May Day 2012 – Pune

Adv. R. B. Sharmale addressing the meeting

New Socialist Alternative – Pune branch (CWI-India) has been working with Lokkalyan Mazdoor Union (affiliated to Hind Mazdoor Sabha – HMS) for quite some time now. It was felt that while we engage with workers taking up their workplace demands, it is equally important to raise the consciousness among them on various political, social-economic and cultural issues that they confront in their day to day life. Idea of running workers’ study circle was thus conceived and on the day of international labour day i.e. 1st May we conducted its inaugural session. The session was attended by 130 odd workers from various trade unions in the city. Had it not clashed with other May day programs at factory levels organized by few other trade unions, turn out could have been larger.

In his lead off Adv. R. B. Sharmale, President of Lokkalyan Mazdoor Union and many other unions in various factories introduced on ‘Politics and Workers’ Movement’. Declaring ‘No politics is a dirty politics’ he warned against the general tendency among masses to decry politics as something too dirty, maligned to take part in or engage with. In his eloquent speech he stressed the need for ‘politicisation’ of workers’ movement as capitalist class engaged into anti-working class politics all the time and it was for workers to understand this and safeguard their interests. He also touched upon how the politics in Maharashtra is being monopolised by just few families and their descendants right from independence or even earlier.

Workers at the Venue

Com. Youvraj from Pune branch addressed the rally expounding on the changing character of class exploitation in neo-liberal era pointing at large scale privatization and commercialization of various social services like education, health etc. Citing huge tax concessions given to the capitalist class, he elaborated how State has been brutally acting in the interests of this class at the cost of working masses.

Workers responded enthusiastically and few of them insisted on holding it more often than monthly as currently planned. Young workers were especially motivated. We have formed a committee including representatives from participating unions that would drive the initiative meeting monthly and deciding on topics, speaker and other logistics aspects to ensure it is run collectively and democratically.

Youvraj B

Pune

1 Comment

  1. It was a great initiative taken by New Socialist Alternative – Pune branch along with Lokkalyan Mazdoor Union on the day of International Labour Day to commence workers’ study circle. If such meetings would be organized frequently then there will be increased awareness among workers on various social-economic, political, and cultural issues that they deal with in their everyday life. Furthermore, it is very important for workers to participate in politics in order to safeguard their interests.

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