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In a statement, the party Politburo said, "CPI(M) firmly stands for the right to strike by the working class as a fundamental right."
The CPI(M) said it consistently supported country-wide general strikes called by various trade unions against the neo-liberal policies of the Central government and other urgent issues of the working class and toiling people.
The statement came in the backdrop of Bhattachajee's remarks in Kolkata that he would speak out against bandhs even though his party supported this mode of protest.
Other Left parties - CPI, RSP and Forward Bloc – and trade unions had earlier taken strong exceptions to the CPI(M) leader's remarks against bandhs saying it is a democratic mode of protest and that they are not ready to forego the right to dissent.
Kerala Chief Minister and Bhattacharjee's party colleague V S Achuthanandan resented the anti-bandh remarks.
"I don't think he had expressed such an opinion. If he had said so, then it was wrong," Achuthanandan had said on Wednesday.
West Bengal CITU General Secretary Kali Ghosh said that Bhattacharjee's remarks were his personal opinion and that "we believe workers will resort to strike as long as capitalism and exploitation are there".
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The claim that Organized trade unions have a right to strike is acceptable provided they fully accept the responsibility for the disruption of normal life. The organization calling for the strike must provide compensation for any damage or loss of property. It is this 'right' without any responsibility that should not be allowed to perpetuate. This situation is making our constitution irrelevant and violating the fundamental rights of majority of the people. In effect they are balckmailing the citizens, daring them to come out in the streets. Citizens do not want to take any risk to life and property,therefore all strikes or bandhs are huge successes.Somebody must research and publish the cost of such useless bandhs to Indian economy for the last 20 years. The CPM has been enjoying power without responsibility. How long can they continue to fool the people?
Communists grabbed power by resorting to strikes,bandhs,gheraos with the help of with their minion trade unions, subjecting ordinary citizens to untold sufferings.Having grabbed power, they want to coninue their earlier nefarious activities as rulers too. This is height of madness for irresponsible power which cannot be tolerated in a civilised democratic society.Communists are born agitators and dictators .They are unfit to participate in any democratic process.Their slip is showing.Better we do away with them in next elections.
Jyoti Basu as CM and leader of CPM in WB singlehandedly destroyed the state. The best thing that could have happened to WB was his retirement. WB was looking up due to steps taken by Buddhadev. But we can rely on CPM to oppose anything constructive - be it by Congress or BJP or by their own leaders. Right to strike is not exactly what they want. They want power to create trouble, nuisance and panic, so that they can blackmail people into paying hefty sum for buying peace. Unfortunately, in WB, everybody is a comrade - be it a policeman or a builder/promoter or a businessman or a teacher/proffessor or a Govt. employee or a student. CPM is law in WB. Only they can give you right to live or build your home or run your business in WB. Alas, Mamatadi also is caught in her web while paying it back to CPM by their own coin.Alas, common man in WB, you have nobody to speak for you other than R. K. Laxman.