TOILING FOR JUTE BAROiNS 75 the grass-root level. Jute millworkers have been carrying on struggles unceasingly for the last year and a half. In no circumstances have they bowed their heads., abandoning their class interests. They have fought^ lost and fought again. They have refused to obey the unjust orders of the employers and the government. Retrenchment, layoff, lockout., increase in workload^ and withdrawal of workers5 rights gained in the course of bitter struggles., all these go on apace. Government has stood by the monopolist owners. The gains "yvon in the period 1969-1972 have been forcibly robbed from the workers which they have not been able yet to win back. The biggest weapon in the hands of the employers and the government is of course disunity among the workers. A section of the trade unions is supporting the government and exchanging pleasantries with the employers in the apex body, while attacks are being mounted on the working people, the workload is increasing, and 1.5 lakh workers face redundancy. In April 1976 five leftist central trade unions gave a call for a united deputation to the government asking for fulfilment of the workers' pressing demands and the withdrawal of the Emergency. In the teeth of the anti-worker and anti-people Emergency backed by the whole might of the bourgeois-landlord state^ members of the INTUC unions signed the memorandum and joined the depuation in thousands. These workers,, defying all bans,, and despite their leaders, openly raised the slogan that the Emergency was a weapon in the hands of the bosses to carry out a series of uprecedented attacks. This inspiring demonstration of faith of the masses of workers in the path of unity and struggle and their exemplary courage are a pointer to the way ahead. Trade union leaders working in the jute industry should follow this path with the same confidence which rank-and-file workers display. KAMAL SARKAR 1 Satyajug, translated from the Bengali. 2 Blitz, 15 May 1976. s Statesman, 20 April 1976. 4 Business Standard, 26 April 1976. 5 Jute Chronicle, 5th issue, 1976.