May Day: eclipse of the worker
 

BY SQN. LDR. J.T. REX Fernando, SLAF (Retd)

WORKERS all over the world will be celebrating May Day. Sri lanka will be no exception. It has been the order of successive governments and trade unions to celebrate May Day with pomp and pageantry, but with no significant gains to the working classes.

When we consider the form and manner of the celebrations and the various slogans, speeches and platitudes that will be expressed at the various rallies and demonstrations one wonders how much of the significance of the workers rights and responsibilities will permeate the minds of those who will participate in the various May Day celebrations.

While this year, following the tsunami devastation, the celebrations will evitably be on a comparatively low key, divisive political issues, however, rather than the questions of worker welfare are likely to dominate the May Day tirades.

Over the years it has been an undisputable fact that politicians have deliberately divided the trade union organisations of this country into several groups to suit their needs and as a result the working class has not been able to win their common goals.

It has been the habit of successive governments and trade unions to celebrate with mere pomp and pageantry, but with no significant gains for the working class.

While successive governments have failed to keep their promises, trade unions themselves in general have over the years failed to fulfil their obligations to the workers and the nation.

A little introspection on this all important day is not only appropriate but timely, particularly in the context of worker disillusionment with the unions.

May Day is essentially the workers' day. It should be celebrated as an occasion that signifies the emancipation and the beginning of the workers' movement to secure for them a place in the sun and also in the context of unethical conduct by certain politically aligned unions.

A little introspection on this all important day is not only appropriate but timely, particularly in the context if the present worker disillusionment with unions. Some of the pertinent questions the leadership must ask itself are:

a) What is the significance of the May Day to the average worker?

b) Have the trade unions veered out of line?

c) Are the unions able to boast of any significant achievements for the working class? Have the unions lost more than what they might have gained for themselves?

d) Have the unions acted with responsibility and supported the process of national development?

Trade unions came into existence in an atmosphere of hostility from employers and governments. With the passage of time, however they came to be tolerated due to necessity.

Significance

With the strengthening of the trade union movement, tolerance changed to partnership. Trade unionism in this country indicates a bit of a tragic situation where when workers have over the years shown readiness to align themselves to political parties which mean that they depend largely on the swing of the political pendulum to go the way they want.

It is an irony in a country with a history of over 100 years of trade unionism and with 95% literacy, outsiders continue to manipulate the destinies of the workers. These self appointed protagonists are either politicians or followers of some decadent ideology and use trade unionism to climb to power to preserve the positions they already hold.

How wise has the trend among local unions to latch on and associate themselves with various political parties in this country been? Have they acted with responsibility and restrain to against the background of the recent strikes of doctors, engineers, plantation workers and alarming reports of violence and terror tactics of some unions, it is difficult to understand the rationale of the union leaders.

It is not trade unionism to resort to strike action for the slightest grievance, which should be the ultimate weapon when negotiations fail. The spate of strikes during the last five years has been alarming.

While it is, however, not easy to access or quantify the adverse effects on the economy due to industrial unrest plantation worker strikes have resulted in a massive loss of billions to the national economy.

We have in recent times witnessed strikes accompanied by violence and vandalism. A very disturbing factor in industrial relations is terror tactics and intimidation resorted to by some unions which appears to be hell bent on disrupting the economy.

Some leading establishments have in the recent past threatened to close down their establishments and move their business to another country if particular trade unions fails to act with responsibility and stop intimidating workers.

No right thinking person will condone worker violence. If any worker group or trade union resorts to terror tactics and sabotage, harass or intimidate persons, it has to be strongly condemned.

Outsourcing

The indiscrete retortion to striking has resulted in an increasing number of business enterprises "outsourcing labour" and obtaining the services of labour contractors to provide staff to perform the core and ancillary functions. The "outsourcing" has resulted in workers being underpaid and deprived of some legitimate entitlements.

What union leaders have to realize is that they themselves are part and parcel of the country's common people and any industrial action they resort to must not jeopardize the jobs, of their members and the day to day life of the people at large. The general public cannot be expected to sit back, and watch trade unions launch "wild cat" strikes with monotonous regularity.

The view that trade unions should confine themselves only to their parochial problems stands discarded. Today as an organized section of the people in a country, trade unions have a responsibility to make their contributions to fashioning the country's political, economic and social structure.

They should attempt to broad base their influence. The Cardigan principle, "See, judge, and act", should be the guiding force to provide the much required leadership the worker needs, so that freed from political parameters, workers can unite not only to achieve their rights but also realize their responsibilities to the community.

What we need today is not so much adversarial trade unionism as a sense of partnership in economic enterprise which inevitably will lead to national development while also adequately safeguarding the rights and privileges of the workers.

During the past 50 years, despite the existence of advanced labour laws and professed adherence to fundamental rights, both the State and private sectors have often violated labour rights with impunity, while some so- called labour leaders have made workers pawns in a political game. A glaring example was the 1980 general strike.

Despite the strong pledges given by the alliance to the unions and the workers the Government has no alternative, but to do a tight rope walk - a balancing act between attracting foreign investment and ensuring labour rights. How this can be done is a moot point.

Eclipse of the worker

Looking back we could figure out with sufficient justification that the major eclipse of the worker interest began with the political recurrence of the UNP in 1977. That was the time the economy was liberated as never before and the "Robber Barons" given the green light to operate with impunity.

Ironically the so-called trade unions which are most active in politics today, represent the middle class interest. Take the case of the government doctors, engineers, station masters, paramedics.

There is perhaps some truth in the assertion that once a Lankan worker achieves middle or lower middle class status through the process of upward social mobility, he sets about consolidating his gains rather than keeping the avenues open for the social and economic uplift of his erstwhile colleagues among the masses.

While the working masses stand mutely by, it is the 'bourgeoisie' which is clamouring greedily for its rights, with no mention, of course of its responsibilities. All this is a reflection of current social dynamics. The middle classes are wielding disproportionate power and they are mobilizing more effectively than the working class.

There is, of course, on and off, industrial unrest of the classical kind. But what has the working class person achieve in contrast to the middle class based agitations, which are increasingly achieving their ends by holding the people to ransom? A case in point is the manner in which the doctors, paramedics and engineers extracted their recent demands.