• No to Indian military deployment in Iraq!

• The working class and peoples must take the cause of peace between India and Pakistan into their own hands!

• Down with the US imperialist hostility against North Korea!

• Down with US imperialism’s provocations against Cuba!

• Technology Day
  Science and Technology in the service of militarisation and war preparations

• Militant actions of workers all over India on May Day 2003

• The adverse consequences of privatisation
  on the workers of Modern Food Industries

• Submission of the Modern Food Industries Employees Union on adverse consequences of the privatisation of MFIL

• May Day 2003
  International Day of Working Class Unity and Struggle
  Against the Bourgeoisie

No to Indian military deployment in Iraq!

With their vastly superior firepower and deadly weapons of mass destruction, the Anglo American imperialists were able to overrun Iraq, However events since the occupation have shown that the Iraqi nation will never accept foreign imperialist occupation. The US imperialist plan to impose a regime of collaborators under the overall command of US military administrators has been rejected by the people of Iraq. Every day, the protests and demonstrations against the occupation forces, demanding their immediate withdrawal, are intensifying. The people of Iraq are openly and loudly saying—"US imperialism, get out of Iraq!" The Iraqi people are asserting their sovereign right to decide their political and economic system free from foreign dictate.

Maintaining a huge army involves huge costs, and even the reported 2 lakh – strong military force of the Anglo Americans is stretched by the wrath of the people. The US imperialists therefore wish to use the Indian soldiers as cannon fodder, while holding out a carrot to the big capitalists of our country in the form of sub contracts in the reconstruction of Iraq, and other booty.

The associations of the big bourgeoisie like the CII are pushing the line for getting a share of the plunder of Iraq in the guise of "reconstruction". They are demanding that the Indian government send its police and armed forces to help the US in suppressing the Iraqi nation in return for the opportunity of plundering Iraq. According to press reports, the Vajpayee Government is actively considering falling in line with these demands. It is willing to violate the parliament resolution calling for withdrawal of US and British troops from Iraq under the specious plea that the resolution was before the end of the war, that now the war is over, and that ‘reality must be taken into account’. The Vajpayee government is viewing the recent UN Security Council resolution legitimising US occupation for a year as a "window of opportunity" to join in the plunder of Iraq as demanded by the big bourgeoisie. Such a course is unprincipled and dangerous. It is in complete contempt of the Indian people, as well as of parliament.

People’s Voice demands that the Indian government must publicly announce that it will not collaborate with the US imperialists occupation army in Iraq by sending police or troops to Iraq.

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The working class and peoples must take the cause of peace between India and Pakistan into their own hands!

Following the September 11, 2001 terrorist strike in New York and Washington and the launching of the "war against terrorism" by the US imperialists, the Indian ruling circles heavily stepped up the war propaganda and war preparations against Pakistan. The December 13, 2001 terrorist strike outside parliament was but the pretext for deploying the army on the entire Indo-Pak border in full combat readiness for nearly a year. Gruesome terrorist massacres of innocent people in Jammu and the Kashmir Valley have provided grist to the mill of the chauvinist war propaganda of the Indian ruling class. Strident demands amongst the most reactionary sections of the ruling circles to follow the US "example" and go for "premptive strikes" against Pakistan became the fashion. In such a situation, the US and British imperialists stepped up their military and diplomatic interference in South Asia.They began giving homilies to India to "talk" to its neighbour, and to Pakistan to "stop cross-border terrorism".

The Indian ruling class hoped that its imperialist strategy to isolate and attack Pakistan would converge with US imperialist aims in Asia. However, there is lack of convergence between the Indian and US imperialist strategy in West Asia and Central Asia. The US imperialists would like to use India to check China, and thus weaken both these countries. They do not want to destablise, at this time, the government in Pakistan, which plays an important role in the US imperialist operations in Afghanistan as well as in West and Central Asia.In such a situation, the Indian ruling class is reworking its tactics, to achieve the same aims. The purpose of a slight reduction in tensions is to give it time and space to do so. The stepped up engagement of the Government of India with France, Russia and China, as well as the blow hot and blow cold policy towards Pakistan, need to be seen in this light.

The Indian and Pakistani peoples must clearly understand the lessons of history, the lessons of the partition of India in 1947 and the subsequent relations between the two countries. They must have no illusions about the Indian ruling class or about the Anglo-American imperialists.

The first lesson is that it is British imperialism, fully supported by the US imperialists, which divided India by inciting and organising a communal blood bath. Its aim was to prevent united Hindostan from emerging as a powerful force on the world arena, by creating two permanent, warring "nations" on the spurious basis of religion. Its aim was to sabotage the triumph of revolution and socialism in this huge and ancient land, by keeping the workers and peasants massacring each other in the service of capitalism and imperialism.

The second lesson is that in the subsequent period of over 55 years, all the imperialist powers (including the Soviet Union when it became an social-imperialist power) have kept the divisions alive. All of them, separately and together, have inflamed tensions between the two countries, to achieve their own separate ambitions as well as the collective strategy of world imperialism to keep India firmly tied to the imperialist system. This continues until today. The imperialists will not be imperialists if they will peacefully allow India and Pakistan to settle their differences and emerge as a united power in the world. The imperialists will not be imperialists if they did not oppose the possibility of social revolution in this vast land.

The third lesson is that the bourgeoisie of India cannot be trusted with resolving the conflict between the peoples who are linked by blood and a common history and culture. This is a bourgeoisie that emerged from the bosom of British colonialism. It shares the imperialist oulook of the former colonialists. It looks at the vast human resources of India as canon fodder for its imperialist ambitions. The Indian bourgeoisie has no principles other then protecting its money bags. It has always used state terrorism, the organising of terrorist and communal massacres and the whipping up of anti-Pakistan anti-Muslim hysteria to keep the Indian working class and people divided and disoriented.

Leading members of the Government of India have gone on record saying that all it takes is another terrorist incident to set back the peace moves. Influential sections of the Indian ruling circles continue to scream from the roof tops about the necessity of further beefing up the military apparatus and "necessity" for launching "pre-emptive strikes" against Pakistan. The leaders of the major parliamentary parties have openly declared that there will be no change in the Kashmir policy. This means no end to the unleashing of state terrorism and hence no scope for addressing the aspirations of the Kashmiri people. In other words, the ruling class of India is openly saying that it is not interested in a lasting peace in South Asia. It has not and will not abandon its imperialist policy towards the nations and nationalities and peoples of India, as well as towards Pakistan and other countries in the region.

As long as the cause of peace is not taken up by the working class, no real change will take place. The bourgeoisie will continue to sabotage the struggles of the people and the prospects of democratic renewal and social revolution. The working class, which is waging a valiant struggle against the anti-social offensive, against fascisation and communalisation of society, has to thoroughly and consistently oppose the imperialist war mongering policy of the Indian ruling class and break with it.

Communists must demand and fight for a clean break to be made by the Government of India with the military establishments of US and other imperialist powers. They must call for the expulsion of imperialist military presence from South Asia and the Arabian Sea and Indian Ocean region. They must demand that India and Pakistan immediately take collective measures to secure this. They must demand that both governments announce their respect for the sovereignty of all countries, nations and peoples. They must demand that the Indian state expressly oppose US imperialism’s "war against terrorism", which is aimed at the conquest of Asia and the whole world. They must demand that the Indian state eschew state sponsored terrorism against the peoples and sign a no war pact with Pakistan. The working class of India must fight for these principled demands as part of the struggle to end the colonial legacy and ensure a bright future for the peoples of the sub-continent.

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Down with the US imperialist hostility against North Korea!

From April 23-25, 2003, representatives of North Korea held talks with the US in Beijing, China, in an effort to prevent another US war against the Korean people. At the talks, North Korea made a new and bold proposal to clear up their bilateral concerns with the US. However, the U.S. unilaterally repeated its previous assertion that North Korea should scrap its nuclear program before dialogue, consequently the talks ended without results. According to the Korean Central News Agency report of April 30, 2003, " …but the DPRK, which wants to peacefully settle the nuclear issue on the Korean Peninsula, does not think that the talks came to a complete rupture. The resumption of the DPRK-US talks entirely depends on whether the US drops its hostile policy toward the DPRK or not."

After these talks, US imperialism has been continuing its unwarranted belligerence. On April 25, 2003, the Bush administration, said "it will confer with allies about possibly seeking UN sanctions against North Korea" and that the US would again propose that the UN Security Council adopt a statement denouncing North Korea's nuclear program. These threats were followed by a series of "leaked" stories in the monopoly media of US imperialist plans for "pre-emptive" military strikes and its aim of "regime change" in North Korea. A news report in an Australian paper stated that the Pentagon has produced detailed plans to bombNorth Korea’s nuclear energy plant at Yongbyon. The report said the "elaborate Pentagon plan" also involves a U.S. strike just north of the Demilitarized Zone.

Again in an "annual report on terrorism" released on April 30, 2003, the US State Department declared that North Korea continued to sell ballistic missile technology to countries designated by the US as "state sponsors of terrorism". This is a hackneyed trick used by the US whenever it launched a smear campaign to isolate and stifle the DPRK. Moreover, the U.S. imperialists carried out at least 220 cases of aerial espionage against North Korea in April 2003 alone, using strategic and tactical reconnaissance planes, the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported. Eleven RC-12 and RC-7b tactical reconnaissance planes infiltrated air space above Phochon, Chunchon and Rinje on April 14 and 15 and another 10 planes of the same type on April 1, 2 and 24 to spy on the major military targets in the frontline areas of the DPRK.

The government of the DPRK has said that it "…has a self-defensive capacity and physical deterrent force strong enough to wipe out any aggressors. The U.S. air attack will be countered with the air attack of the Korean People's Army and its land strategy with KPA land strategy. The DPRK is ready for both dialogue and confrontation."

The US imperialists have stationed 37,000 troops in South Korea, defying the popular demand of the people of South Korea to remove them from their soil. Three months ago, the US imperialists announced plans to send additional B-52 and B-1 bombers to the Korean Peninsula. Besides they also conducted provocative "annual joint military exercises" with the South Korean forces from March 4 to April 2, 2003 on the Korean peninsula.

The Korean people have for long yearned for reunification of their country, divided by US dictate in the 1950’s. This led to the historic joint North-South Accord of June 15, 2000, on the process of the independent reunification of Korea through joint efforts. This has had widespread support and the Korean national reunification movement, has developed not only in the South and in the North, but also within the Korean Diaspora. This attests to its importance in satisfying the immense desire of the Korean nation to reunite. While all the people world-wide, who long for independence, sovereignty, global security and peace, have been rejoicing over this progress, the US imperialists, have been trying, by fair means or foul, to block this process of reconciliation between the two Koreas. The US wants to preserve and extend its domination over East Asia, using its military occupation of South Korea as a springboard. It is deadly opposed to the reunification of Korea which it fears will weaken its position in the region.

People’s Voice upholds the just demand of North Korea that the US must sign a non aggression pact with North Korea. People’s Voice fully supports the struggle of the Korean peoples against the US imperialist aggressors and occupiers for peace and reunification.

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Down with US imperialism’s provocations against Cuba!

In March and April 2003, a series of seven hijackings of Cuban aircraft and sea ferries were organised by terrorists and Mafioso backed overtly or covertly by the Bush adminstration. Four of these hijackings were successful in reaching Florida where US authorities released the hijackers! Terrorists hijacking Cuban boats and planes are being granted comfortable bail conditions, and some have even been released in the United States, demonstrating once again that the U.S. government does not punish the crime of terrorism when it is perpetrated against countries that do not bow down to its dictate. The Cuban government took steps to defend its country and people, and had those arrested in connection with these heinous crimes tried publicly. They were represented by lawyers -- 54 in total, with 44 of their own choosing and 10 court appointed -- and convicted in 29 separate trials by the overwhelming evidence of their collaboration with the United States government and its associated agencies. Three of those involved in the violent hijacking of the ferry on April 2, 2003 were executed after due process of law. Even so, the US imperialist controlled media has used these trials to launch further hypocritical, hysterical and unfounded attacks on Cuba.

These attacks in March and April 2003 were only the more recent of a long series of terrorist attacks carried out against Cuba with the full backing of the US government. Anti Cuban organisations operating mainly out of Miami and Florida, have been encouraged to undertake terrorist attacks against Cuba, including bombings of Cuban hotels and airliners. To protect themselves, the Cuban people asked five patriots to expose the terrorist activities of these organisations, which they reported to the US authorities. Instead of stopping the terrorists, the US government arrested and imprisoned the anti – terrorists! Gerardo Hernández, Ramón Labañino, Antonio Guerrero, Fernando González and René González, the five Cuban political prisoners being held in U.S. jails, have been condemned to harsh prison terms based on trumped up charges. They were accused of putting in danger U.S. national security amongst other charges! After a manipulated, politically- motivated trial in Miami, these Cuban patriots who tried to use the US system to expose the terrorist organisations operagting from the US against Cuba, were given sentences ranging from 15 years to two consecutive life sentences.

The vicious US propaganda war against Cuba aims to isolate Cuba by making sure that nobody rises to her defence. On April 30, 2003, the U.S. government once again included Cuba on its list of states which allegedly sponsor terrorism. Cuba was also added to the U.S. list of countries that allegedly have chemical or biological weapons. These charges against Cuba were first fabricated by the Bush administration in 2002 and emphatically refuted by the Cuban government, international experts, and even former US President Carter and other US officials. Thus the raking up of these charges once again is another attempt to isolate and discredit Cuba. In a familiar tone, US Secretary of Defence Rumsfeld again declared recently that Washington would consider military action against Cuba if "weapons of mass destruction" were determined to be on the island.

Since the triumph of the Revolution in 1959, which overthrew the US-backed police state of Batista, the US imperialists have kept up attacks, both military and economic, against the Cuban people. Washington has organized an invasion, assassinations, terrorist attacks against civilians, systematic economic sabotage and an economic embargo -- in reality an economic blockade -- that has persisted for more than 40 years. The US imperialists wish to restore the neo-colonial domination of the island, which they exercised during the first half of the 20th century.

In his May day speech, President Fidel Castro recalled that Cuba was the first territory free from imperialist domination in Latin America and the Caribbean. In less than 72 hours, fighting ceaselessly, day and night, Cuba crushed the Bay of Pigs mercenary invasion organized by the US in 1962. "We do not want the blood of Cubans and Americans to be shed in a war. We do not want a countless number of lives of people who could be friends to be lost in an armed conflict. But never has a people had such sacred things to defend, or such profound convictions to fight for, to such a degree that they would rather be obliterated from the face of the Earth than abandon the noble and generous work for which so many generations of Cubans have paid the high cost of the lives of many of their finest sons and daughters."

People’s Voice condemns the US provocations against Cuba. The Cuban people, like all other peoples, nations and countries of the world have the sovereign right to determine their own economic and political system and to defend this sovereign right from any and every imperialist aggressor.

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Technology Day

Science and Technology in the service of militarisation and war preparations

In his speech on Technology Day 2003, Prime Minister Vajpayee highlighted the importance of indigenous R&D efforts for major defence and dual use items. He urged the scientists in the Defence Research & Development Organisation (DRDO) to give priority to "technology to overwhelm adversaries" and "technology to tackle terrorism". Not just the DRDO laboratories, but the priority of research conducted in academic institutions is also being shifted towards military applications through the process of diversion of research and development funds in this direction. According to Shri Vajpayee, while the scientists and technologists should primarily work to fulfil the exact requirements of the battlefield, some of the technologies could also be readjusted for civilian use!

The essence of the Prime Minister’s exhortations is clear– militarise science and technology! This means that the government will allocate more and more of public funds to military related laboratories and institutions, that military related areas will be declared thrust areas. It also means that all the other research laboratories as well as institutes of technology will get funds only in so far as they agree to dovetail their research and development to the needs of militarisation and war.

It is a well known fact that the majority of the Indian people lack basic amenities like clean drinking water, sanitation and proper shelter. There are immense challenges before our scientists and technologists to win the war against poverty in the cities, countryside and hills. Investment in science and technology to solve these problems is a crying need. Our country has enormous technical-scientific potential, both in terms of human resources and in terms of laboratories and research institutions. This potential is not being harnessed at all, or is being placed in the service of the big bourgeoisie and imperialism.

The Indian big bourgeoisie has openly declared that it has no money for such investments and it is deliberately allowing those technical and scientific laboratories to go to seed, which could address the problems facing the vast masses. The capitalist system and the policies of successive governments have ensured that there is continuous and ever increasing export of trained scientists and technologists to the imperialist countries like US. The Indian big bourgeoisie wants to use India’s human and scientific technical resources to emerge as a military power, to dominate the Indian subcontinent and other regions. They want to militarise science and technology to serve their imperialist aim and under the pretext of fighting terrorism, suppress the struggles of Indian peoples for their rights.

An illusion is being created that civilian benefits will follow as an offshoot of the militarisation of science and technology. This is like the lie that was promoted by saying that the increased profits from liberalisation and privatisation will trickle down to the people. Militarisation adds to inflation, it diverts precious resources from the productive to the non-productive and parasitic sector. Militarisation is also a source of super profits for the big bourgeoisie and imperialism. Militarisation of science and technology is another attack on the well being of the toiling people of India and must be rejected by people, including the scientists and technologists.

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Militant actions of workers all over India on May Day 2003

In Shimla, hundreds of workers belonging to different trade unions in Himachal Pradesh gathered at a rally, followed by a public meeting at the local Panchayat Bhavan.

In Bhopal, workers of various trade unions came together to protest against the anti-working class policies of the central and state governments. Protest rallies marked May Day in many parts of UP, West Bengal, Assam, Rajasthan, Haryana, Punjab, Tamilnadu, Kerala and many other states.

In Mumbai, the Trade Union Joint Action Committee of Mumbai had organized a public meeting in Azad Maidan on April 30, 2003, on the eve of May Day. Workers in their thousands attended the meeting. Railway men, dock workers, bank employees, state government employees, etc. as well as workers from the unorganized sector were there in strength.

In Pune, on the occasion of May Day, workers and activists of Lok Raj Sangathan organized, in colla-boration with Somnath Mitra Mandal, a discussion meeting at Lal Chawl in Pune on May 1st. The theme of the discussion was "How to stop imperialist wars ?"

In Delhi, workers in all the major industrial areas of the city, Naraina, Mayapuri, Patparganj, Okhla, Kirti Nagar, Wazirpur and others held gate meetings and rallies, denouncing the attack on their livelihood and rights. They severely criticised the policies of liberalisation and privatisation and the "reforms" in labour laws in the interests of the big capitalists and multinationals. The CPWD Mazdoor Union, the Akhil Bharatiya Puratatva Sarvekshan Kamgar Union, the Sports Authority of India Union, the Bharatiya Krishi Karmchari Sangh, workers uinions of MCD, NDMC, DTC, DDA, etc. came together in a massive rally at Jantar Mantar. The Modern Foods Industries Employees Union organised a militant gate meeting at the Lawrence Road unit, where worker after worker denounced the disinvestment of Modern Foods as well as the injustice that has been and continues to be done to the workers there. In a massive show of unity and determination, several thousands of workers, under the banners of AITUC, CITU, AICCTU, MEC, TUCC, UTUC, UTUC(LS), AIFTU and other sectoral trade unions came together in a demonstration in the afternoon, organised by the Joint May Day Committee, starting at the historic Ram Lila Maidan and culminating in a huge public rally at the Town Hall in Chandni Chowk, in the old city.

At all the major actions on May Day this year, representatives of the different organisations of workers roundly denounced the policies of the rulers, of globalisation through liberalisation and privatisation. Speakers criticised the growing attacks on the livelihood of the workers, the devastation of agriculture by policies in tune with the WTO prescriptions, the cutbacks in social services, the amendments to labour laws to maximise the profits of the national and foreign monopolies and increase the exploitation of the workers, etc. They called upon the workers to make the nation-wide General Strike of May 21 a success. The attempts of the rulers to smash the unity of the workers and drown our struggles in communal bloodbath, the fascist attacks on our struggles through fascist laws like POTA, all these were denounced.

Speakers also drew attention to the US imperialist invasion and occupation of Iraq and the grave dangers to the peoples of this region. The Indian ruling class, by refusing to roundly condemn the US-British imperialist action, and instead by shamelessly collaborating with the imperialists in pursuit of its own narrow, hegemonic interests in this region, was inviting fresh disasters for our people, it was pointed out. In this context, it was also pointed out that the continuing tension between India and Pakistan serves only the interests of the rulers of both countries and the imperialist aggressors to intervene in this region, whereas the peoples of Indian and Pakistan wish to live in peace.

"We must demand that no space is permitted for military collaboration with the US or Britain and that no space is given for Anglo-American forces in South Asia. We must demand that the Government of India works for peace in South Asia. We must unleash a movement to force the Indian and Pakistani governments into a peace process, including a no-war pact between the two countries," one of the speakers declared.

The need to develop the independent program of the working class was highlighted. The working class cannot afford to allow itself to tail behind any alliance of bourgeois parties, such as the "secular front", whose aim is to safeguard the existing system. Instead, the working class must concentrate all its efforts and energies in building one political front, the revolutionary front based on the worker-peasant alliance.

It was pointed out that the continuation of the rule of the bourgeoisie can only intensify the dangers of fascism and war. The working class has to rise to the occasion and save India from these disasters, by leading all the oppressed masses in the revolution. The working class has to build a broad political alliance with the peasantry and all other oppressed sections of the society around a program for the democratic renewal of India, for an India in which we, the workers, peasants, women and youth shall be the real maliks of India . . . this was the inspiring call to the workers on May Day 2003.

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The adverse consequences of privatisation
on the workers of Modern Food Industries

Dear editor,

The Modern Food Industries Employees Union achieved a major victory when after three years of struggle and sacrifice, the Union Labour Ministry was forced to acknowledge that there were serious problems in the privatisation of MFIL and BALCO, the first PSU’s to be privatised. This acknowledgement came in the form of a Committee that has been set up last February by the Union Government, to investigate the consequences of privatisation on labour. As was to be expected, the Hindustan Lever management in collaboration with the sold out leaders of the Federations (who had earlier signed a treacherous agreement with HLL for transfer of employees and "VRS"), has been trying its best to sabotage the working of this committee. The Committee was called to the Head Office of MFIL in Delhi and the HLL management deliberately tried to keep the Modern Food Industries Employees Union as well as the mass of workers in the dark about the program of the Committee. The aim was clearly to make the Committee meet handpicked traitors who would give a clean chit to HLL, so that the Committee could report to the Labour Ministry that "all was well" with MFIL. However, the Modern Food Industries Employees Union foiled these plans. We submitted a memorandum to the committee in the Labour Ministry as well as went to the Head Office and demanded a hearing. Leaders from the Lawrence Road Unit, the Fruit Juice Bottling Plant as well as the Faridabad Unit met the Committee and informed them of the anti-worker activities of the HLL management in the past three years, since privatisation. The committee members expressed their shock at these happenings and informed us that it was because of the persistent struggle of the Modern Food Industries Employees Union that the Committee had been set up. They promised that the Committee will visit all the units of Modern Food Industries in Delhi after informing the workers. On this occasion, the Union submitted a three hundred and fifty-five page documentary evidence of the conditions and struggle of the workers of Modern Food Industries (India) Limited. On this occasion, a memorandum was also submitted to the Committee from the Lok Raj Sangathan. Please publish the memorandum we submitted to the Committee, in your esteemed newspaper.

Govind Singh Yadav,

Secretary

Modern Food Industries Employees Union

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Submission of the Modern Food Industries Employees Union on adverse consequences of the privatisation of MFIL

We would like to place before you the terrible consequences of privatisation of Modern Food Industries (India) Limited on the mass of workers and their families. What we are presenting below is only a small portion of the terrible sufferings of workers and their families throughout the country. We are sure many individual workers will also place before you what they have suffered, if given the chance.

Much of what we are placing before you has earlier already been submitted to different ministries, to the Prime Minister, as well as the President of India, but so far we have not received any response that indicates that our concerns are being heeded. We hope that your Committee will take heed of the reality of MFIL after disinvestment and take corrective measures to bring relief to the suffering workers.

1. The first report of the Commission on Disinvestment, that was set up by the Government of India in the mid-nineties, clearly stated that disinvestment should not be done in a manner that would adversely affect the livelihood of workers. It advocated strongly that government should disinvest only after taking care that workers interests are not affected. We the workers of MFIL firmly believe that the human productive force, workers, cannot be treated as expendable commodities in the capitalist striving for maximum profits. Rather, satisfying the needs of the workforce must be a necessary component of production. This is why, any balancesheet of how a company has performed after disinvestment, must be mesaured, first and foremost, by what has happened to its workforce, not by the "balancesheets" of profit or loss which companies regularly produce. Honourable members of the Committee are well aware that no private company needs to be told to work for profits. If it does not make profits, it will close down. It is a different matter as to how it makes its profits and whether it shows it on its balancesheets or not.

2. At the time of privatisation, there were 21 units of MFIL all over the country. At that time, three units were allegedly not working properly—the Oil Mill at Ujjain, the Pulp plant at Silchar and the Beverage Unit at Faridabad. From January 31, 2000 (when MFIL was handed over to HLL), todate, Rasika Plant in Delhi, Energy Food Plant in Delhi, Roller Flour Mill in Faridabad, Delhi Bread Unit-II at Kirti Nagar, Ranchi Bread Unit, Bhagalpur Pulp and Patna Unit are completely closed down, in addition to the Ujjain, Silchar and Beverage Faridabad Units.

3. Kanpur, Jaipur, Chandigarh, Ahmedabad, Kolkata units are, according to our knowledge, barely running. We are not aware of the condition of many other units in different parts of the country, such as in Mumbai, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Chennai, Indore and Kochi.

4. Both the plants in Kirti Nagar Bread Unit II have been sold to private parties, despite their being in good condition. Rasika Bottling Plant has been sold.

5. Delhi Bread Unit-I is the largest plant of MFIL in the country. (The Kirti Nagar unit was part of this). Out of the four plants in Delhi Bread Unit-I, two new plants which were in excellent condition have been sold. In other words, out of the total of six bread plants in Delhi, four have been sold!

6. The HLL management is trying to sell the Energy Food plant (fruit juice bottling plant) in Delhi and Roller Flour Mill plant in Faridabad. This has been temporarily stalled by the agitation of the workers.

7. In January 2000, there were about 1650 regular employees in MFIL all over the country. There were roughly an equal number of casual and temporary employees all over the country.

8. All over India, there are 750 regular workers working in MFIL today; 900 have lost their jobs.

9. For example, in Delhi Bread Unit-I, the largest unit in the country, there were 350 permanent workers and around 200 casual workers, at time of privatisation. Most of the casual workers had been on muster rolls for nearly 12-16 years. They used to do the same work as permanent workers, but were kept formally as casual workers. The MFIL Union had even put a case in front of the Contract Labour Advisory Board of the Government of India, requesting regularisation of services of these workers.

10. At the time of privatisation, there were nearly 70 regular workers and 250 casual workers in Kirti Nagar Bread Unit-II.

11. Today in Delhi Bread Unit -I, there are 168 regular employees and one casual worker (who is still there because he in on medical leave!). There are no regular or casual workers in Kirti Nagar Bread Unit-II.

12. What happened to the workers who have left? Why have they left? We will deal with Delhi Bread Unit-I. We are sure your commitee will investigate in other units and ask the workers what happened to them as well.

13. In June 2001, the HLL management issued a notice saying that it had reached an agreement with some "union leaders", according to which workers could be transferred from one plant in one part of the country to another plant in another part of the country at the discretion of the management. Any worker was "free" to take VRS. The interesting fact of this agreement is that the notice for the meeting with the unions was made on June 12, 2001 and the meeting was held on June 15-16, 2001. That is, in 3 days, unions all over the country were expected to be able to come to Delhi for a meeting! Of course, this notice was not given to our union or to the majority of the unions in the country. Govind Singh Yadav, an office bearer (Joint Secretary) of the All India Modern Bakeries Workers Federation, was present in Delhi, but was not informed of the meeting. Behind closed doors, a handful of traitorous leaders and the management of HLL met and signed an anti-worker agreement, which has been challenged in court. It is pending in Delhi High Court. Meanwhile, the management put up the agreement on June 18, 2001 on the noticeboards throughout the country. Such an agreement had never taken place ever before at the time when MFIL was a Public Sector Company, wherein merely 4 unions signed an agreement behind the backs of dozens of unions and their representatives all over the country. Earlier, all final settlements were made with the signatures of all unions. Such an agreement has also never before been signed at the time when MFIL was a PSU, wherein so-called workers’ leaders agreed to transfers of workers from one city to another, or to VRS. Furthermore, the standing order of MFIL does not have any clause permitting transfers of workers from one unit to another. In our appointment letters, there is no clause for transfer from one unit to another.

14. On September 29, 2000, three workers of MFIL Delhi Bread Unit-I, Shri Govind Singh Yadav, Shri V.K. Narang and Shri Ganesh Thakur were issued suspension orders. Two of them continue to be on suspension till now— Shri Narang and Shri Thakur. Shri Govind Yadav has been dismissed on May 13, 2002. In the case of Shri Yadav, the HLL management put a case in Karkardooma Labour Tribunal, Shahdara, demanding approval of dismissal. This was rejected on 17-9-2002. Shri Yadav requested the management to take him back to work, but instead of taking him back and respecting the court, the HLL management has put three cases against Shri Yadav in the Delhi High Court, to harass him. These cases are pending.

15. The Honourable Committee may note that at the time of his dismissal, the application of Shri Govind Yadav for being declared a protected workman, was pending before the ALC, Nimri Colony, Ashok Vihar. The HLL management willfully dismissed Shri Yadav, fully aware that they had to take permission from the ALC before doing so. In fact, the Labour Tribunal reprimanded the HLL management for violating the law. Subsequently, Shri Yadav was declared a protected workman for the year in which he was dismissed.

16. The Honourable Committee may note that the reason for the persecution of these three workers was and remains their tireless fight against disinvestment and for the rights of the workers. It may be useful for the Honourable Committee to know that the MFIL Employees Union had put a case in the Delhi High Court questioning the legality of the disinvestment of MFIL, soon after the sale of MFIL to HLL. The union had also carried out a mass public campaign in the news media, exposing the aims of HLL. There were numerous gate meetings and protest actions of workers, and there was a mass workers movement developing against privatisation in all the plants of HLL. The management put maximum presure on the three workmen to withdraw the case in High Court as well as stop exposing its misdeeds. It is because Shri Yadav, Shri Narang and Shri Thakur resisted these pressures and instead carried on the struggle in defence of the workers, that the HLL management conspired to foist false cases on them and suspend them. According to the management, these workers had "beaten up" another worker, whereas the police has clearly stated in writing that there was no fight. This report of the police was given on 3-12-2000, while till now, two of the workers are suspended, and one has been dismissed after kangaroo enquiries. The management has privately told these workers that they know they have deliberately foisted these cases to ensure that these leaders cannot enter the unit, so that the manaement can carry on its plan of VRS, transfers, and dismissals. They offered many times to take these workmen back, provided they help the mangement in throwing out other workmen!

17. The VRS scheme was forced down the throats of the workers. Workers were called to fill forms and made to sign on the same day and were given their cheques immediately, so that they could not even go home to consult their familities or consult their comrades. This was the scheme in 2001. As a result, a number of permanent workmen were forcd to leave their jobs. The Modern Food Industries Employees Union exposed this forcible VRS scheme. As a result, the management of Delhi Bread Unit-I was forced to issue a notice saying that those workmen who would like to reconsider returning the VRS and rejoining duty could do so betweern July 13 and July 20, 2001. Nearly 13 workmen reapplied, but not one was allowed to rejoin. On the contrary, they were insulted, threatened and thrown out of the factory. There are many cases pending regarding this forced VRS in the Labour Office, Labour Court and Delhi High Court.

18. In 2002, a new forcible VRS scheme was implemented. 12 workers were charged with making false medical claims. Six were called to the office and told to take VRS and quit. They were given full VRS. Two were suspended and their inquiry is still going on. Four remain on duty and no action has been taken against them. It is clear that the management is using torture to divide the workers and demoralise them. Also, many workmen were forced to take up harder work and tortured. They were told that they were medically unfit for work and must immediately take VRS. Other workmen were told that they will be transferred. They were also asked to take VRS and quit. Through this reign of terror, hundreds of workers were forced to quit. Many of these workmen would like to present their stories to you.

19. Contract Labour is supposed to be illegal when work of a permanent nature is involved. At this time, HLL management is having at least 60 workmen in contract in one department in Delhi Bread Unit-I. In addition, production of bread has been contracted out to small sweatshops in a number of places such as Gurgaon, Sahibabad, Aligarh, Meerut, Panipat, Sonepat and other places.

20. Three workers from Delhi Bread Unit-I were transferred to units where there is no production—Roller Flour Mill Faridabad, where there is no bread production. Later on, one of these three was transferred to Beverage Unit, Mathura Road, which has been closed for several years. He is asked to report for duty in a place where the licence has been cancelled, the factory is in ruins, there are only contract securitymen, there is no possibility of even having a glass of water and there is no worker. He has been told to take VRS or he will continue to be thus tortured.

21. The two hundred casual labour workers were thrown out after being denied work for months on end, even while other people were being hired on contract basis. These workers started a militant dharna from April 28, 2002, which is still continuing. However, forced into starvation conditions, these workers while finally given no option but to take VRS and quit. This VRS was given the noble name of "goodwill" by the HLL management.

22. Earlier, MFIL’s practice was that in case of the death of a regular worker, a family member would be employed. Not only has HLL not employed a single relative of a worker since it took over in January 2000; on the contrary, it is throwing out workers previously so employed, like Sursata Devi, who is a widow of a former worker, and had been in service a mere 4 years. She was given about Rs. 42,345! She was also asked to resign, and her cheque given to her on the same day.

23. We would like to submit before you that the ex-employees, who had opted for VRS on August 31, 1999 (before privatisation), have not yet been given arrears for the period 1/1/1997 to 31/8/1999 and also the CPF payments accrued on the arrears. This is a method of harassing these ex-employees.

24. It may kindly be noted that wage revision has been due with effect from 1/1/2001 but till date, nothing has been done by the HLL management to revise the wages of the poor workmen of MFIL.

25. It may be noted that the BIFR has recomended that the Modern Food management should not sell any of the assets/machinery of MFIL. However, in fact, the management has been disposing off the assets of MFIL indiscriminately. (as in DBU—I, DBU—II, FJBP, etc) It is clear that the HLL management is playing with the workmen and material assets of MFIL.

26. On 5/3/2002, BIFR declared MFIL as a Sick Unit. At that time, the management of MFIL assured the BIFR that they would introduce a scheme for the revival for MFIL. So far, the only scheme seems to be to torture and throw the workforce out and destroy the assets.

27. HLL management has clearly shown that it does not care for the workmen or for that matter for running MFIL. Its practice, as known from previous takeovers of other companies by HLL, is to throw out the workforce, take over the assets, transfer production to sub-contract in areas where wages are low and no labour rights exist and exploit the brand name of the taken over company. We, workmen of MFIL, have seen in practice that this is what HLL has been doing with us. It is surprising that the government of India did not consult workmen of HLL before selling Modern Food to HLL, to find out HLL's track record. In the case of Modern Food, the total land of MFIL in 21 units is about 442301.58 sq. meters. Much of this is prime land in major metros like Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata, Bangalore and Hyderabad. Selling this land at appropriate time for super profits seems to be one of main aims of HLL.

We hope that what we have brought to you will be useful to the Honourable Committee in coming to a conclusion as to whether privatisation has been good for the workmen or not. We would also request you to take steps to save the livelihood and future of the workmen of MFIL.

If you have any more queries from us, you may ask Shri Govind Singh Yadav, Secretary of the Modern Food Industries Employees Union (registered and recognised).

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May Day 2003

International Day of Working Class Unity and Struggle
Against the Bourgeoisie

May Day actions were held in cities across the world, from Japan to Canada. Workers in Canada participated in marches across the cities of Alberta, Edmonton, Montreal, Ottawa, Toronto, Vancouver and Windsor. Contingents of workers, presently on strike or locked out by their employers, led the demonstration. May Day actions were held across the United States, including Massachusetts, Vermont, Connecticut, New York, Maryland, Michigan, Illinois, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Colorado, Arizona, California, Oregon and Washington.

Latin America and the Caribbean. Puerto Rico, Colombia, Bolivia, Mexico, Venezuela, Brazil and Argentina were among other countries where May Day was marked with protest marches.

Thousands took part in the annual May Day march in London, England organized under the theme "Modern Rights for Modern Workplaces."

Some 400,000 workers participated in May Day activities throughout France.

Close to one million workers in Germany took part in actions which opposed plans of the German government to make changes to public health care and other anti-social measures such as cuts in unemployment benefits and job protection.

Across Spain, Switzerland and Greece, workers took to the streets in their thousands, under the banner "For peace, for work. No to War."

More than five million workers and people participated in May Day rallies and marches across Russia and the Ukraine. Over 5,000 marked the occasion in Bulgaria while some 25,000 people marched in Turkey. In Israel, some 600,000 workers were in the second day of a general strike involving workers from schools, government offices, banks, airports and transportation services. In Iraq, hundreds of people participated in a march in Baghdad and opposed the U.S. occupation.

The Democratic People's Republic of Korea, South Korea, Australia, Sri Lanka, Malaysia, Philippines and Indonesia witnessed huge protest marches.

Across the world, the demonstrators clearly expressed their opposition to the retrogressive measures by governments and demanded the recognition of the rights of all members of society to the basic necessities required for human beings to live. Slogans opposed the privatization of the health care system, the draconian attacks on rights by governments at all levels, in the name of budget deficits. Workers rejected the government's line of "no money" and demanded increased funding for social justice, for wage equity, social housing and education.

Many cities witnessed protest marches against the war of aggression on Iraq and Afghanistan, and the increasing global militarisation. The U.S. Embassy and Lockheed Corporation (one of the biggest producers of military equipment) were targets of such demonstrations in Canada and Europe. At the same time, protests in many US cities, like Boston and Los Angeles, condemned the increased criminalization of dissent and racial profiling of immigrants, refugees and citizens from the Middle East. The USA PATRIOT Act was particularly denounced, as was the harassment, interrogation and persecution of immigrants under the federal government's "special registration" program.

May 1 2003 reflected the aspiration of workers for an alternative society where human beings can live with dignity and the struggle to move towards it. As one of the banners said, "another world is possible."

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