Opinion January 8, 1982, Forty Years Ago: Unions On ESMA

The national campaign committee of trade unions has categorically told the government that it would consider postponement of the January 19 country wide general strike only if the government agreed to repeal the Essential Services Maintenance Act (ESMA). After a hurriedly convened meeting following their talks with the Union Labour Minister N D Tiwari, the committee issued a statement setting conditions for a positive response to the Minister’s appeal to them to cancel or defer the strike in the interest of the national economy. The statement said the national campaign committee had considered the Labour Minister’s appeal to withdraw or postpone the January 19 industrial general strike decision. The trade union leaders said that they were prepared to relegate 12 of the 13 demands for negotiation in the interests of avoiding a confrontation if the government was prepared to repeal ESMA.

Bengal Polls

The Election Commission is examining the West Bengal government’s plea for holding elections to the state legislative assembly by March 13, three months before the expiry of its five-year term. Official sources say that the commission may have no choice but to accede to the demand. The request of a CM who has a clear majority is legally and constitutionally valid.

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Cong (S) Moves

The Congress (S) decided to go in for programmatic unity with the Lok Dal and Janata. Most of the members of the party’s working committee were against a formal union with these parties.

Solidarity Strike

A senior member of Poland’s Solidarity Union,  Zbigniew Janas, has asked workers to make secret plans for a strike.