Editorial
Call of May-Day: Fight to End the Rule by Capital
The workers throughout the world are observing,
the international workers day May-Day-pledging to act
from the inspiration drawn by them from the 1886
incident of May to realize their demands by waging
struggles against capitalist system.This is the
occasion to the workers to review their conditions.
Such a review of their conditions is more pertinent in
this present day epoch of imperialist globalization
dictated by capitalist neo-liberal economic policies
which claim to bring about economic growth throughout
the globe besides bettering well being of the people of
the world and which boast that the capitalist system
is the best system and that there is no alternative to
it..
Ever Increasing Poverty and Inequality:
According to the very recent report of the World-
Bank (April 2013), there are still 1.2 billion people living
in extreme poverty. One-fifth of the world populations
are below poverty line. While three decades ago there
were only 205 million poor in sub-Saharan Africa, today
their number is more than doubled to 414 million. In
such a way poverty is spreading like a wild-fire
throughout the world not only in under developed world,
but also in developing as well developed countries.
The living standards of the people are constantly been
declining. More than 16% of the world population is
suffering due to lack of nutritious food. Millions of people
are living in slums. Due to ever rising of prices of food
items and essential commodities, people are unable
to obtain food and forced to suffer with hunger.
Inequality is on the rampage.
Rising Un-employment:
It is estimated by IMF that there are already more
than 200 million people throughout the world and that
many more millions of unemployed are adding to this
figure every year. About 900 million people remained
vulnerable, to be thrown back into poverty. While there
are 73.8 million are the unemployed young people, one
fourth of them belong to the advanced world.
Even in developed countries like USA and Japan
the unemployment is increasing day by day. The present
day rate of unemployment is estimated to be around 8.2%.
With the recent indiscriminate layoffs and job cuts being
imposed by the employers of the corporate houses like
Google, H.P., City group, AMR corporation, PepsiCo,
MetLife, J.C.Pemy Co., P&G, Morgan Stanley etc, the
rate of unemployment in USA is increasing constantly.
On the other hand with the budget-cuts, the rate of
employment in governmental jobs is decreasing. The US
government’s systematic reduction of the unemployment
benefits and allowances is increasing the poverty. Job
cuts in the manufacturing sector and government sector
has become the order of the day. Most of the unemployed
in USA are between the ages to 17 to 25 years. In the
Euro zone countries the rate of unemployment is
increasing abnormally, particularly in the South European
countries. Closure of industries in Germany, France etc
is a cause for increasing unemployment rate in these
countries. In Spain, the unemployment rate raised to
25%. In Portugal, Hungary and Greece the unemployment
rose to almost 26.8%. Every month 88,000 is becoming
unemployed in Euro zone countries. There are more than
10,000,000 unemployed in Euro zone, for the past six
months there were 10,00,000 job cuts in the Euro zone
countries. In U.K. 3,500,000 are unemployed. Same is
the case in Germany and France.
In Australia too job cuts in the Govt. sector are being
imposed. Compulsory retirement is forced upon the
employees.
In the developing and un-developing countries the
unemployment rate is far worse, throwing the workers in
to perpetual poverty.
Cuts in wages and other Benefits:
Though the productivity had increased by 200%,
the wages of the workers are being reduced at an
exorbitant rate, by way of wage cuts, pension cuts,
medical benefit cuts etc. Minimum wages are being
kept a very low rate far below the rates of the past few
decades.
In USA, while corporate CEO’s are enjoying
abnormal pay & income with many a perks, the wage
value of industrial workers is decreasing day by day.
The present rate of minimum wage in USA per an hour
is $7.26. This wage is far below the level of 1960. The
value of the present day rate of minimum wage has
fallen behind the inflationary rate for the past 4 decades.
The famous Detroit Trio, viz. Ford, General Motors and
Chrysler, recently made wage agreement with the United
Auto Workers; (UAW) according to which the new
workers will be paid with only 50% of the wages paid
to the long-time workers, but the new workers have to
work on par with the long-time workers. Such has been
the situation of payment of wages in USA. The women
workers, workers belonging to black and Hispanic races,
migrant workers from Mexico and other countries are
paid still lesser wages than that of the white American
workers.
In Euro Zone countries in the name of Austerity
measures, in Spain, Greece, and Hungary 30-35-40%
of wage cuts are imposed. Cuts in pensions and health
care benefits are imposed. The Euro zone countries
with a tradition of social protection are today ruthlessly
imposing wage cuts, cuts on health and retirement
benefits.
With these job cuts, benefit cuts and wage cuts,
the purchasing power of the workers is decreasing
making them unable to pay their bills and house rents
due to which more and more workers are becoming
home-less every day. They are being reduced in to
paupers. In USA unemployed workers are subjected to
drug trials. Children of the poor are separating from
their parents. Homeless camps are being crowded. More
and more workers are applying for unemployment
allowances and benefits. In the countries of Euro zone
particularly in Spain and Greece workers being judicially
evicted from their home since they failed to pay their
house rent dues. Suicides of the middle-class and poor
are on the increase. In UK many unemployed are
become junkies (drug addicts) and they are occupying
cemeteries since they are homeless.
In China, the MNCs are ruthlessly exploiting labour
in their pursuit of super profits. Wage dues (unpaid
wages to workers) for months altogether is common
feature in China, due to which workers are becoming
desperate are resorting to violence against their
employers very often.
Ever-Increasing Work Load:
In the name of raising productivity, cutting costs
and readying for competitiveness workers are being
burdened with more and more work-loads in the name
of work targets, production targets. Two types of
imposing more work load in workers is being adopted.
One method is to raise work targets within 8 hours of
work day. Another is increasing 8-hrs work day to 10-
12 hours work day or making workers to work for extra
time forcibly without paying extra wages. Thus the
employers are making every effort to defeat the spirit
essence and intention of the 8-hrs work day, demand
of May Day.
Technology Advancement
A bane to the workers:
It is being touted by the advocates of the virtues of
the capitalist system that we are living in an era of highly
advanced technology that is bringing about affluence,
prosperity and well-being of the people of the world.
But in practice the highest technology advance
achieved by the capitalist system is serving the interests
of the capitalist-class in fetching its super-surplus,
dehumanizing and degrading the dignity of work and
degrading conditions of the worker.
In fact the technological advancement shall bring
about a rise in the living standards of ordinary people
and workers; Decrease work hours, decrease
unemployment and create more employment. Make it
possible to the workers and common people to lead
healthy lives. But the technology advancement under
the owner-ship of capitalist-class and rule by capitalist
is spreading poverty and misery among the common
people and workers. The advancement of technology is
leading to job cuts and unemployment.
Due to the advancement of technology yearly 5-
10 million are losing jobs. By using robots and other
machinery of automation, the employers are cutting
costs, by way of reducing their costs of wages, even in
the countries like China were cheapest labour is
available, to gain super-profits.
For ex:
In China
The Great Wall Motors factory is
engaging, 50,000 workers. This factory is a manufacturer
for Volkswagen and Audi motor corporations. Now it is
planning to introduce Swiss robots to cut costs, in the
wake of rising cost of raw materials and rising wages.
In Netherlands:
At the Philips electronics factory, at
Dracheten 128 robots are being used to do the work of
assembling electronic shavers. Whereas at Zuhai
factory in China hundreds of skilled workers doing the
same job. Thus at Netherlands factory, 9/10 of the work
force is reduced with automation.
In USA:
C&S wholesale Grocers, America’s largest
Grocery distribution is using robot technology to cut
its cost of wages.
In California:
Earth bound farms California uses robots
to place containers of organic lettuce in shipping boxes.
In Fox Conn factory in China which manufactures Ipads,
I. phones to Apple co etc, has prepared a plan to
use robots in all its giant factories to cut the cost of
wages and avoid labour problems.

