Where are workers?

Wednesday 1st May, 2024

Another International Workers’ Day has dawned. Grand preparations have been made in this country to celebrate it amidst an unprecedented economic crisis. These celebrations, however, have little or nothing to do with workers; they have apparently everything to do with political parties and their leaders. The next presidential election is only a few months away, and therefore we will see a lot of political muscle flexing today, with the prospective candidates bringing as many supporters as possible to Colombo from all parts of the country to attract media attention.

Given the despicable manner in which Sri Lankan politicians use workers to gain political mileage on the pretext of championing the rights of the working class, one wonders whether Sri Lanka should have a separate workers’ day on 21 March, when the World Puppetry Day falls. We hold workers in high esteem and intend no affront to them, but it needs to be said that the spectacle we behold on 01 May, year in year out, is a grand puppet show. Worryingly, workers do not care to assert themselves at least on May Day, much less eclipse politicians. They are not ashamed of making a public display of their servility to their political masters.

All political parties that stand accused of having suppressed labour rights have trade union wings, which have workers on a string. The UNP ruthlessly crushed a general strike in 1980. It resorted to mass sackings, and about 50,000 strikers were terminated overnight for demanding a pay hike. Dozens of those unfortunate men and women took their own lives. It is also celebrating the International Labour Day, with its trade unionists carrying its leaders on the shoulders and singing hosannas. The SLPP, whose leaders have the blood of workers on their hands and bankrupted the economy, causing many job losses, and reducing millions of people to penury, is also celebrating the International Workers’ Day! The same goes for the SLFP, which left the 1980 strikers in the lurch after they lost their jobs, and became part of the incumbent dispensation. The JVP, which murdered many trade union leaders and workers for opposing its terror campaign in the late 1980s, now claims to be the greatest protector of workers’ rights. It unflinchingly betrayed workers in 1980 by pulling out of that year’s general strike at the eleventh hour; in doing so, it demoralised the protesting workers beyond measure and emboldened the J. R. Jayewardene government to crush the strike. It is also celebrating the International Workers’ Day today. Time was when the traditional left was at the forefront of struggles to win workers’ rights, but unfortunately it has been in the SLFP-led governments responsible for gross violations of labour rights.

It may not be fair to say workers have not gained anything, at all, under successive governments. There are some progressive labour laws and workers’ welfare schemes. But workers would not have been in the current predicament if those governments had worked with their interests at heart. Workers are struggling for survival because all governments since 1977 have aggravated the country’s debt burden, which led to the current crisis precipitated by the Gotabaya Rajapaksa government.

Trade unions in Sri Lanka have earned notoriety for overstepping their limits, and some of their leaders have strayed into active politics at the expense of their members’ interests. Several trade unions were among those who misled President Gotabaya Rajapaksa and contributed to the ruination of the economy. It was at their behest that he plunged head first into a disastrous experiment with organic farming.

It is time Sri Lankan workers, especially their trade union leaders, abandoned the practice of helping further the interests of politicians on May Day, and realised the need to liberate themselves from the clutches of political parties. Let that be their May Day resolution.