South Asia Citizens Web

Some social scientists argue that the contemporary labour movements are in severe crisis. This crisis includes declining militancy, falling union densities, shrinking wages and benefits, and declining overall working conditions. Some common sources of these crucial problems in the era of globalisation are hyper mobility of capital creating a race to the bottom among nations; decline of state sovereignty, especially in the third world, undermining traditional associational bargaining power and welfare of the workers; and the new work organisation and technology, representing flexibilisation, creating a vast number of part-time, and/or contingent workers.

We are shocked at the government’s sheer insensitivity in announcing on the 25th anniversary of the Chernobyl catastrophe that it is going ahead with the Jaitapur nuclear power project.

The indefinite dharna (sit in) by the contract workers of HOLCIM-ACC at Bhilai completes four weeks on 30th April 2011. We are circulating an update on the situation there.

The recent passing away of Sathya Sai Baba - a self-proclaimed god and among India’s most recognisable godmen - marks the end of one of the most remarkable personalities of post-independence India. He was, by far, the most well known and popular of India’s godmen and his influence straddled linguistic, regional, religious, class and caste divisions.
His death has also opened up questions about the role of such religious leaders in our social and political life. It also, again, foregrounds the extent to which superstition and irrationality remain pervasive in our society, especially among those who are called “well-educated” and occupy leading positions in public life.

We are here, all of us, because like many others in this country we are concerned about the rampant corruption that is hollowing out the institutions of our democracy. Twenty years ago, when the era of “liberalisation, privatisation and globalisation” descended on us, we were told that public sector units and public infrastructure needed to be privatised because they were corrupt and inefficient.