World Socialist Internet Site. Kahatagaha miners in Sri Lanka must fight for socialist policies

Posted because of the Overseas Committee associated with International that is fourth)

Kahatagaha miners in Sri Lanka must fight for socialist policies

By Naveen Dewage
7 2020 february

Final thirty days, 130 employees in the Kahatagaha that is state-owned Graphite Limited (KGLL), hit for 3 days to need better pay and dealing conditions. They reluctantly decided to call the strike off after having a conversation using the industry ministry, labour division officials and business administration during the Kurunegala Labour workplace. State officials as well as the business promised to handle workers’ demands within 30 days.

The three-day walkout and hunger protest in the mine, that was held in defiance for the mine unions’ leadership, ended up being the very first commercial action in 2010 since President Gotabhaya Rajapakse stumbled on energy. It had been a definite indicator for the nature regarding the struggles in the future, the increasing radicalisation regarding the working course, in addition to quick split up of illusions within the government that is new.

The 2 unions during the mine are neighborhood branches associated with Nidahas Sevaka Sangamaya, which can be affiliated towards the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) this is certainly now giving support to the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP), while the Jathika Sevaka Sangamaya, a United National Party (UNP) union.

KGLL employees complain that the senior leaders of those unions ignore their needs. These unions, in fact, are notorious for opposing employees’ demands and acting as strikebreakers. Even though the mine workers have actually previously taken action over their harsh working conditions and needed better pay, they’ve been methodically dodged by the governments that are successive the help of the unions.

If the Sri Lankan government reopened the Kahatagaha graphite mine in 2006, as a result of its closing by way of a company that is private formerly managed it, employees had been compelled to sign an understanding they will never form trade unions. Presently the employees are compensated a meagre day-to-day danger allowance of just 20 rupees (US 11 cents) to operate 600 metres below the ground in Sri Lanka’s biggest and mine that is deepest.

In 2016, KGLL employees demanded a 400-rupee risk allowance that is daily. This is refused by handling of the company that is state-owned which introduced a 400- rupee day-to-day motivation allowance but as long as workers collectively online title loans achieved a month-to-month manufacturing target of 70 metric tonnes.

During last month’s strike, the us government officials promised that the mine employees’ demands—which included wage increments, reduced total of Saturday working hours, 21-days leave per 12 months and appropriate repayment of most other allowances—would be addressed by February 28. A day, as a “temporary” solution until then, the workers were given a pittance increment of 50 rupees.

The 50-rupee “temporary” solution is definitely an insult towards the KGLL employees that have perhaps perhaps not gotten a wage enhance since 2012 and would include simply 1,200 rupees for their month-to-month income.

The workers limited claims and their three-day attack and hunger protest delivered a surprise revolution through the federal government. Industry and Logistics Management Minister Wimal Weerawansa ominously told employees never to cause inconvenience that is“any towards the federal federal federal government. The ministry additionally imposed a news blackout, afraid that the hit might encourage other chapters of the working course to do something over their long-outstanding demands.

Among the KGLL workers’ main demands is the fact that they be brought underneath the Office and stores Act, rather than the current Wage Board Ordinance which presently determines their wages. This useless workout, which seeks an answer through the prevailing capitalist labour rules, will likely not win the mine employees’ battle for decent wages, working hours and conditions.

Within the last analysis, whichever labour law can be used, the settlement is supposed to be considering an understanding amongst the trade unions, that do not represent the employees, and mine management. Furthermore, this new Rajapakse federal federal government, like its predecessor, would like to impose brand new labour laws and regulations, claiming that the current arrangements are hampering foreign investment.

A 1,000-rupee daily wage and told students that he will address all of their welfare issues while slashing corporate taxes to lure investors, Rajapakse has promised the plantation workers. These “promises” are bogus and directed at hoodwinking the populace into the lead as much as an earlier general election.

Under conditions of decreasing economic development, the Rajapakse regime confronts a major monetary crisis—the product for the international financial downturn—and massive repayments on international and domestic loans.

As well, the Overseas Monetary Fund (IMF) is demanding that the financial deficit be paid down to 3.5 % of gross domestic item, this means slashing subsidies, enhancing the cost of basics, while the privatisation or commercialisation of state-owned corporations and divisions.

President Rajapakse recently reactivated the Strategic developing venture Act, first introduced by their cousin and previous President Mahinda Rajapakse. Under this work, international investors get income tax vacations all the way to 25 years along with other profit-boosting incentives.

Sri Lanka has some regarding the purest that is world’s therefore the federal government is particularly targeting the graphite industry for international investment.

A public company listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange, with the blessing of the government, began mining and exploration operations at Karasnagala in Sri Lanka’s Gampaha District on December 13, the Ceylon Graphite Corp. It desires to expand the amount of mines it presently runs in Sri Lanka from three to five this season.

Other operators are the Australia-based Bora Bora Resources business in addition to privatised Bogala Graphite Lanka, that is a subsidiary of Germany’s Graphite Kropfmuhl GmbH which includes other mining operations in Africa and Asia.

The government’s drive to attract more investors that are foreign see further moves to privatise KGLL. There clearly was an effort to privatise the business in 2016.

The IMF interest in more privatisation or commercialisation of state-owned enterprises would be to increase efficiency, slash jobs and drive up earnings.

President Rajapakse is being promoted by their political henchmen, the organization news additionally the pseudo-left as being unlike virtually any Sri Lanka president. He could be, they claim, some body available to dialogue with protesting employees and pupils. This really is a fraudulence.

Rajapakse’s feigned concern is a hopeless and manoeuvre that is temporary stop the eruption of the mass movement over jobs, residing costs along with other fundamental rights, that will jeopardize not merely their presidency but capitalist guideline all together. Employee unrest into the graphite mining, a business Colombo would like to start as much as increased foreign investor, has got to be prevented without exceptions.

Rajapakse, in reality, is collecting their forces when preparing to crush the increasing opposition that is social of, youth therefore the rural bad. For this reason he has got promoted extreme-right elements and army guys to the government that is key. Rajapakse’s ultimate aim is to possess constitution amended so he is able to establish an authoritarian regime supported by the army.

Rajapakse’s battle when it comes to presidency had been supported by Sri Lanka’s ruling elite have been afraid of, and determined to crush, the strikes and mass working class opposition that threw the Sirisena-Wickremasinghe federal federal government therefore the entire capitalist guideline into an emergency.

As President Rajapakse declared during their trip to Asia year that is last “For a nation to be governed successfully, you’ll need stability. … Without security, investors won’t come. ”

The Kahatagaha graphite miners—like other employees coming ahead to guard their social rights—confront not only mine administration but Colombo’s pro-investor policies, IMF-dictated austerity, the drive towards an authoritarian regime and, above all, the profit system that is outmoded. Workers cannot defend their jobs, boost their social conditions and protect their fundamental legal legal rights without challenging capitalism.

To be able to move forward workers need a brand new strategy that is political. Manufacturing and distribution must certanly be reorganised to benefit nearly all culture, maybe not the rich few. This could simply be accomplished through the nationalisation associated with major industries and enterprises—the large estates, the mining corporations, while the banking institutions—under the democratic control of the working course. This program that is socialist simply be implemented by bringing to energy a workers’ and peasants’ federal federal government within the battle for worldwide socialism.

The experiences of the Kahatagaha miners graphically demonstrate that the trade unions have become tools of the state and employers as in other workplaces.

Miners along with other employees must build action committees separately associated with unions and simply simply just take all decision-making in their hands that are own. Because they build these committees employees can unite with wider chapters of the working course in Sri Lanka and internationally. Sri Lankan mine employees are usually element of worldwide course brothers exploited by exact exact exact same corporations that are global.

The Socialist Equality Party urges the Kahatagaha mine employees to occupy this governmental challenge.

The writer additionally suggests:

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