Workers all over the world are losing their rights to social security and other benefits from the state due to globalisation, growing privatisation and deregulation, noted socialist, editor of the Asian Marxist Review and international secretary of the Pakistan Trade Union Defence Campaign, Dr Lal Khan said on Monday. “A socialist revolution led by the working class presents the only solution to the current political, economic and social crises,” he said during a lecture on “Labour Rights in the Era of Global Capitalism”, organised by the Pakistan Institute of Labour Education and Research (PILER) on Monday. “We can see social unrest in Europe, America and the Arab world, where people are protesting social injustices and demanding their rights,” he said, noting that a number of European countries advocating capitalism are undergoing political turmoil too. There are mass protests and strikes in a number of states in the US as well. “The recent rise against the injustices of the capitalist system started in Latin America and the wave of discontent and protests spread to European countries including, France, Greece and Germany,” he said.
“Tunisia’s revolution started because of the unrest in France. It then spread to Egypt, Syria, Yemen, Jordan and other Arab countries. All movements succeeded after receiving the backing and the strength of the working class, especially the trade unions,” he added.According to Dr Khan, capitalism has destroyed the social fabric of all societies across the world. In many countries, particularly the Scandinavian states, working class is losing their social benefits because the states remain in total control of the capitalists.
“Presently, out of six billion people in the world, around five billion are living below the poverty line. One hundred and ninety three multinational companies are controlling the economy of the world. Capitalism not only focuses on profit, it advocates increase in rate of profit. If the rate of profit does not go up in a particular year, they term it a deficit. Every year eight to nine million children die only because of hunger,” he said. “The capitalist system is based on credit financing with investment being capital-intensive in nature. In the past, an investment resulted in the establishment of an industry, promoted production, and created employment opportunities. Today, the role of investment has changed. If an investment is made, it is not creating any new jobs. New technology is not labour-intensive. It is this very reason that despite recovery of economy in the USA, the working class is still facing unemployment. Similar trends are seen in China and India, where the benefits of economic growth (8-10 percent per annum) are not transferred to the people. There is no country where human progress is increasing; in fact it is declining.”
Dr Khan observed that the credit finance system in the US created bubble economy, which resulted in widespread bank defaults in 2009. “In 2010 and 2011, many sovereign countries went bankrupt too. Many countries, particularly where the working class achieved some benefits through struggles, have no other choice but to reduce the facilities for workers.”
Dr Lal Khan recalled the history of capitalism in the world and said that during the World War II, all European, Asian and African countries were involved in it. A new era of imperialism emerged after this war, giving way to the birth of International Monetary Fund and the World Bank. “The capitalist system gained roots during 1948 to 1973. However, working class through their trade union movements managed to win over many benefits including social security. This trend reversed due to negative economic growth since 1974.”
Talking about Pakistan, Dr Khan said it is no different from other parts of the world, where privatisation and deregulation have fuelled hunger and poverty. “The solution of the problem is also the same; it lies in the end of capitalism. Millions of people are gradually slipping below the poverty line. Only 27 people/groups have control over the entire wealth of Pakistan. This cannot be changed without revolution. Pakistan’s total external debt stands at 58 billion dollars and over 80 percent of the budget goes into debt retirement, defence, and administrative expenses. Addressing this imbalance is only possible through a revolution.”
He added that no process of change can move forward without the participation of women.
PILER Executive Director Karamat Ali, commenting on Dr Lal Khan’s lecture, said that in Pakistan, any space for communism has been crushed by the state itself that carries an inbuilt bias against the system. He recalled consistent state efforts, including those from the democratic as well as the military-led governments to counter and suppress the left ideology.
He also added that while there maybe arguments about why revolution is the only way forward for Pakistan, questions about capacity of people to steer a revolution remain. “In the 70s, 80 percent of the working class was educated; today there maybe around 20 percent workers who are educated. Ninety percent of the workers in Pakistan are not working close to home; they are migratory. There are multiple ethnic, sectarian, linguistic conflicts among the working class. This is compounded by militarism that is raising serious questions about the future of Pakistan. Revolution, in this backdrop, is a difficult proposition.”
Pakistan Peace Coalition Secretary General BM Kutty also contributed to the discussion. He said that no single leadership in Pakistan has ever demonstrated any commitment to change. “All of them have focused on maintaining the status quo, hence change remains a challenge.”
At the end of the lecture, the audience asked pertinent questions about recent wave of revolution in Arab countries, and the ideology, requisites and implications of a revolution in Pakistan giving way to an interesting and interactive exchange on the subject.
