PTCL Struggle:
Almost all the leaders of action committee have announced to accept the process of privatization on 3rd August in a press conference. They have accepted this privatization in the “national interest”. They have signed an agreement with the government to accept privatization in “national interest and in the best interest of workers”. They also have signed an under taking to fully cooperate with Etisalat ( Dubai based Arab telecom giant which has bought the 26% shares of PTCL) and will not create any hurdles in the smooth transfer of management. This betrayal is a big set back for the anti privatization campaign. They have not only betrayed the telecom workers but the whole working class of Pakistan and all those who supported this historical struggle nationally and internationally.
Action committee leaders want to deceive the workers by using the nationalist rhetoric like national interest. In a capitalist system the national interest means the interest of ruling class and capitalists. The ruling class always tries to deceive the working class to call their interest the national interest. There is constant conflict in the interest of ruling class and working class. The ruling class wants to exploit the working class to the maximum to get big profits and on the other hand the working class wants to get rid of this super exploitation and want decent living standard. The interest of capitalist class is always against the interest of working class. The privatization of PTCL is in the interest of ruling class and against the interest of working class. The ruling class uses the words like national interest to hide their naked repression and super exploitation. The action committee leaders have served the interest of ruling class and failed to protect the interest of working class.
The action committee leaders failed to form a joint and comprehensive strategy to tackle the situation after 3rd June agreement (in which government announced to postpone the privatization of PTCL). TURCP and SMP members put forward the proposal to organize the victory rallies in all the big cities to prepare the workers for new battle, which the leaders failed to do, this gave the government an opportunity to prepare and deploy Para military forces in the installations. Few leaders of the action committee were not prepared to fight and want to make compromise with the government. These leaders on many occasions tried to sabotage the strike on the directions from management. These leaders just want to fill their pockets to betray the struggle. These leaders were reluctant to resist the privatization from the beginning, because they were not politically against the privatization policy. They were part of the action committee to get a good deal from the management during the negotiations.
The deployment of Para-military forces in the PTCL was a clear victory for the workers and a moral defeat for the government. This was the clear sign that the government has failed to break the resistance of the workers, even when one section of the action committee was on their side. Even the military failed to crush the resistance and forced to lock out the telephone exchanges. The government was not in a position to privatize the PTCL, even when they announced the new date for bidding. The Employees union came forward and announced to call off the strike and signed an agreement with the government and management to accept the privatization. The other action committee leaders continued the resistance but half heartedly. The action committee failed to take any significant action to halt the bidding on 18th June. The action committee leaders once again failed to make joint strategy and united action against privatization after their release from official custody. Few leaders want to make an agreement with the government to accept the privatization, but few still want to fight. They were even not prepared to sit together to chalk out new strategy. All the leaders want to become the hero and “the leader”. This situation provides best opportunity for the management to launch the offensive against the most active workers. The management started victimization that created panic among the leaders and many started secret negotiations with the government. The management practically imposes the “Martial law” in PTCL. They banned the trade union activities and also banned the sitting of more than 3 workers in the premises of PTCL. The action committee failed to form a joint strategy and tried to organize separate activities, which proved fatal in that situation. TURC-P came forward and organized the meetings of local leaders of action committee and activists to defy the ban and to form strategy in different cities. These meetings encourage the active workers and they started activities in the premises. Action committee leaders were not happy with this situation and they tried to defuse the anger of the workers and started to organize few meetings in different cities and stated to threat the government, to launch new strike and anti privatization campaign. They made few fiery statements and few days latter announced to accept the privatization. Now they are trying to calm down the angry workers and saying that they have been able to get many concessions for the workers.
PTCL strike has one big lesson for the workers, that in the epoch of political depression and disappointment, it is not possible for the leadership to come out of their narrow vision and limited sightedness, which has developed without political process and ideology. Political approach and ideology has no significant importance for them. They are more interested to keep their position and privileges than to learn important lessons and draw conclusions from this historical struggle. It is important to get rid of this leadership to develop a democratic mass trade union in the PTCL.
This leadership can not removed for just writing correct analysis and criticize the leadership. We have to participate in the struggles of the workers and will have to prove in the practice that we are capable to become the alternate. The one of the difference between so called “Marxist Intellectuals and Clairvoyants” and genuine Socialists is that Clairvoyants issue advises from out side and make predictions about the outcome of struggle without taking active part in the struggle. The Socialists on the other hand take part in the struggles and put forward their ideas to the workers. Socialists just not only criticize the corrupt leadership and their mistakes, but come forward and prove in the practice the validity of their ideas and tactics. It is very easy to predict the out come of the isolated struggle or strike, but very difficult to intervene in the struggle or strike to change the out come. The most important question for the Socialists is not only the predictions of the out come, but the role they played in the struggle.
The struggles and movements have their own rhythm. It is true that in the beginning the workers unite around the existing leadership and start their struggle. But they also learn in the course of struggle and draw conclusions for the future struggles. They learn from their experiences and also closely watch the role of the leadership. They remove corrupt leaders and choose the new one which they consider the better. Movements buried the traitors in the pyramids of past and create new leaders. Workers never test their leaders again and again. But they always elect their new leaders among the people they new well.
They never wait for the “unseen Marxist liberators sitting in their offices”. But “Aliens” never can understand this process, and they start to allege the working class as being backward and illiterate for ignoring them. These self appointed leaders of the working class and revolution are complete Aliens for the working class.
Many people including some so-called “Revolutionary Marxists” have started to say that the telecom workers have accepted the privatization of PTCL, which is not true. There is still anger and opposition against privatization. The telecom workers have feel and taste their strength during the strike. Now they know their power and strength. They are not dead but came back on the stage of struggle with more strength and unity. They will never forget that they defeated the government and force it to postpone the privatization, but the leadership converted this victory into defeat. They will not trust this leadership. This situation put lot of responsibility on our shoulders. Workers wanted new leadership and union; we have to play a key role to build this new union and leadership. This situation has opened up new opportunities for us. We have to use our authority and influence that we have earned during this struggle to form a new democratic militant union. This union will not only fight against privatization but will also fight to over through this rotten capitalist system and to bring socialist revolution. Socialist revolution will end all forms of exploitation and discrimination on the basis of religion, caste, gender, nationality, language, race, colour and ethnicity.