WEDNESDAY, 01 MAY 2013

Today is May Day. Its history is the bitter, protracted struggle carried out by the working masses sacrificing their lives, shedding their blood and sweat and making boundless sacrifices to win an eight hour working day.

However, the world economic depression that has entangled the capitalist world is depriving the working masses even the rights they won in the past. It is under such an environment the working masses all over the world are commemorating the May Day today.

On this May Day, the working masses in Sri Lanka, with the leadership of the JVP, clasp their hands with the working masses throughout the world who are amassing their strength and sharpening their militancy to win rights capitalism is denying to them and to create a better future for all.

Under Mahinda Rajapaksa's pro-imperialist, capitalist regime Sri Lanka is confronted with a number of massive social, economic and political crises. The country is faced with a massive foreign exchange deficit. As such, the country is trapped in a foreign debt snare. The government that depends on loans by imperialist institutions such as the IMF has fallen to the level of begging more loans to pay the interest of loans already obtained. As a condition for such loans Sri Lanka rupee has been depreciated against foreign currency including the US dollar. Meanwhile, local industries, businesses, agriculture and services breakdown rapidly. Under these circumstances the government raises its income by levying heavy taxes and imposing heavy fines that are unbearable for the masses. Meanwhile, the government, without any sympathy, has burdened the masses with the losses at state institutions due to its own frauds, corruption and its wrong economic policies as well. The increase in electricity tariffs is the latest example. The masses have reached a state that they no longer could make the ends meet due to the rapidly increasing cost of living though their salaries and incomes do not increase.

Mahinda Rajapaksa regime, that has failed to protect sovereignty and dignity of Sri Lanka, has belittled the country especially before US imperialism and Indian hegemony; Imperialists have been given a leeway to interfere in the internal affairs of the country. This has created a risk of Sri Lanka becoming a prey for the imperialists.

Mahinda Rajapaksa regime that wrests democratic and human rights of the masses is systematically suppressing its opponents and those who do not tow their line, has unleashed government goons and is bringing the country and the masses under the yoke of Rajapaksa oligarchy.

The government that failed to fulfill basic needs of masses in the North and the East and establish national unity, equality and reconciliation is laying out an environment to strengthen communalism and separatism.

It continues to maintain a semi-military administration forced on the masses in the North and the East and in addition to stirring up communalism has begun aiding groups to kindle religious extremism throughout the country.

As Rajapaksa regime has been unable to provide the basic needs of the masses such as food, water, shelter, clothes, medicine, education employment etc social issues have escalated and crime has increased.

Unable to create an environment for the masses to live without fear or mistrust, Rajapaksa regime has failed to prevent crime and has dragged the country towards an abyss of immorality.

It is certain that UPFA led by pro-imperialist SLFP that has teamed up with IMF and other imperialist institutions to make the country bankrupt economically, politically socially and ethically, or the UNP and groups that flock for opportunistic needs would never be able to drag the country back from the precipice it has been pushed to. Sri Lanka could be liberated from the crises it is confronted with at present and from imperialist intervention only by the victory of the anti-imperialist and anti-capitalist struggle carried out by a broad anti-imperialist people’s movement. The working people in Sri Lanka led by its working class should take the lead in strengthening such a broad anti-imperialist people’s movement. This should be the resolution of the working people on this May Day.

The JVP invites the working masses, farmers, fisher-folk, women, youths, students, professionals, technologists, artistes, journalists, democrats, humanitarians and environmentalists to ideologically and organizationally rally around the anti-imperialist, anti-capitalist broad front that is already being created with the leadership of the JVP and to struggle until victory.

Down with imperialism – liberation for the people!

Down with capitalism – Victory for Socialism!

A May Day thought

Editorial-April 30, 2013

The International Workers’ Day is commemorated world over today. But, in this country May Day is the day of politicians who make use of workers as a cat’s paw to pull out political chestnuts out of the fire. All trade unions, save a few, are affiliated to political parties responsible for suppressing workers’ rights. Their show of servility on this day dedicated to the memory of labour leaders who laid down their lives for the workers’ cause is toe-curling, to say the least.

Today, there will be a number of political circuses with workers trailing and entertaining politicians who parade streets in colourful processions where hosannas are sung in their praise. Time was when overenthusiastic rank and file of trade unions affiliated to the late Mrs. Sirimavo Bandaranaike’s government (1970-77) marched in a state of inebriation shouting slogans such as ‘Methini apita kiyanawanam, seeni nethuwa the bonnam’ and ‘Methini apita kianawanam miriis nethuwa hodi kannam’—If Methini (Sirimavo) tells us, we will have tea without sugar and gravy without chilles! But, what really took the cake in those of scarcity when the transport of rice and the like were curbed was this: ‘Methini apita kiyanawanam haal nethuwa bath kannam’—If Methini tells us, we will have ‘cooked rice’ without rice grains! This shows how workers blinded by partisan politics hero-worship their political leaders and even dupe themselves into enjoying a Barmecide Feast.

The tradition continues. Hardly a day passes without a strike or a protest by trade unions against their long neglected grievances. But, some workers taking part in processions carry pictures of government leaders responsible for unleashing brute force on workers, causing death and injury, in a bid to ram an ill-conceived private sector pension scheme down their throats and ordering a ruthless crackdown on fishermen crying out for a fuel subsidy. Some of these workers even stoop to the level of gyrating on the streets and chanting pro-government slogans with gusto shamelessly in return for meals and rotgut in May Day rallies. Only a few trade unions remain truly independent and others offer their services as palanquin bearers to the Opposition politicians responsible for sacking over 50,000 workers for demanding a daily pay hike of ten rupees in 1980s.

Trade unions cannot operate in a watertight compartment devoid of all-pervasive politics and its corrupt influence. But, the heavy dependency of most of them on politicians to look after their interests has prevented the trade union movement from evolving as a formidable force. The polticisation of their agendas has been at the expense of their unity.

Burke—some believe it was Carlyle—called the Press the Fourth Estate, but Churchill thought it was the trade unions that deserved the catchy epithet because of their power and influence. But, trade unions in this country have degraded themselves over the years. When some workers’ unions opposed a pay hike parliamentarians granted themselves way back in 2006, while welcoming their position we urged them to turn the search light inwards. They have been doing basically two things—putting forth demands and resorting to trade union to win them. We posed the following questions to them: Do they ever inspire/pressure their members to step up national productivity? In what way, have they cooperated with their employers to develop the institutions on which they are dependent for a living? What action do they take against errant members who have become confirmed freeloaders? Are they aware that in other countries trade unions take pay cuts during crises and consider it their duty to take action against their members in the wrong?

The time has come for workers to wean themselves from wily politicians masquerading as liberators and question their leaders with political agendas. The need has long been felt in this country for a truly workers’ May Day.