Reply to misleading report from PTUDC and class struggle group
We want to clarify our position on some points raised by PTUDC in a report appeared on a web site www.marxist.com, about the PTCL strike on 6th June2005. This report not only contains misleading information but also distortions and lies. It is really criminal to live misleading information at a time when 65000 telecom workers are fighting their decisive battle against privatization. These lies and distortions can only satisfy this sect instead of helping thousands militant workers, the brave and courageous heroes of Pakistani working class. They already had put everything on stake. They are under constant threat of arrests, tortures and mass sackings. They are fighting one the longest and greatest struggle against privatization.
First of all we want to correct few factual mistakes of this report.
1- According to this report “the administration accepted 28 of these demands, including a package of two billion rupees”. The package offered by the management is not 2 billion but 3.5 billion rupees. The action committee has already rejected this package. Every telecom worker knows this amount except these self appointed leaders of this strike, which is not even aware of the simple facts. This shows that how much they are involved in this struggle.
2- This report continues to say “however 29th point and fundamental demand to stop the privatization of the company was not accepted. Despite the temporary nature of this victory, it will have a serious impact on the working class of Pakistan. The workers are very excited over their victory and now very confidant. The workers have won the battle but war is far from over”. This statement is self-contradictory. If the demand to stop the privatization was not accepted, than why the government has postpone the bidding date of June 10. The government has been forced to postpone the privatization of PTCL for indefinite period.
Now the government is trying to force the unions to sign the agreement to accept the privatization, which is action committee has so far been refused. If the demand was not accepted than why the government has cancel the bidding date. Every one knows that government will came back and try to privatize, but someone should not try to give false impression that strike was called off without the government’s retreat on the privatization. They themselves accepting the fact in the end to declare this victory. The Later part of statement clearly shows that they are confused about the out come of this strike. We already have material that is available on the TURCP and CWI web site on this struggle from the beginning. We still strongly believe that despite all the odds this struggle is one the greatest struggles in the history of Pakistani labor movement.
3- “The qualitative leap in the class consciousness of the PTCL workers was expressed at very beginning of the strike when workers forced the nine different trade unions at the company to form a joint action committee to struggle against privatization”.
This statement clearly shows that how ill informed these people are! They even don’t know the basic facts about this struggle. This is a clear evidence of their involvement in this struggle and sort of role they are playing. IT is completely wrong and false to say that action committee was formed during the strike. The fact is that action committee was formed in April 2005 on the initiative of Secretary General Lions Unity LALA Hanif. In all the public meetings of action committee throughout the country, he was introduced as founder of this action committee. Every telecom worker knows this fact, except this sect, which is not part of this struggle but alien to the telecom workers. Action committee started the movement against privatization and also gives the strike call. This strike was built in a gradual process which started in the end of April. All the material is available on CWI website. The 2 hour token strike and protest public meetings started from May 12 and then indefinite strike started from May 26. All these decisions were taken from the plat form of action committee.
4- This report says “Comrade Manzoor Ahmad , member national assembly and president of the PTUDC addressed the workers twice, after every speech the enthusiasm and determination of the workers to fight until the end was sky high. Comrade Manzoor also fought against the privatization of PTCL in parliament”.
What a stupid way to promote a national assembly member elected on PPP ticket. The matter of fact is he was in the country when parliament discussed this issue. He was in Sri Lanka to attend the Social forum meeting. He was in Srilanka, when the strike was called off. The MPs from PPP, MMA and other small parties condemn the privatization and staged token walkout from national assembly. What role Manzoor played in all this. This shows the real seriousness of this sect about this historic struggle. As for as his speeches are concerned, many MPs made their speeches every day belonging from PPP, MMA and other parties and they all received the same response from the workers.
5- They have continued the false and misleading statement “It is entirely possible that in the absence of the intervention of the PTUDC, that this cowardice and betrayal on the part of the union leadership would have led to the disappointment and demoralization of the workers. The bold and correct intervention of the Marxists gave the workers a clear strategy of struggle throughout the strike”.
What a joke and lie. This is the statement of the people, which are just wake up from a deep sleep to claim that during their sleep they were leading the strike. Every body has a right to see dreams with open eyes to fool themselves. Some one needs mental illness to make such statement. But the problem is that there is big difference between dreams and reality. The reality is that they are not in a position to influence a unit of PTCL, where only few hundred workers works and they are claiming to determine the character of whole struggle. What intervention they have made so far, few speeches, few hundred leaflets in one public meeting in Islam Abad, one or two solidarity demonstrations and they are claiming that they have force the leadership to not betray the workers. From the beginning to end of the strike they were not involved in the decision making process at any level. They are not in position to influence a single leader of the action committee.
We have far more forces and influence in the PTCL and we can influence at least 12 leaders of the action committee out of 30. TURCP and SMP leading members are far more better position to influence this struggle because of the role they played in movement and also they are involved in the trade union activities in PTCL for more than 15 years. SMP has more than 18 members in PTCL unions and more than 100 in the TURCP including many important leaders of different unions, but we are not in position to say that we can change the out come of this struggle. We make big difference through our members and sympathizers, but can not stop the leaders from betraying the workers and struggle. There are many leaders in the action committee, which want to make compromise on privatization, but still there are leaders, which want to fight against the privatization. If the leaders of action committee decided to betray and sold the movement, no left organization is in the position to stop them. Any body can make the statement that they will determine the out come to please and fool their own members and international audience. We will see what role this sect can play to stop the privatization, when action committee decided to support the privatization.
This statement is also an insult to brave and courageous struggle conducted by the action committee so far. This victory and historic struggle could have not been possible without the determination showed by the leaders and workers of action committee. This was completely false and distorted impression given by these self appointed leaders, the aliens for working class that those leaders were ready to betray the strike from the day one. We cannot give guarantee that action committee leaders will never betray the workers, but at the same time we also have to appreciate and congratulate the leaders for playing a very good role so far in this struggle. How we can ignore the fact that despite all the pressures and dirty tactics used by the privatization commission, these leaders have refused to accept privatization.
The real Marxists always take balanced and positive approach towards workers struggles. We never hesitate to criticize the wrong policies and tactics of action committee but at the same time we will also appreciate the positive role of the leadership. We can make our head bigger to make senseless and misleading statements but this will not serve a single interest of the fighting workers.
6- If the PTUDC and class struggle were leading the strike, than why they did not launched the international solidarity campaign in the support of striking workers. It is not an incident that TURCP launched this international solidarity appeal and CWI organize an impressive solidarity campaign, which all the leaders and activists are appreciating. They even organize international campaigns on very pity things, but they did not bother to organize international solidarity campaign for this very important struggle. This fact itself shows their involvement and seriousness in this great battle. The main reason for not organizing the international campaign was that they were not sure that this struggle and strike will go on this scale. They were also not sure and confident enough about this struggle and outcome, because they were not involved in the process at any stage.