The General Secretary of the Kamgar Ekta Chalwal (KEC) has requested People's Voice to publish the following call for a united May Day action in Mumbai. We reprint below:

May Day as we all know is the Day when the working class expresses to the whole world the solidarity of working people cutting across unions, industries and other affiliations. It is a day for us to remember the past struggles and chart a path for the future. It is also the day when the whole society sees the mighty fist of the working class. To the other oppressed and toiling sections of the people, the peasants, the dalits, women and poor of town and country, the united face of the working class is a source of hope. To the ruling class of India, the big Capitalists, both Indian and foreign, the clenched fist of the working class should be a warning that the working class will defend and extend its hard won rights and also stand up for all oppressed sections of our society.

This year is the 100 th anniversary of the heroic strike of 1908. in Mumbai 100 years ago on July 13, the mill workers struck work for eight days, to demand the release of Lokmanya Tilak who had been sentenced to eight years imprisonment for his writings against the British Imperialists. The workers struck work for eight days, one for every year that Lokmanya Tilak was jailed. The workers rallied around Tilak's clarion call,” Swaraj is my birthright and I shall have it.” By this militant action, the working class of Mumabai sent a clear signal to the foreign rulers that it would be at the forefront of the struggle against the foreign rulers.

Today on the 100 th anniversary of that historic strike, the working class of India is faced with a new ruling class, the Indian big capitalists. These big capitalists are launching a ferocious offensive on all the rights that the working people have won through continuous struggle. They want to turn the clock back, by employing workers on contract, by extending the hours of work and denying them all benefits such as paid leave, PF, medical and other facilities. These monopolies have dreams of becoming global multinationals riding on the sweat and blood of a billion Indian people. They want to establish SEZ’s where they can super exploit the workers. This is the hidden agenda behind the program of privatisation, Liberalisation and globalisation, first launched by the Congress Party in 1991 and subsequently loyally followed by all governents at the Centre as well as in the states.

The ruling class of India is stepping up its attacks on all other sections of the people as well, such as the peasantry, the tribal people and the national minorities. For example, over 150,000 peasants have committed suicide in the last decade due to the anti peasant policies adopted by the ruling classes. In addition, our rulers are stepping up the militarization of the economy and coordinating and cooperating with the rabid war mongering US imperialists .

In this situation, just as 100 years ago, the working class has the historic responsibility of coming out with its banners unfurled, declaring “End to the anti-social capitalist offensive”. The working class must put forward an alternate vision and program for India, which will challenge the program of the ruling class. This alternate program must have as its core the all round development of the economy, based on utilizing all the productive forces available in India, and especially the most important one, the human productive force. The program must set the aim of orienting the economy to cater first and foremost to the well being of the working people and to continually raise their material and spiritual conditions.

On the occasion of this May Day, let us resolve to put all our efforts in mobilizing the workers of Mumbai on a large scale, cutting across all divisions. This will be the clearest message to the whole society that the working class is ready to shoulder its historic responsibility. Kamgar Ekta Chalwal will whole-heartedly work with all organizations to make this possible.