Bengaluru Garment workers on strike in 2016
Garment Workers Unite with ICWP Across the Bosses’ Borders
BENGALURU (India), October 23—Four garment worker comrades of ICWP in Bengaluru met virtually with three Red Flag readers in the Free Trade Zone (FTZ) near Colombo, Sri Lanka. These are excerpts of a two-hour conversation.
Manju: Welcome to the comrades joining our conversation from Sri Lanka today. We have faced many difficulties: power outages, load shedding, and long hours in sweatshops. I work in a garment factory. I am a member of ICWP. I am 25 years old.
After reading Red Flag for over three years, I am convinced that every aspect of our life is controlled by our oppressors. I am committed to ending this, and I want to encourage all of you to join our struggle. We want to know our comrades better.
Sakani: I am from a garment factory in FTZ. I am 36 years old. I am Geetha’s neighbor, but we work in different factories. We have been friends for over six years, but I am not sure. I got Red Flag from her during some violent demonstrations. We joined the protest because many women have no contract.
We all live in these slums of FTZ that are owned by garment bosses. They can fire us at any time for not meeting our quota. You must work like an animal to meet this target. If you are sick, you fall behind. They don’t care even if you are dying. They take your money for a whole month and at the end of our pay period, you are fired.
Now you have no money, you are homeless, and half your income is spent on food. So now you are going to starve. Many times, our neighbors take us in and give us shelter and food even though they are extremely poor.
When demonstrations were going on, many women lost their fear because everybody was in the street. I said to myself and others that this is a revolution. Things will change. This is when Geetha gave me Red Flag. I began to understand that we need to get rid of the capitalists and build the ICWP. Only then we will see a revolution.
Angie: I am also a garment worker, 21 years old. My family is very poor. I agree that we need a new system. The bosses are trying to divide us. I am not a permanent worker and I have no contract. I am just a number. I am chasing after the number. I must meet quota, more production. No matter what I do, I will have a target to meet. They bribe some women by giving them contract work. But they still must meet the target and they want us to feel inferior for a few rupees.
But look at the inflation. Every month food and transport are taking most of our money. The bosses are making fortunes while we starve. I am angry and fed up.
Geetha: I am so glad to meet you all, and wonderful comrades in Bengaluru. I was inspired during the protest movement in Sri Lanka. I started reading Red Flag that a worker in Chennai (India) sent me. The comrades constantly kept in touch. I work long hours. But they gave me hope and encouraged me to bring other women.
I am still thinking of ICWP. Comrades have asked me to join and organize for revolution. It sounds good but I must admit, I am fearful. I can’t afford to lose my job. For now, I will continue to spread Red Flag to my neighbors like Angie and Sakani.
Swapna: We must continue to meet regularly. As a member of ICWP, welcome comrades! You are the future. What unites us is that we are all workers facing bosses who only care about how to exploit us. We need to end their game.
Last month we met amazing women workers of ASHA, and they expressed the same desire for change. Looking around the world, workers in different countries have more in common. They face the same brutality of the class enemy. This is why we are building the international communist movement.
We have a small base in India. We distribute about two thousand copies of Red Flag and reach out to the masses. Each reader can become a member. We can do it in Sri Lanka and other places.
Next time we meet, we will send a message of solidarity to the comrades in El Salvador. We will find some way to be part of their December conference.
Long live communism! Join ICWP and distribute Red Flag!