May 1, 2001
GEFONT (General Federation of Nepal Trade Unions)Declaration on May
First 2001
Reviewing the historical days of the famous movement of workers in
Chicago for 8- working hours among the demand for 'Three Eights', (eight
hours work, eight hours leisure, eight hours sleep) a period of 115 years
have elapsed after the bloodshed of the militant workers.
The sacrifice of the leaders of the working class for a prosperous life
of future generation was not in vain.
As August Spies, the martyr of the movement, had declared 'The day will
come when our silence will be more powerful than the voices you are
throttling today', the workers of the entire world are celebrating the Day
of May First 1886 as a festival.
Workers all over the world are reviewing the activities &
achievements and declaring the programmes of organisational works and
movement by erasing the weaknesses witnessed during the year.
GEFONT extends its hearty best wishes to the working class of the whole
world on the auspicious occasion of 112th May Day.
GEFONT pays its heart-felt tributes to the martyrs of the entire world
who sacrificed their lives for the prosperous future of the working class.
GEFONT was established on the day of May Day declaration just before 12
years.
Thus we have decided to celebrate May Day from this year as well, as
the GEFONT establishment day.
Our organisation was established at a time when the followers of
autocratic Panchayat system were playing bloody games in the name of
working class.
In order to resist & oppose their conspiracy & oppression and
to develop militant unity among the workers, we had established GEFONT.
We have developed GEFONT as a Coordinating centre for unifying trade
union activities among workers of all sectors in order to enhance an
environment of mutual cooperation among the workers and to build up an
unified trade union movement.
The expectation was to develop a solidarity environment among the
workers of the whole nation in the spirit of 'An injury to one is injury
to all'.
During the past year, the effort to transform the slogan 'One Union-One
Voice' into practice has been launched with high enthusiasm.
Just after the May Day of 2000, unity talks started with Nepal Trade
Union Congress.
Through the different phases of the talks, we have come to the common
conclusion-'Single unionism is an urgent need, but it requires further
homework and psychological preparation.'
Now there is no problem in principle to build up a unified pro-worker
trade union movement in spite of the existing individual involvement in
political parties and ideologies.
We have understood that the trade union members should not feel
pressure to adopt any particular political ideology and voluntary
membership should be made widespread.
An environment to come forward for union membership voluntarily with an
inner urge has to be enhanced.
This conclusion we have derived is also a general call to overcome the
anti-worker activities being launched by the class of capitalists in the
name of globalisation.
We can point out that the unified movement of the last year in hotel
& tourism sector is a reflection of this conclusion.
The working unity between our affiliate NIHWU and NTUC affiliate
NT&HWU on the issue of 10 % Service Charge is an important achievement
of the year.
The joint press statement issued on March 21, 2001 has opined 'The
government, in the name of suppressing the service charge movement of the
hotel workers, has kicked the democratic process and the norms &
ideals by declaring the inclusion of hotel-restaurant and catering service
under Essential Service Act 1957.
GEFONT and NTUC to reach this common conclusion is not a significant
event in the trade union movement of Nepal?
Our campaign is not exhausted here.
In the process of identifying the minimum issues of common concern and
stepping forward with unity, we the three trade union confederation -
GEFONT, NTUC & DECONT - have been successful to formulate and operate
a network called 'Trade Union Committee for Gender Equality &
Promotion (TUC-GEP).
Through this, we are active to make consensus on national policy and
approach on gender and women labour issue.
Kamaiya liberation movement, based on our active involvement through
the slogan 'Let us convert slaves into poor', government was compelled to
declare the freedom of Kamaiyas because of the joint pressure of the
involvement & activities of different social actors.
As a result, bonded labour system implicit in Kamaiya system came to an
exit during the last year.
While evaluating the struggles & organizational works of the last
year, we have scored significantly not only from national level movements,
but also achievements from grassroots and local level movements.
However, the past single year period has also left some negative
'gifts'.
In the last week of June 2000, suddenly the government not only charged
Lathi & tear gas, but also opened the barrels of the guns upon the
workers of Biratnagar Jute Mills sitting peacefully on the picket line.
This was the departure point of the government towards a regressive
journey by attacking violently the working class.
The 50,000 employees of public enterprises started their genuine
movement from the second week of July 2000.
PEs was made standstill in second week of August 2000 by the militant
strike of the employees.
The government in order to suppress them forcibly imposed the
date-expired Essential Service Act 1957.
Altogether ten sectors of services including banking, communication,
electricity, transport & water supply were put under the Act.
The fundamental rights of the workers who had risked their job by
active involvement in the popular movement of 1990 have been shamelessly
attacked by those who came to power because of the reestablishment of
multi-party system by the very moment.
The series of oppression and anti-democratic moves did not stop here.
The temporary camps of Kamaiyas were set on fire in the first week of
February 2001 by the police, which are an example of 'Bullet instead of
Bread' and are like a medieval barbarism.
In the morning at 8.00 a.m., hundreds of policemen under the command of
CDO encircled the camp-village of Kamaiya and charged Lathis.
Children and old men & women were also chased out savagely before
setting the fire.
The clothing, cooking utensils and food-grains donated by various
organisations to these landless rural proletariats were destroyed.
Instead of making them feel positively that 'freedom is the best', the
ruling party itself compelled them to feel that freedom unable to provide
food clothing & hut is not necessary.
On 3rd week of March 2001, suppression by the government crossed every
extreme.
On the one hand, leaders of the hotel workers movement were invited in
the Ministry of Tourism for table talks.
On the other hand, after office hour at 5:23 in the evening, Home
Ministry informed the inclusion of hotel & tourism sector in Essential
Services through a fax in the GEFONT office.
The government led by the person who had started his political career
from trade union background, stood shamelessly on the front-line against
workers and the trade unions.
List may become long.
But people are being forced to feel that the existing government is the
most inefficient and anti-people in the period of 12 years after the
reestablishment of democracy.
The country is under the shadow of violence and terror, but the persons
in the ruling status are just the spectators.
Bare restrictions are being imposed on the fundamental rights provided
by labour laws and Constitution of Nepal such as right to organise &
collective bargaining, demonstration, mass meetings, picketing and various
programmes of pressurising and strikes.
In this situation, we request for unity among the workers of the whole
country on the occasion of 112th May Day.
No achievement is possible by dividing Trade Unions into different
splits.
So in order to strengthen the unity among left oriented working masses,
we have invited 6 left parties to express common concern & commitment
form the May Day rally & mass meeting.
We have also decided to further strengthen the ongoing unity campaign
with non-left unions.
We commit and announce-'Based on our reality, we will continue the
efforts to build up integrated & unified trade union movement by
widening the horizon of policies, vision and practice in the trade union
movement of Nepal.'
We have conducted a field study on effective implementation of labour
laws and are preparing to publicise the list of those enterprises, which
have violated the labour laws of the country.
There is nothing for us except the workers' interest. And hence we will
mobilise the whole workforce against intervention on workers' rights
whether by the state or by the employers.
Almost half of the workforce in our country consists of women workers.
From this year, we have decided to launch a special programme in order
to increase women participation in trade union movement.
In addition, our priority issues are protection migrant workers
interest, effective campaigning on 'Job in Nepal to Nepalis',
strengthening agricultural workers-wage campaign & wage indexing,
health cooperative and social security campaign and so on.
We will involve ourselves for social justice in the campaign against
unfair labour practices, caste discrimination and exploitation of Dalit
labour.
On the occasion of May Day 2001, we appeal for consolidated unity among
the working masses.
We convey our best wishes to all in order to have active participation
for the goal of ' Socialism for Dignified working class and prosperous
life'
Mukunda Neupane
Chairperson
GEFONT
E-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
