THE DEVELOPING GLOBAL PROTEST AGAINST CAPITALISM

E.BALANANDAN

The tall claims that have been made by the imperialist powers a decade ago about building a crisis free capitalism using the hi-tech revolution – the only sustainable system - for human progress soon after the setback to socialism in Russia and allied countries in Europe is getting thoroughly exposed and discredited.

What we are witnessing today is a different scenario. The capitalist system as a whole is facing serious crisis and its intensity is on the increase. The crisis which haunted Mexico in 1994 and the East Asian countries during 1997-98 were explained as only temporary phenomenon. But today we find that the mighty economies of the world, US and Japan which put together accounts for 46% of the world’s output has plunged into recession. Other developed countries and the third world countries too are facing serious deceleration in economic growth, the only exception is China. The crisis is all embracing including the high-tech sector. Millions of workers have been thrown out of employment in the developed countries, retrenchment and closures are becoming the order of the day. The working class everywhere are facing serious threat against their livelihood since the curtailing of the privileges and rights earned through bitter battles are on the increase. Generally, the living standard of the working people everywhere are getting eroded. Besides, poverty and bankruptcies are on the rise, while huge wealth is accumulated by the giant multi-national companies. The prescriptions of the world bank, IMF and WTO could not save the situation but only helped to intensify the exploitation of the weaker nations by the big multi-national corporations of the imperialist countries. This is the background in which the new type of protests developed in different parts of the world against the system of capitalism.

The demonstration of 50,000 people at Seattle, New York, in November 1999, before the WTO Ministerial Conference protesting against their discriminatory trade policies etc., which has sustained itself and gathered momentum from Washington to Prague. Quebec City, Gothenburg, Papua, New Guinea and the last one was at Genoa, Italy against G-8 summit meeting. In inspite of the enormous police and military cardon more than 1 lakh people joined this protest march. The composition of the demonstrators were also undergoing changes. At Seattle, the main contingent was the NGOs of different types. The participation of the working class was improving and at Genoa the main contingent was of trade unions together with communists and the NGOs from large part of Europe. The demands raised at Genoa includes cancellation of debts of the poor nations. The protest demonstrations were also gathering momentum in each of the places mentioned above, wherever the official gatherings of IMF, World Bank, WTO and its allied bodies met, including the G-8 summit at Genoa. The slogans raised by the demonstrators also underwent changes. At Seattle, it was against unequal trade imposed by WTO and when it came to Genoa, the main cry of the people were “down-with capitalism”.

The latest is the decision of the International Confederation of Free Trade Unions (ICFTU) to observe a global protest day of action against anti-people’s globalisation on November 9th, the day of the WTO ministerial conference scheduled to be held at Doha, Qatar. The other international Trade Union organisations, World Federation of Trade Unions (WFTU) and World Confederation of Labour (WCL) too asked their affiliates to join this protest. The following demands are being raised by the Trade unions on the global protest day on November 9th including their national issues:
? NO to globalisation that drives down workers’ rights and job security
? NO to globalisation that undermines education and health care
? NO to globalisation that helps the rich and hurts the poor
? NO to globalisation that stifles and denies democracy

This is the first time in the history of trade union movement that all the trade unions of the world choosing a common day of protest against capitalist globalisation which is against the interest of the working class and the common people. This reflects the growing realization of the working people from their experience that capitalism and imperialism cannot provide them a peaceful and better life and that is why the conservative trade union leadership had to take the lead for global protest action.

The Trade unions of India too have positively responded to the call and decided to join this global day of action. The AITUC, BMS, CITU, HMS, INTUC, AICTTU, TUCC, UTUC AND UTUC (LS) in a joint statement said that “We welcome this world initiative call upon the Indian Working Class to observe 9th November unitedly in a fitting manner so that the united voice of the working class of India is powerfully heard all over the country.The 5 point demands should be highlighted on this day by holding demonstration rallies, dharna etc. so that largest mobilization of workers is achieved on this day. We are confident that workers belonging to all trade unions will unitedly observe the day in a magnificent manner so that we can unitedly protect the interest of the working class and the self-reliant development of Indian economy”.

Thus the Indian working class unitedly will raise the demands listed below on November 9th and hold joint demonstrations throughout the country.

1. Against thoughtless privatisation of the profit-making and potential viable public sector units including the defence sector industries.
2. Against the withdrawal of a quantitative restrictions on imports as per WTO conditionalities much to the detriment of Indian industry, agriculture and national interest as a whole.
3. Against the move to change the labour laws in favour of employers.
4. For immediate enactment of a comprehensive legislation for agricultural workers.
5. Against the policies leading to severe aggravation of joblessness and unemployment.

Since the government have decided to go ahead with wholesale privatisation of all the public sector industries. Downsizing the government departments and Labour Law changes said to be within a time frame of three months based on three committee reports which of course are copied from the blueprint of WB-IMF-WTO trio.

The new situation arising out of United States war against Taliban, the world economy situation is further going to worsen including our own. However, the GOI is going to use this as an alibi for “speeding up of the reforms” claiming that there is no way out. Besides they are trying to take steps to curtail democratic freedom to buttress the developing protest. They are unmindful of the world experience of the reforms which has been summarized by Mr. Joseph Stiglitz (a world bank economist, who has been relieved because of his critical views of World Bank policies who is a noble prize winner) in a recent press interview said that, “IMF, World Bank and the WTO are interchangeable masks of a single governance system serving the rich nations’ of the world. Their ‘four plus’ formula which are being implemented will destroy the nation.

1. Privatisation: Mr. Stilglitz calls is “Briberisation” and said politicians and officials have happily flogged off their electricity and water companies, lured by the 10 per cent commission paid for shaving a few billion off the sale price of ‘national assets’.
2. Capital Market Liberalisation: This he says is the ‘Hot Money’ cycle. Along with the flow of investment capital, it channels cash for speculation in markets, currency and real estate, which can disappear equally fast. When that happens, the IMF asks these nations to hike interest rates, in order to ‘seduce speculators into returning a nation’s own capital funds’. He cites the hot money tidal waves in Asia and Latin America as examples.
3. Market-Based Pricing: This is a fancy term for raising prices on food, water and cooking gas leading to what he calls ‘The IMF riot’. Indonesia, Ecuador and Bolivia exploded into riots over fuel, food and water prices.
4. Free Trade: He equates the WTO’s free trade to Opium Wars as it allows MNC to fleece people in poor countries by charging usurious prices for branded medicine and other services.

The experience cited by him above are clear to any economic student. But, however, the GOI and its finance minister is held bent on implementing the prescriptions of WB-IMF-WTO trio with top speed.

The working class of India should close their ranks irrespective of political and organizational difference to fight back and defeat this policies to save the country from disaster.

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