Sri Lanka's Marxist party Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) says the people in the country have a responsibility to join a broad struggle to win rights.
JVP politburo member and head of the National Trade Union Center (NTUC), K.D. Lalkantha said that while a broad programme with common causes has to be identified, people also have a responsibility to join in these struggles.
"We have continued our struggle and have given leadership to such struggles. The people also have a responsibility to join in these struggles," he noted.
He explained that people cannot just wait expecting someone else to fight their battles.
"We can give the leadership like we have been doing all this while, but the people also need to support the struggles. We can now point a finger at the people because they are also responsible for the current situation. It is their silence that has led to this situation," Lalkantha said.
"When we carried out struggles to win the rights of the working masses, some people even ridiculed us and spoke against us. Today, they have understood their mistake. People need to at least at this late stage come out and support," he added.
Speaking of some of the common areas that a joint front could struggle, Lalkantha said that everyone could agree on a fair salary for the public sector, increase in the minimum salary of the private sector, a pension scheme for the private sector, lands for estate sector workers, gazetting of the cost of living index and a 6 percent budgetary allocation for the education sector, etc.
"However, there are much broader areas as well like media freedom. Our messages would not go out if there's no media freedom, it is therefore essential. There is also the issue of judicial independence. This issue has affected badly on many efforts of the trade unions. The independent commissions also need to be established. All these issues could be taken into account," he said.
He explained that the NTUC and other trade unions have agreed in principle to the need to form a broad front to fight for common demands and trade unions that have worked on diverse views have discussed on the need to form a broad coalition to fight for common causes.
"This is a positive sign. The JSS and trade unions affiliated to it have discussed of a joint trade union action with the JVP. No one would have earlier believed such a situation could take place. Nevertheless, it has happened," Lalkantha said.
A programme is currently being drawn up for the purpose and is to be made public after the May Day, he said.
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Wednesday 1 May 2013
Union leader of Sri Lanka Marxist party calls on public to join the struggle to win rights
Sri Lanka's Marxist party Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) says the people in the country have a responsibility to join a broad struggle to win rights.
JVP politburo member and head of the National Trade Union Center (NTUC), K.D. Lalkantha said that while a broad programme with common causes has to be identified, people also have a responsibility to join in these struggles.
"We have continued our struggle and have given leadership to such struggles. The people also have a responsibility to join in these struggles," he noted.
He explained that people cannot just wait expecting someone else to fight their battles.
"We can give the leadership like we have been doing all this while, but the people also need to support the struggles. We can now point a finger at the people because they are also responsible for the current situation. It is their silence that has led to this situation," Lalkantha said.
"When we carried out struggles to win the rights of the working masses, some people even ridiculed us and spoke against us. Today, they have understood their mistake. People need to at least at this late stage come out and support," he added.
Speaking of some of the common areas that a joint front could struggle, Lalkantha said that everyone could agree on a fair salary for the public sector, increase in the minimum salary of the private sector, a pension scheme for the private sector, lands for estate sector workers, gazetting of the cost of living index and a 6 percent budgetary allocation for the education sector, etc.
"However, there are much broader areas as well like media freedom. Our messages would not go out if there's no media freedom, it is therefore essential. There is also the issue of judicial independence. This issue has affected badly on many efforts of the trade unions. The independent commissions also need to be established. All these issues could be taken into account," he said.
He explained that the NTUC and other trade unions have agreed in principle to the need to form a broad front to fight for common demands and trade unions that have worked on diverse views have discussed on the need to form a broad coalition to fight for common causes.
"This is a positive sign. The JSS and trade unions affiliated to it have discussed of a joint trade union action with the JVP. No one would have earlier believed such a situation could take place. Nevertheless, it has happened," Lalkantha said.
A programme is currently being drawn up for the purpose and is to be made public after the May Day, he said.
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