Workers need the help of “Tigers” to do their own battle!

WHEEL HAS TURNED FULL ROUND

by Vickramabahu Karunaratne

(July 26, Colombo, Sri Lanka Guardian) I was concerned on the way to attend the picket organized by the union federations, United Federation of Labour and the Government United Federation Labour, on 15 July at Ratmalana. Workers were reluctant to campaign for higher wages in the last period, and only the politically conscious were interested in a show of protest. Hence I was thinking of an embarrassing situation, where I participate in a picket to demand wage increases with only half dozen of workers! In fact when I arrived at Belek Kade junction, only the loyal crowed was there to greet me.

However by five thirty, within minutes, crowd gathered and there were hundreds holding picket boards enthusiastically. To my surprise I noticed several young shop stewards, who called me few months back “traitor” and “uncle of Prabahkaran”, happy with my presence to boost their picket line. So the wheel has turned a full round; workers need the help of “Tigers” to do their own battle! I believe that the proletarians are coming out of opium of chauvinism, spread among them by the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna and the pro Mahinda chauvinist groups. Worker leaders from many workplaces were there to condemn the government, for its inability to give them a better wage and the pay rise to tally with the cost of living index. After a long discussion and an investigation, state declared a new living index scheme. According to that 180 rupees will be paid for one point increase in the new living index.

Government is indebted

Even the calculations of pro government unions show that the government is indebted to pay the over 8000 rupees cost of living allowance. However the government promised to give a pay rise of 2500 rupees during the election campaign. Workers in general were prepared to accept that increase under the influence of chauvinism; even that has not been paid. Thus the pro government workers who were prepared to forgo over 5000 rupees and settled to accept the meager increment of 2500 rupees, got a slap on the face by the callous budget proposals of the government. It is an extreme neo liberal budget with all concessions to the upper classes with workers given a kick in the belly.

Arrogance of the ‘war victory’

Clearly the government with its arrogance of the ‘war victory’ assumes that it can push any thing on the poor masses. Nearly a thousand worker-shop stewards joined the picket and spontaneously decided to march along Galle road to hold a meeting near Maliban junction. Though it was an obstruction to the motorist moving towards Colombo, police instead of trying to control the protesters, was busy controlling the traffic. What a surprise! Well, well, Wimal has brought back freedom for mass action. What is good for the goose is good forthe gander. If chauvinist hooligans can thrust rowdy attacks on duty bound police officers why cannot the proletarians coming after work and block the Galle road to show their democratic anger against hunger and misery? The worker turn out included leading groups from Uni Levers, Bata, Acme Aluminum, Glass, Horlicks, Railways, and government offices;a substantial section were women. The strength of the picket is already shown in the subsequent protests organized by other oppositional groups. This is only a beginning. If a strong protest movement could be built within the working class masses then it will have a positive effect on the defeated Tamil nationality too. Now the Tamil leadership of TNA has limited its activity to pleading with the Delhi neo Aryan Brahmins to use the stick on Mahinda and to make noises within parliament.

Of course there are agitations in campuses lead by the JVP. Though the JVP maintained an anti government position in the recent past, it can easily turn its venom against Tamil agitation for justice and freedom. Hence it is unlikely that a general mass action could develop soon bringing all oppositional parties together. Even though the UNP has resorted to street agitations on issues of rising prices and anti democratic policies of the government, on the other hand, Ranil has come to an agreement with Mahinda to help the latter to establish democracy! This agreement has aroused suspicion even among the UNP leaders. Karu Jayasuriya commented that this agreement should not be similar to the mythical dealing between Raigamaya and Gampolaya. These two traders were assumed to have lived in the time of flourishing cities of Gampola and Raigama in the 15th century. Both were shrewd and always out witted each other and hence no real transaction took place. History of the Sinhala people is also crowded with not only heroes but also with shrewd and cunning characters.