NK'S POST

NK SINGH The current labour trouble in the Delhi office of The Statesman has more than meets the eye. On the surface, it seems to be a simple case of labour-management scuffle plus intra-union rivalry. A closer look, however, shows that it is an instance of the rapprochement between the government and the industrial owners of newspapers- Tatas, Martin Burn and Andrew Yule in this case at the top and the understanding between the management and the unscrupulous labour leaders the CPI in this case at the level of labour relations. Further, it symbolises the wages of trade unionism. The entire concept of trade unionism has changed recently instead of fulfilling the dual role of providing temporary relief to workers and intensifying the class struggle it has become a tool in the hands of the exploiting classes for disrupting the solidarity of the working classes and diverting their struggle towards petty economic gains.  Consequently, a whole class of unscrupulous labour Meaders has, o...