Forging New Alliances

The university teachers (FUTA)  joining the recent demonstration held by the school teachers in Colombo, was a very good development. The union leadership has to congratulated for building such solidarity. Normally we are used to fight our own battles in isolation.

In the present circumstances, such struggles are doomed to fail. Let the workers, peasants and fishermen search and identify areas where all can join and forge a common struggle. 

In view of that a new understanding of the 'oppressed class' is required. In the past, we understood only the factory workers or peasants are oppressed. The policies of the neo-liberalism and market economy has had its influence not only on the field of education but also on several other fields such as health, social welfare, agriculture and fisheries and so on. The peasants and fishermen have been affected by land grab in the name of tourism. 

Thus, today it looks that all except the politicians have fallen into the oppressed class. Not only the workers, peasants but also the doctors, university teachers, school teachers all belonged to the oppressed category.

The percentage of allocations in the national budget for the welfare of workers, fisheries and agriculture ought to be raised and the allocations for defense ought to be reduced in this post war era.

An enlightened leadership such as FUTA or teachers' unions need to take the initiative to forge an alliance of these oppressed people which can act as a counter force and resist the market policies or neoliberal policies currently being carried out by the present regime or even by the one that would come next.