he National Committee of the IFTU has issued a call for countrywide demonstrations at state capitals on 26th February 2003 by the workers on the demands of:

•    Scrap Second Labour Commission Report

•    Stop Disinvestment, Privatization of Public Sector

•    Revoke New Economic Policies

•    Quit WTO

•    Oppose US Imperialism led plan to attack Iraq

   The IFTU National Committee has extolled the working class to come forward to deepen and intensify the struggle for defence of every job and every right. With the Second Labour Commission Report the Central Govt. has declared its clear-cut intention of all-round attack on various rights of the workers. The Report is a virtual acceptance document of all those demands which the imperialists and MNCs have been putting forth since 1991 when the new economic policies were launched.

While all trade union centres say that they oppose these attacks, the reality is that every state government is implementing similar policies against workers to whatever extent possible at state level and is also cracking down harshly on workers’ struggles. Though there is a dire necessity of broad based and determined workers’ struggle, the trade union centres are reluctant to join hands with IFTU which has consistently fought against pro-imperialist, anti-worker policies. This reluctance is not in the interest of forging struggling unity of the working class to face the attacks being launched by the ruling classes at the instance of imperialist powers and their institutions like World Bank and WTO. They are however extremely liberal towards INTUC and BMS, which are linked to the two political parties, which are harbingers of liberalization, privatization and globalization policies.

With the threat looming large of the Second Labour Commission Report being institutionalized as a Bill in the current session of Parliament, IFTU has called on the workers of India to come forward and participate in the countrywide demonstrations on 26th February and express to the government their determination to oppose the attacks.

IFTU has also called for the working class to come forward against the attack on Iraq being planned by US imperialism. Just as through WTO and pro-globalization policies US imperialism seeks economic domination over the world, so also its bid for military domination and for hegemony over oil are at the root of its warmongering against Iraq. War drive of US imperialism is against the interests of workers and people of India. It is necessary for all peace loving people especially of the third world to join hands against this number one terrorist of the world.