Confronted by brutal repression

India ra

In a wave of brutal repression
that included the government of
India ordering the arrest of
40,000 railway workers and the
immediate dismissal of another
11,000, the two million railway
workers in India called off their
nation-wide walkout last week.

But before the strikers return-
ed to work a new chapter had
been added to labor history in
India. Never before had there
been such a wide strike and for
such a long period. The strike ex-
posed the government of India’s
pep talk of improving industrial
relations as never before. And
coupled with the all-India gen-
eral strike of solidarity, the ac-
tion of the railway men has led
to the loss of the largest number
of work days in post-indepen-
dent India.

“War of Attrition”

From the outset the strike be-
came for the Prime Minister
down to the most petty bureau-
crat, a “political” question and
therefore a “war of attrition”
had been declared to force it to
fizzle“ out. Short of outright
shooting, the government
brought into play all its repres-
sive machinery and utilized the
most anti-working class actions.

The Communist Party of India,
which on some issues has co-
operated with elements in the
government in the hopes of
achieving a broader unity of the
left and other democratic parties
and forces, including progressive
sections of the congress, called
on the government to negotiate
with the railmen’s leaders. In a
statement of support of the

_ striking workers the central exe-

cutive committee of the Com-
munist Party of India warned
the government “that the prob-
lems which it has itself created
will. not be solved but further’
aggravated by its mad reliance
on sheer repression to break the
SUEKG we

“The government’s action,”
the Party statement said, “is
only sowing a trail of deep anger
and bitterness which may break
out again and again in the days
to come after the strike is over,
thereby frustrating the Prime
Minister’s hopes of a prolonged
‘respite’ from labor unrest on the
railways.”

Deserves Condemnation

The statement, issued while

the strike continued, offers an

. insight into the character of the

struggle. It continued:

MILAN, Italy (LNS) — Hun-
dreds of thousands of people
throughout Italy participated in
a four hour general strike May
29 in the wake of a bombing at
an anti-fascist rally in the north-
ern city of Brescia the day be-
fore. Six people were killed and
94 injured in the bombing, the

work of extreme rightists, a

small but active political minor-
ity in Italy. ;

The general strike, called by
Italy’s three major labor unions

_to demonstrate “indignation and

grief” over the-attack, involved
every sector of the work force
except for a few emergency ser-
vices. The state radio and tele-
vision network shut down for
four hours, along with stores,
civil and government offices and
all public transportation.

Schools and universities, court-
rooms, all entertainment places
and the Milian Stock Exchange
were closed all day.

PACIFIC TRIBUNE—FRIDAY, JUNE 7 1974—PAGE 8

il strike

is over

" Grimy and undernourished — these are the faces of India’s rail.

way workers whom Prime Minister Indira Gandhi calls the “privileged

section.”

’ “The central executive com-
mittee of the CPI demands of
the government that it spell out
in clear and unambiguous terms
its ‘acceptance’, as claimed by
the railway minister in Parlia-
ment, of six out of the workers’
eight demands.

“On all the above issues, the
government’s attitude so far has
been either negative or evasive
thereby closing the door to any
fruitful dialogue for ending the
deadlock. Thereby it deserves to
be severely -condemned for pro-
longing the crisis in an utterly
irresponsible manner. —

“The central executive com-
mittee appeals to all democratic
forces in the country to rally
more actively and determinedly
behind the railwaymen who are
defending the interests and
rights and basic principles of the
trade. union movement as a
whole. They are heroically resist-
ing the blatantly reactionary

anti-working-class policy which -

the Government of India has
embarked upon in order to brow-
beat the trade union movement.”
“The appeals. for reason from
the Communist Party to the gov-
ernment were, however, ignored
with impudence and the govern-
ment continued its repression of
the workers. 5
Reason Behind the Strike
The primary cause of the na-

_tion’s largest industrial strike
was the declining money earn- ©

ings of the railway workers.
Despite the government’s brag-
ging about giving the workers

“much more than they ever got

before,” the truth, confirmed by
the government’s own statistics,

Simultaneous with the strike,
Italians also held anti-fascist ral-
lies throughout the country.
Two hundred thousand people
marched in Milan and more
than 100,000 in Turin and Rome.
Smaller cities reported figures
ranging from 10,000 to over
50,000. :

Bomb in Doorway

The bomb, hidden in a plastic
garbage bag, had been placed in
a doorway where dozens of de-
monstrators had taken shelter
from rain during the rally. Some
3,000 workers and students at-
tended the rally as part of a
half-day strike called by a local
anti-fascist committee to pro-
test recent fascist violence in
the city. Giorgio Motto, a facto-
ry worker, was standing near
the doorway when the bomb
exploded.

“I weigh 264 pounds, but the
blast knocked me to the ground
like a twig. I heard screams all

is that industrial workers of In-
dia are now poorer than in 1961.
Another significant cause of

the strike. was the increased -

workload for the railway work-
ers. The current volume of Cent-
ral Facts and Major Problems, a
publication of the railway min-

istry, says that the productivity .

of railway workers has gone up
by 64% between 1950-51 and
1972-73. During the last 20 years
freight traffic and passenger
traffic have increased by 108%
and 77.6% respectively.

But the number of employees
on the Indian railways has in-
creased by less than 50% during
the same period, meaning an in-
crease in the workload and a re-
duction in staff costs in relation
to total working expenses. The
result of the increased workload
was a marked increase in the
number of accidents. The acci-
dent rate was so high, in fact,
that even the Labor Ministry
was forced to concede that the
“workers showed commendable
restraint: although there was
enough provocation.”

Shortly before’ the strike was
broken, New Age, the central

organ of the Communist Party of -

India warned “. . . the bitterness
the government has created in
the minds of working people will
continue to rankle them. and
vitiate the atmosphere for a long
time to come. Prime Minister
Indira Gandhi and her advisers
must even now, realize that
theirs cannot be the last word
and neither will the railway
strike be the last action of the
working class in defense of their
legitimate tights,”

around me. It was an awful
sight. People ran and screamed.
There was blood, a lot of blood,
all around — even on the de-
monstrators red fiags.”’
Right-wing Activities

For the past several months
Italian officials have’ been in-
vestigating extreme right-wing
activity in the country, particu-
larly in the north. In January,
several high army officers were
mentioned in an investigation of
a. secret neo-fascist network
conspiring to overthrow the gov-
ernment. The conspirators wére
said to have been backed by
wealthy industrialists and busi-
nessmen, and there were reports

. that huge secret funds were at

the groups’ disposal, mostly in
Swiss banks.

In April of 1972 evidence came
to light that the Greek military
Junta had helped‘ finance and
train an underground fascist net-
work operating inside Italy.

out a new course in’ Northern Northern Ireland, thus
Ireland, the political committee the necessary conditi¢ fi
of the Communist Party of Great democratic life for @ : .
Britain said in a statement last (The Price sisters a
week. hunger strike in an

perialist ‘bi-partisan policy there, _

bound to fail and result in dis- Should be held with

LONDON — It is urgent to set the Price sisters be rem

0
t

It recalled that the party had prison, following oe
consistenly warned that the im- tion in a bomb in me
Wide-ranging an na
backed by military force, was ‘the immediate pol

aster. tive political parties, e
“Recent grave events may Unions, the ee ies
prove to be the last warning Ment and a ie in NO
on the need for a democratic, bodies of pre democratiCr
non - imperialist, non - sectarian !veland, on the 1 hanges "
solution. nomic and social cha the
in the North ee he
roblem as a whole.
: These bodies must et
decisive say on the fue

Fullest Solidarity

“Direct rule imposed and
maintained by force can only
make things worse. as

“Any return to Stormont sec-
tarian rule by the Unionist ultras a on
would not oat meanacomplete The British Trades Um
denial of the rights. of the gress should cary other i]
Catholic minority; it would also discussions with ists with
be a form of fascism that could and trade unionis idati
well end in civil war. view to the un uni?

“The recent lockout with mass Ssistance to t vonitiel
intimidation of workers was an Which are ae class:
ugly danger signal. There can be 2 United working condition’
no negotiations with the so- “These new e would
called Ulster Workers’ Council. democratic ie Jrelam

“Only in conditions of democ- hose in Nea all in
racy can the working class in te Tightly 4 violence:
Northern Ireland. develop ,its Power to en ess

* * * 4)? “Steps on these he
unity, which is essential. create conditions for t
Bill of Rights

withdrawal — of Bars
_As an indication of its inten- from Northern sel
tion to find a new way out of end of British impe?
the crisis, Parliament should im- trol, aap ghee
mediately pass a Bill of Rights “In the meantime. ft
for the people of Northern Ire- ment of working-©@ tes!
land: whether Catholic OF
Emergency powers should be should be ended- morning
ended, all internees released, and sad

4

" ELECTION 74

By BRUCE MAGNUSON, COMMUNIST
PARTY FEDERAL CAMPAIGN MANAGER

Commencing his cross-Canada tour in Mon met with
30, William Kashtan, Communist Party aes h networ
press, radio and T.V., both French and Englls running ie
Twelve of the fourteen Communist candidates conf ne
Quebec in this election took part in the pier hod ses
After the meeting with the mass media, pete , at a
was held with campaign workers and mem i oe
$1,400 was collected in cash and pledges to “an the J |
paign rolling. The Quebec party organization P nist platfo
bution of some 250,000 copies of the Commu
in French and English.

: e e fi

In Metropolitan Toronto 14 candidates are ("© 2
the Metro party organization plans to ples: wy
copies of the Communist Party’s Election Ee ar

One Metro candidate, Angelo Giannakopou!? -
Broadview, in two evenings of house-to-house d pled
collected over three thousand dollars in cas

Outside Metro Toronto, the Ontario Party ° ras
putting 17 candidates into the field for July %
total of 31 candidates in Ontario. : id: Moy 30

At an enthusiastic nomination meeting he 3m
Welland, Ontario party leader Wm. Stewart wee tity
as the Communist candidate in St. Catharines in € sh
Nine hundred and sixty dollars was collect
pledges to get the campaign under way.

e oe: * @

In British Columbia a-plan for campaig"
financing and publicity was worked out at
workshop and seminar held on May 25. Party L
Kashtan spoke at a meeting in Vancouver ms. ;
Nanaimo on june 1, and in Port Alberni on Jun a
B.C. for Alberta on June 3. ‘Z ti

e r) free.

An application has been made to the CBC eR
political broadcasting on behalf of the Comm cent
Canada, which is running more than the sue P'
of candidates to qualify under CBC program P°
\ by the CBC Board of Directors in July of 1979:

aniz’”,
rg akin!

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ord” 7