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The Statesman: Wages Of Trade Unionism

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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...
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Prices touch new high in Bhopal

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NK SINGH



Perhaps never since the Second World War, the extraоdinary 'slack' year of 1966-67 interluding in-between, the prices had gone up so rapidly in the history of Bhopal as in the year 1973.


The consumers' price index for Bhopal, which went up from 100 in 1960 (base year) to 199 in 1972, showed a startling rising tendency this year. It shot from 212 in January to 257 in October, and if the persistent trend is any indication, it must have galloped to 270 by now, a rise of about 60 points.


Prices of all the essential commodities, especially cereals, pulses, edible oils condiments and spices, showed an alarming increase, most of them shooting up by 50 to 60 per cent as compared to the previous year. Fuel touched an all-time high, and firewood went up by as much as from Rs. 10 to about Rs. 22 per quintal. 


Scarcity


On top of all this, there was a persistent scarcity of many essential commodities throughout the year. baby food, ghee, Bread, suji and maida were not available for quite some time and there is an acute scarcity of cooking gas, vanaspati, pasteurised butter and whole milk at present.


A study of the cost of living index for the Bhopal industrial workers as well as the non-manual speaks volumes of employees' punctuation in the economy. The industrial workers' index was 100 in the base year of 1960, 108 in 61, 112 in 62, 115 in 63 129 in 64, 138 in 65, 155 on 66, 183 in 67, 179 in 68, 181 in 69, 188 in 70, 194 in 71 and 199 in 72. Babus' index for the corresponding year moved 1rom 107 to 111, 113, 125, 131, 141, 162, 165, 170, 178, 185, and 208. 


It may be observed that from the base year of 1960 to 1972, the period proved worst 66-67 for the poor consumer, with the index going up by 18 points. This period is regarded as a 15 extremely 'stack' one, large scale draughts making a mess of our agriculture-based economy.


However, the way prices galloped in 1973, has no parallel. The industrial workers' index, which stood at 212 in January, went up to 213 in February, 216 in March, 218 in April, 223 in May, 224 in June, 243 in July, 249 in August, 253 in September 257 in October. 


Foodgrains


The non-manual employees index kept pace with this growth and went up from 208 in January to 253 in July. As compared to the previous year, cereals, including coarse grains, shot up by 25 to 55 per cent, wheat going up by as much as 60 per cent. 


Wheat (Sarbati) showed a spectacular rise (60 per cent) going up from Rs. 1 per ka in December last to Rs. 1.20 in January, Rs. 1.35 in August and now it is around Rs 1.50-60. Pissi wheat was 90 paise per kg in December, Rs. 1.10 in January, 1.15 in July, 1.25 in August and finally Ks. 1.40 in December.


Among coarse grains, maize prices rose by about 55 per cent. It was 80 paise per kg in December, 90 in January, 95 in March, Rs. 1.15 in July, Rs. 1.30 in August and Rs. 1.25 in December. Jowar prices increased by about 30 per cent: 95 paise in December, 1.05 in August, 1.20 in October and finally Rs. 1,25 at present.


Poha marked an increase of about 25 per cent, and that too in the not-too-recent past. It was Rs. 2 per kg in October, went up to Rs. 2.25 in November and Rs. 2.50 in December.


During the last year, pulses have become a luxury item on the man-in-the-street. The price of gram pulse increased by about 60 per cent, from 1.75 in December last to Rs. 1.80 in May, 1.90 in June, Rs. 2.10 in July, 2.40 in August, Rs. 2.50 Rs. in September and now it is 2.75.


Though Arhar has shown only a marginal increase compared to the last year from 2.30 to 2.35 -it had gone up by 2.60 in March. Masur prices also increased by only 20 paise-from 2.10 to 2.30. However, Moong (split) has gone up by 55 per cent, from 2.80 in December to Rs. 3.00 in March, 4.20 in July and now it is around Rs. 3.25.


Besan 100 marked an increase of about 55 per cent, from 1.80 per kg in December to 1.90 in Maren, 2.00 in June, Rs. 2.40 m September and Rs. 2.80 at present.


The prices of oils and fats too marked a big increase. Mustard prices rose by 40 per cent, from Rs. 6 per Kg in December to 6.40 in January, 6.80 in March and 8.25 at present. Groundnut oil, which was Rs. 5 per kg last year, is Rs. 7 now. It had shot up to 9.75 in September.


Til oil went by 60 per cent from 5.30 on December 10 5.50 in January, 6.00 in March, 6.50 in May, 7.50 in June, 8.50 in August and now 8.20. Coconut oil shot up by 50 per cent, from 7.00 in December to 7.70 in February. 7.75 last march, 7.80 in April, 9.50 in May, 10.40 in July, 11.00 in August and 11.50 at present. Vanaspau prices shot up by 40 per cent, from 6.40 in December last το 6.50 in January, 6.70 in March, 7.00 in April, 7.40 in June and 8.50 in July. 


Hitavada 

February 14, 1973





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