The 10 day long strike of telecom workers, which ended on 4th June with an impressive victory against privatization has important lessons for working class and trade union leaders. This victory is an inspiration for many workers in Pakistan, who want to fight against privatization, down sizing, anti trade union laws and neo liberal economic agenda of IMF and World Bank. The Musharaf regime is viciously implementing these anti working class policies. The Musharaf regime has been able to privatize 2 largest banks and 2 fertilizer factories without much resistance from trade unions. In last 5 years the privatization process has been going on with fast pace, which gives new confidence to the government to start the privatization of services sector. The ruling class is trying to privatize PTCL since 1994, but failed because of resistance from workers. Musharaf regime tried to privatize this public sector company twice, but trade unions forced the Government to retreat. The latest attempt was the most serious one in this regard. The regime was not expecting the much resistance from trade unions and was confidence to hold bidding on 10th June. But the strike action and protest movement force the government to retreat.
As the telecom workers are celebrating their victory, the minister IT&T has issued a statement that government will announce a new date of bidding in next few days. This statement shows the desperation of government officials on this retreat. SMP has made it clear to leaders of action committee that government will come back soon and will put pressure on the leadership to accept the privatization. In these circumstances it is very important to keep pressure on the government. It is a temporary retreat from the government, if action committee failed to keep pressure and solid stance on this issue,the government will again push forward privatization. The action committee has to take strong and solid stance in the negotiations with government officials. It is also clear that the government wants to link the financial package with the acceptance of privatization, which the action committee has rejected in the national executive committee meeting yesterday. The action committee has also threatened to start the strike again, if government tried to violate the agreement signed on Friday.
The government officials are giving these statements just to gave the impression that this not a defeat for the government on privatization and they will continue this process without any delay. The main reason behind these statements is to save stock market from complete collapse. PTCL has 25% share in the volume of stock market and its share has already plunged. The government also wants to minimize the impact of this very important victory. The government don’t want to gave time to the workers and unions to celebrate this success and to strengthen their position.
Important Lessons of PTCL Struggle
1- PTCL workers showed to the right wing and left reformist leaders that struggle against anti workers policies is possible. Privatization, deregulation, downsizing, anti union legislation and other anti working class policies can be defeated. Even temporary success can give confidence to the wider layers of working class to fight against these policies.
2- This struggle also contradicts the claims of reformist pro-market economy leaders of the trade unions that the workers don’t want to fight. The workers have proved that it is the leaders, not the workers, which don’t want to fight. The workers are ready to sacrifice any thing to defend their rights, as shown by the telecom workers. But reformist pro-government leaders are not prepare to fight and have become a obstacle in the way of workers struggle. Workers will have to fight not only against the neo liberal offensive but also against the opportunist right wing leaders. The workers need democratic unions and fighting leadership to defeat the free market economic policies.
3- This struggle is also a practical answer to the some left leaders and intellectuals, who believes that working class has finished and not willing to fight. They always allege the working class for not rising against capitalism and imperialism. These leaders never tried to understand the reasons of decline in workers struggles. But when telecom workers went on strike, these leaders and intellectuals were remain silent and even not bother to issue a single press statement in the support of striking workers. It is clear that these leaders and intellectuals are no more interested in working class politics and movements. They have lost their confidence that working class can change the society and still has revolutionary will and power to transform the society.
4- This struggle once again proved the point that workers unity is a real power, which can defeat any power including state. The telecom workers could not have been able to defeat the government without the formation of action committee, in which 9 trade unions were involved. It is important for the workers to forge unity to overcome all the divisions including religious, nationality, region, caste and ethnic. The ruling classes always use these divisions to divide the working class. The working class proved again that they can overcome these divisions in the struggles. The working class can forge unity on the basis of class consciousness. It is also a best example for those who doubt the capability of working class to overcome these divisions. The workers from different nationalities, ethnic groups, religions, caste, languages and regions are employed in PTCL. The management always use these divisions to divide and weaken the workers in normal circumstances, but they fail to divide them during the struggle. One worker said “ we are not Punjabis, pashtuns or sindhis, but we are workers. We are thinking as workers and no body can divide us on the basis of religion, caste, nationality or language. We have one language and that is NO TO PRIVATISATION”.
5- The question of political voice and party came up sharply during the struggle. Majority of the workers were of the opinion that there is no political party, which can defend the interests of working class. Many workers were in the favor of forming a new workers party. The workers showed their anger with the PPP, MMA and other bourgeois parties when the leaders of these parties came to show their solidarity. Many workers have shown their interest to join SMP. The anti capitalist and imperialist sentiments were also very clear in the workers. The MMA is trying to fill the political vacuum that exists in Pakistan. They are using radical rhetoric on social issues and also anti American sentiments to muster their support. The potential for a socialist or left party does exist and will become one of the most important question for the working class movements, as it will unfold. PPP is more interested in the issues of working class. They are more interested to come to power with the help of American Imperialism and military Generals. They are not ready to denounce the free market economic policies, because they will implement these policies when they will come to power, as they did in the past two occasions. The workers has learned through the struggle that which political forces are really with
Them during the struggle. Only the left showed practical solidarity with striking workers.
6- This struggle also showed that even a small force can played a key role in the struggles with correct ideas, tactics and strategy. The role SMP(CWI in Pakistan) played in this struggle is an important example. SMP has small forces with limited resources, but played key role to organize this strike and also played important role to form strategy and tactics for the strike. The solidarity campaign launched by SMP through TURCP had a huge impact on the final out come of this struggle. SMP was not sitting in the drawing rooms or in the party centre to gave out side advices and criticism, but involved in practical struggle to organize and strengthen the strike. The material produced by the SMP and TURCP had a great impact on the consciousness of the workers. This material gave them big help to take a solid stance against the privatization. The solidarity campaign forces the other unions and federations to come out in the support of telecom workers. This intervention made all the difference in the strike. The action committee leaders have accepted the role SMP and TURCP played in this important struggle.
7- The International campaign was vital in the success of this struggle. This international campaign again practically proved that workers internationalism is not a dream but is a reality and key question in workers movement. The International solidarity campaign organized by the CWI played very important role in this victory. The solidarity messages played the role of fresh blood for the strike. Every one is convinced that workers international solidarity and action is very important issue in the labor movement. International solidarity was a live expression of class solidarity on a world scale. The international solidarity force the government to not take military action against strikers. Government was forced to show restraints against strike.