Report of the First Meeting
Indore (MP) India
18^th February 1999

The first meeting of the ISC – India held in the centally situated industrial city of Indore in the Meeting Hall of the Regional Workers’ Education Centre. The following members attended the meeting :

1. Shri Shyam Sindhu Yadava , President of Indore Mill Mazdoor Sangh (Texitle Labour Association) Representing Indian National Trade Union Congress (INTUC)
2. Shri KR Sankat, Joint Secretary All India Scavanzers Congress
3. Shri JM Shukul, Executive Director, All India Manufacturers Association, MP Branch Indore
4. Shri AK Jain, Regional Director, Workers Education Centre, CBWE, Indore
5. Shri LK Gaur, Regional Director, Central Board of Workers’ Education, New Delhi
6. Shri AL Bhargava, Secretary, MP Teachers’ Congress
7. Shri CL Yadva, Social Activist
8. Shri SN Solanki, Transmission Executive, Workers’ World Programme All India Radio Indore
9. Shri KK Sharma, Programme Executive, Workers’ Programme All India Radion, Indore
10. Shri NC Pant, President Mhow Bar Association, Lawyers’Forum Mhow
11. Shri Kamlesh Mishra, Journalist
12. Shri SC Khandelwal, President, Cantonment Board Employees Union
13. Shri AS Gharu, Trade Union Leader HMP
14. Dr. Usha Mahalati, Head, School of Economics, University of Indore
15. Shri TS Bhatia, Convenor City Trade Union Council
16. Shri KC Choudhary, Facilitator

Mr. Bhagwan Das Godane (BMS), Shri Mange Lal Joshi (INTUC), Shri GL Sharma, General Secretary Western Railway Employees Union and three others could not attend and apolised.

Facilitator Shri KC Choudhary welcomed the participants and explained the process and procedure and schedule of the ISC.

Thereafter, the round of introduction started. Each participant introduce himself, his union/organization, his role in organisation, the status of Trade Union Movement and expectations from the Study Circle.

Then, the facilitator gave a detailed account of the activities of IFWEA, ISC, and the IAEA. The participants also agreed to the following schedule of the forthcoming meetings of the ISC:

• March 01, 1999

• March 15, 1999

• March 30, 1999

• April 15, 1999

• April 22, 1999

It was decided to keep the timings from 11.00 A.M. - 1.00 P.M. to 2.00 P.M. – 4.30 P.M. from next meeting.

In the concluding sessions, the participants expressed their views and concern about the Globalisations and its impact on the Workers’ and their Unions.

The participants were of the view that India is big Country with a population of about 950 million people. The Industrialisation, automation and mechanisations have caused unemployment problem at very very big level. Apart from its dependence on agriculture the rural people are migrating to urban areas. Even in rural area, the problem of the unemployment is severe. Agricultural worker is not only low paid but under employed also. The mechanisation process in agriculture i.e. electric and disel moters for irrigation, introduction of tractors for sawing etc., Harvesters and Threshers for harvesting have caused loss of jobs to millions. The privatization of education institutions has also caused growth of private institutions who are causing exploitation of the educate and youth by paying only 25% of wages in compare to their counter parts getting in Govt. jobs.

The Group felt with new economic order of globalisation, privatisation, liberalisation, and SAP (Structural Adjustment Programmes) suggested by IMF, World Bank and other Financial Institutions, the economy is being effected. The group identify following main areas in which TNCs have entered are likely to enter shortly :

1. AGRICULTURE : Seeds, insecticides, pesticides etc.
2. AUTOMOBILES : Daewoo, Ford, Mitibushi, Mazda, Honda etc
3. FOOD , FASTFOOD, FOOD PROCESSING : McDonald, Pepsi, Nestle, Cantucky, etc.
4. ELECTRONICS : Samsung, LG, Thomson, Phillips, BPL Sanyo, Canon etc.
5. ENERGY : Electircity, Generation – Emron
6. MEDIA : Star, BBC, CNN, ATN etc.
7. CONSTRUCTION : Korean Corporation in field of road construction.
8. BANKING : City Bank, American Express, Hongkong Bank, Deutche etc.
9. COMMUNICATION

However, the group felt that the country has made considerable progress and growth in Agriculture and Industrial Sectors as well as Science and Technology. The entry of TNCs have not made any significant loss or effect so far, but the TNCs are still a challenge.

The Country has its own indigenous resource and only in some case we need the know how or the Technology only.

The meeting ended with a vote of thanks to IFWEA, ISC International & Regional Facilitators for organising ISC at Indore and hoped that the deliberation in forthcoming meetings will be rich and fruitfull.

KC Choudhary
Facilitator

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