in the coming weeks, demanding justice for workers and farmers. They have already decided to aggressively campaign against the Modi governments policies during the election campaigns. They are also planning for protest demonstrations across the country. (IPA Service)
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