Posted by
Krishna Neupane on Friday, May 18, 2007 3:39:41 AM
It is evident that in Nepal there has been reemergence of
the Communists. Trade Unionization is
being kept as the forerunner to curtail economic activities.
I had been able to publish letters to editor
in a leading English Daily ‘The Kathmandu Post’ in May 1, 2007.
My letters were republished by http://toledotattler.blogspot.com/2007/05/letter-to-editor-in-nepal.html
Letters to the editor (The Kathmandu Post, May 17, www.ekantipur.com)
Trade-union terror
This is in reference to the news "Casino Royal Closed" and
editorial "Education strike" (May 15). Of course, there are the
problems in operation of the organizations but the trade-union terror is
complicating things. Demands of the teachers and the Casino employees are
totally irrelevant in a sense that they have affected life of the general
public.
It has to be understood that these are not the issues related to general
employees but the politicization. These kinds of trade unionism are creating an
environment for capital flight, unemployment, and volatile market.
It is not the duty of the trade union to define the rights of people working
in any organization. An individual should be able to compete. Collective
thinking is the major problem. Trade-unionism has limited the new job seekers
finding newer avenues. I am not against people's inalienable rights of
assembly, but the forceful participation equally inhibits the free
participation.
The case is interesting. For instance, hundreds of employees are losing jobs
in the name of collective rights. This indicates that to fulfill any sort of
demands people can padlock the organization. This is a form of psychological
terrorism to fulfill illogical demands.
The trade unions operate with their certain interests. It is not the welfare
of the general employee trade unions wants; what they want is welfare of the
leaders working on it and the mother political parties. Trade unions are always
corrupt in a sense that an illegitimate deal is likely out of such activity.
Leaders would be paid 'dark room lofty amounts' by entrepreneurs to stop these
activities which will not be trickled down to a general member. Trade union is
a distortion in the operation of the market activities. They restrict free
competition.
Subarna
Minbhawan, Kathmandu
http://kantipuronline.com/kolnews.php?&nid=108254
Celebrating May 1st?
This is in reference to the authoritarian activities of the Maoist trade
unions—for instance their attempt to disturb the NC's Birgunj mass meeting on
April 28. Such coercive means to restrict freedom of expression emanate only
from the rule of thumb of ultra-communists.
This indicates that the Maoist trade unions are against democracy and
freedom. Everybody knows people working on the public transportation come from
economically lowest class who barely make two square meals. And I think people
working down there are never aware of their rights, rather are indoctrinated. I
think they need more economic opportunities than other things.
Trade unions turn out to be rude and overtly irrational when they start
practicing coercive power. In Nepali context, they function as a mechanism
created to fulfill various illogical political demands. This is attained
through the 'dark-room' negotiation between the so-called trade unionists and
entrepreneurs. Entrepreneurs illicitly pay lofty amounts to the unionists,
which is used to further escalate the problem. Entrepreneur cannot escape this
'mouse trap' because s/he does not have choice and has to run the industry.
What is crippling is the fact that these trade unions aim at controlling
production of any industry. Indeed, where has trade unions been productive?
Maoist trade union's illogical restriction of the movement of the people is one
example. Otherwise, no one obstructs economic activities to fulfill political
goals.
The April 2006 movement elevated yet another day off on Nepal's
calendar, the Trade Union Holiday on May 1. But will it be relevant to
celebrate such a day amidst such bad representation?
Krishna Neupane
Minbhawan, Kathmandu
http://www.kantipuronline.com/kolnews.php?&nid=108254