Fate of Strikes

Blooming Stars - Swami (Dr) Snehananda Jyoti

Gandhiji expressed in his speeches, writings, and journals:  “Strikes are the order of the day. They are a symptom of the existing unrest……The labor world in India, as elsewhere, is at the mercy of those who set up as advisers and guides. The latter are not always scrupulous and not always wise even when they are scrupulous. The laborers are dissatisfied with their lot. They have every reason for dissatisfaction. They are being taught, and justly, to regard themselves as being chiefly instrumental in enriching their employers. And so it requires little effort to make them lay down their tools. The political situation too is beginning to affect the laborers in India. And there are no wanting labor leaders who consider that strikes may be engineered for political purposes.

In my opinion, it will be a most serious mistake to make use of labor strikes for such a purpose. I don’t deny that such strikes can serve political ends. But they do not fall within the plan of non-violent non-cooperation. It does not require much effort of the intellect to perceive that it is a most dangerous thing to make political use of labor until laborers understand the political condition of the country and are prepared to work for the common good…..The conditions of a successful strike are simple…. 1. The cause of the strike must be just. 2. There should be practical unanimity among the strikers. 3. There should be no violence used against non-strikers.  4. Strikers should be able to maintain themselves during the strike period without falling back upon union funds and should therefore occupy themselves in some useful and productive temporary occupation.  5. Strike is no remedy when there is enough other labor to replace strikers. In that case in the event of unjust treatment or inadequate wages or the like, resignation is the remedy.”

Gandhiji laid down his conditions of work in the Young India of 1921 (India of My Dreams, pp 36-39, and p.41). Much as the labor leaders despise the Western principle of “Might is Right” they use that very principle to attain their ends. They conveniently disregard the Eastern principle: “Truth alone conquers”. Gandhiji insisted that all public sympathy should be withheld from unjust strikes, that the arbitration of impartial persons enjoying public confidence should be respected by all the parties, that economic betterment should never have a political end as an ulterior motive, and that political strikes must be open, and should never be led by goondaism, and must never lead to violence.

According to Gandhiji, economic betterment of workers, just cause, purity of intention, common good of the country, impartial arbitration binding all the parties, and non- violence were  essential requirements of strikes. In I942 with his Quit India movement Gandhiji employed strike as part of the civil disobedience against the British government. When the strike gaining some measure of success began to lead to violence, Gandhiji stopped it even against the strong protests of some of his staunch followers.    

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