On Withdrawal of BALCO Strike

Date: 
Thursday, May 10, 2001

Press Statement

The Polit Bureau of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) has issued the following statement:

On BALCO Struggle

The Polit Bureau of the CPI(M) congratulates the 7000 workers of Balco who conducted a 67-day historic strike. A remarkable unity was achieved by the workers involving the entire trade union movement in the plant in opposing the clandestine deal of the NDA government to handover 51 per cent of the equity of the premier public sector undertaking on a platter to Sterlite company. This company has been blacklisted by the SEBI and asked not to undertake any transactions in the stock market.

Despite facing hardships and the divisive machinations of the Sterlite company, the workers remained firm for such a long time and did not succumb to the pressure of the BJP-led central government.

The Polit Bureau appreciates the warm solidarity received by the Balco workers from all over India from workers of all affiliations which clearly expresses the determination of the Indian working class to oppose the policy of privatisation. Despite united opposition by the entire TU movement to this anti-national privatisation deal, the NDA government is nonchalantly pursuing the policy of privatisation to please the World Bank and the IMF.

Though the strike has been called off without thwarting the privatisation by the BJP government, the working class movement must carry forward the struggle to oppose privatisation measures which are in the offing so that the NDA is not allowed to continue its harmful policies of dismantling of public sector.