Workers of Mumbai celebrated International Working Men’s Day with great enthusiasm. In greater strength than the previous years, thousands of workers started gathering in Kamgar Maidan, Parel from 3.30 pm in the afternoon in preparation for the traditional procession to Maharashtra High School Maidan in Currey Road, in the heart of the old working class district of Mumbai. The May Day statement of the Communist Ghadar Party of India was distributed in thousands amongst the workers and the organ of the Party, Mazdoor Ekta Lehar was eagerly read by hundreds of workers participating in the May Day rally.

This year the activists of Kamgar Ekta Chalwal had organised a float sporting a Globe surrounded by workers, peasants and other toiling people, proudly holding red flags, symbolic of the inevitable ultimate victory of labour over capital all over the world. The float also depicted the big capitalists both Indian and foreign being bound in chains and encircled by the workers. The highlight of the float was three young girls holding the red flag in one hand and holding the big capitalists by their scruff in the other. This initiative of the Kamgar Ekta Chalwal was warmly appreciated by all the workers.

At 5 PM the procession started led by the float and the workers marched through the working class areas of Parel and Lal Baugh. With militant slogans denouncing the rule of the rich and hailing the new dawn, the rule of the working class and the unity of the toilers all over the world, under the red flags of the working class, the procession brought thousands of people onto their balconies, rooftops and windows throughout the busy route. Thousands of leaflets distributed along the road reminded the working people of the area of the importance of May Day.

After the procession reached Currey Road, the meeting began with three young girls of Lok Raj Sangathan rendering a beautiful song. This was followed by a team of youth of Lok Raj Sangathan militantly singing a song in the memory of Shahid Bhagat Singh. Both the songs received enthusiastic applause. The convenor of the Trade Union Joint Action Committee welcomed the workers and formally opened the meeting.

Highlights of Kamgar Ekta Chalwal speech

The representative of the Kamgar Ekta Chalwal was the first speaker to address the gathering. The KEC representative said that the May Day was symbolic of all the struggles waged by the working class and reminded them that the struggle for the eight hour day over 120 years ago had united workers all over the world. He said that today the capitalists in India as well as other parts of the world want to turn the clock back and are trying to negate all the historic gains achieved by the working class. He pointed out that the Maharashtra Government's Industrial Investment and Infrastructural Policy of 2006, is a blatant move to legalise contract employment, increase working hours to 60 per week instead of the present 48 hours, allow layoffs of workers without previous government sanction, allowing female workers to work in night shift, and allowing 12 hour shifts .

He said these thoroughly anti worker moves were being initiated by the ruling Congress Government in Maharashtra. He explained that the Congress government, which came to power in the Centre on the slogan of the “aam aadmi” in 2004, stood now thoroughly exposed as a Party representing not the “aam aadmi” but the big capitalists of India. The events of the last two decades had shown that no matter whether it was the Congress led government or BJP led government at the center, and no matter which Party or coalition ruled in the States, it was strictly defending the interest of the big capitalists. He said either the big capitalists of India will rule or the workers and peasants of India. There cannot be a third way whereby the big capitalists as well as the workers and peasants of India will both progress. Therefore, he concluded, that it was necessary for the working class and toilers to build their united front of working people and challenge the rule of the big capitalists.

Representatives of Mumbai Municipal Corporation Workers, Engineering and Pharmaceutical Manufacturing Companies, representatives of AITUC, CITU, Sarva Shramik Sanghatan, Railwaymen, BEST Workers, Bank Employees, Teachers, State Government Employees and others also addressed the gathering.