We want the concerned to be reminded once again that the unequal society stunted under the shadow of high-rise buildings is not what we are struggling for

April 3rd, 2014

You are aware that 30 persons per hundred are unemployed and some 30 per cent of the total population is poor. As we commence this National Congress, we want the concerned to be reminded once again that the unequal society stunted under the shadow of high-rise buildings is not what we are struggling for. And we do not call any show a progress that builds on the deprivation of the weak.

Distinguish Chief Guest, respected guests!

 TODAY, on the 28^th of March, the authoritarian Rana regime of the day was forced to bow before the working people 63 years ago. A 23-day labour strike not only forced the regime to raise the wage by 15 per cent but also to pay the wage for the entire strike period. Perhaps it was the first time the rulers, who used to treat people as their slaves, were forced to negotiate with agitating workers.

TODAY, on the 28^th of March, in 1981, the tradition was begun of the non-violent protest of national strike (known as Nepal bandh), in the involvement of trade union movement of our generation. Taking away the absurdities linked to the culture of strike today, the tradition we began was the decisive force to shake the foundation of the then authoritarian regime.

TODAY, on the 28^th of March, in 1992, we began the historical ‘First National Congress’ of our union with the slogan of “Social Justice and Economic Parity –Industrial Growth and Workers’ Solidarity”.

From that day on, we have completely dedicated our attention and energy to the welfare of the working class. Now, as I recollect the past, I feel obliged to record the note of my respectful honour to all colleagues and co-workers who have been with us throughout this journey; and, pay deepest tributes to the martyrs who left us while fighting the tyranny.

And to you seniors: I reiterate the commitment that we would not let the movement deviate from your dream of building an ideal society!

While taking over the leadership five years ago, I had made this promise on behalf of the National Executive Committee: “GEFONT will organise all workers of all trades of all sectors of investment. It will reach all workers wherever they will be”.

• One Union, One Voice – is our institutional mantra and ideal. We are following this ideal for long.
• An Injury to One is an Injury to All – is our institutional motto, which we have adopted from the world union movement. In our context, we elaborate it as the following: “Let us take care of each other; love each other; and, respect each other.” For the working class who have “nothing to lose but their chains” and the whole “world to win”, nothing could be more important than this institutional culture of mutual care and respect. Indeed, we are proud of this culture of ‘collectivity’ that has taken us far above than the despising competition marred by the binary opposite of “gain versus loss” and “you versus me”. “We GEFONT, Our National Centre” has been our collective culture.

Five years ago, we had dreamed of the following:

• Establishment of a state that would free itself from the clutches of the over-voiced and bring itself down to the voiceless, and
• Building a society in which the weak and marginalised would not further weaken but would have an opportunity to climb up the ladder of progress, a society that would open the door to dignified, prosperous and creative life for the workers

We had taken an oath that “we would leave no stone unturned in the movement for equality and justice.”

Five years later, standing before you, I wish to ask you very sincerely: Did we deliver on our promise? This National Executive Committee is available for your scrutiny as to whether it could live to the commitments made five years ago.

Dear Comrades,

As workers, our dreams are very simple.

• Some savings from our earning after the fulfilment of daily needs – to address emergencies, which is state’s responsibility, but it does not fulfil
• A piece of encouraging news, about the redress for pregnancy-related deaths in rural areas or dowry deaths – not just the news of a VIPs being taken abroad for treatment in an air ambulance

You are aware that 30 persons per hundred are unemployed and some 30 per cent of the total population is poor. We wish to see the progress of our society measured against the income of the working class people NOT against the names of those billionaires listed in the Forbse Magazine.

As we commence this National Congress, we want the concerned to be reminded once again that the unequal society stunted under the shadow of high-rise buildings is not what we are struggling for. And we do not call any show a progress that builds on the deprivation of the weak.

We are tired of such expressions as “labour disputes” or “the fault of unions,” which often comes our way linked to the closure of a certain industry or some work-related issues. These date-expired slogans build on the rhetoric of workers’ emancipation as well as on the design to frame workers for the owners’ inefficiency. In the last five years, we came across such tuneless singing many times.

• Bhrikuti Pulp and Paper and Momento Apparels were closed not because of workers but due to other reasons. The workers have yet to get their wages despite several agreements. Who is accountable for this?
• Who is there to listen to the story of the workers displaced from the Pizza Hut and Casino in this capital city itself? Is there any one to care for the fate of the self-employed eking out a living as street vendors? Who is there to aid the workers who do not get the pay in time in the construction and service sectors?
• Thousands of workers in the tea estates are deprived of the minimum wage fixed by the state. So are agricultural workers – in want of legally mandated periodic review of wages. Who listens to their agony?

We humbly ask: Is unionism as obstacle to industrial operation? Or is it the fault in policymaking and implementation?

We have no confusion that our interests do not match with those of industrialists and businesspersons. It is therefore we are different. But their businesses do not run without us. It is therefore we are together despite differences. We are also clear that:

• Capital should survive even for our living
• Labour should benefit to transform the Nepali society
• It is nonsensical to expect high productivity and quality product and services from those deprived of basic rights and minimum wages
• And, we are also aware of the extreme exploitation in the agricultural and construction sectors; of comparatively less exploitation in the industrial sector; and, also of the comparatively better pay structures in the service sector. However, the gap of wages between high-ranking officers and the workers in the service sector is disheartening.

We are aware that the world of work has two categories of investors. One of them is proudly identified in society as an ‘employer’ – who invests their property to produce services and goods. The other, who is hesitatingly identified as a worker, invests his/her entire life in the production process. In return for the investment, both these investors expect at least three guarantees.

• Return – in the form of a profit or a wage; Sustainability – in the form of a long life of business or continuity of employment; and, Security – in the form of the physical security of property or social security of life.
• As we have seen, the state machinery has always stood in favour of the first, while abusing the latter. We have this only question: Why is this double standard?
• What we are saying is just a minimum: not just only wages in return for the work and a few hundred rupees at the end of life, but a system that ensures a pension and unemployment allowances from the fund set up with contributions from the workers themselves; and, a system of state support for universal social security such as education and health that each of us are eligible as voters.
• Be aware! Trade union is not a part of a machine to follow the orders of a party when it is in power. Neither is it a barrack of the followers of the opposition ready to swarm in the streets in protest of the price hike by the Nepal Oil Corporation

We want the state to stand as a fair regulatory mechanism between the two investors. Capital should not be left unchecked, just because it is in demand. To the extent it happens, we will not cross the fair line of discipline we need to obey as workers.

Dear Comrades,

As in the past, ‘transformation’ is our main theme even in this Congress. Five years ago, we had concluded that transformation would not be possible without unity. Unfortunately, our society remained divided, unlike people’s expectation. As a result, we are almost in the situation we were on 28 May 2008.

As the tool of transformation, we divide “revolution” into “political” and “socio-economic” halves. In Nepal, we concluded “political” revolution, and this rhododendron revolution replaced the age-old institution of feudal monarchy with republic. The new regime will be institutionalised once a new constitution will be promulgated by the Constituent Assembly, now in business. But the “socio-economic” aspect of the revolution, which is central to social transformation, has not begun yet.

To address this problem, we have added “building workers’ power” in the word transformation as the theme of the 6^th National Congress; this theme because building of the workers’ power forms the backbone of the process of peaceful transformation. To balance the movement for rights and interest with the process of production, reinvestment and redistribution is the best way to operate what we call “class struggle”.

In our understanding, we need a triangular strategy to develop and strengthen Nepal’s workforce, a strategy that addresses all at once the in-country wage-labour workforce, self-employed workforce and the workforce beyond the country. To consolidate the in-country workforce, we propose a focused intervention in the agriculture, construction and urban informal sectors – for numerical reasons; in the modern service sector – for quality reasons; and, as a block- the manufacturing sector.

The intervention should be made in five activity-areas, namely workplace democracy, wage, social security, social dialogue, and productivity & efficiency. To make the outcome sustainable, following five activities should be implemented:

• Get Involved through the policy of ‘where there are workers, there is union’
• Organise each worker in contact to enhance the number of members
• Educate to enhancement skills of members through workers’ education and trade union education in such skill areas including agenda setting, issue prioritisation and public policies
• Agitating of the workforce to propagate union agendas, issues and activities
• Intervene to guarantee workers participation in state processes and further consolidation of the union movement so that it can influence public policies

This year, GEFONT is celebrating its silver jubilee. In our movement of the second generation, since it began in late 1970s, we have both grandparents and grandchildren together. We take the zeal and courage of the young generation, to assign leadership on tested one; and the wisdom of the old as the energy to keep the union movement more active and vibrant. As such, in this National Congress some of us in the old generation will quit from executive positions and hand the leadership over to the young generation.

We will, however, develop a transitional mechanism through which to mobilise the wisdom of the old generation for policy analysis, trade union schooling and union expansion so that the new leaders will be able to further develop themselves to work freely and independently.

This is how we are prepared to hold the sky above us. We have similar expectations from those below us that they also become prepared to hold the sky above them.

There is a saying- Happiness is a place between too little and too much! We are enjoying similar feelings in your presence.

I would like to thank you all for accepting our invitation and sincerely welcome your presence on behalf of the GEFONT family.

 

Thank you!

Bishnu Rimal

President, GEFONT

28^th March 2014