M K Pandhe, vice-president of the Centre of Indian Trade Unions (Citu) and member of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) politburo, the apex body, is recalled with high regard by trade union leaders across the spectrum.
He passed away yesterday at the age of 86 after seven decades in the trade union movement. General secretary of Citu from 1990 to 1999 and then its president till 2010, he stepped down (he had a terminal illness) but continued to be its vice-president.He is remembered for passion in taking up the cause of workers and in working for the unity of TUs, regardless of age.
When it came to workers’ rights, he went beyond the boundaries that separates the multiple TUs. Right from the early 1970s, says D K Sachdeva, national secretary of AITUC, the CPI union. Sachdeva recalls meeting him for the first time in the 1970s: “He was engaged in workers movements with Delhi Cloth Mill workers. He was passionate about TU unity even then.’’
Says Sanjeeva Reddy, president of the Indian National Trade Union Congress (Intuc), “Nothing could stop him from working. He was working till his last moment.” Even in sickness, he was engaged in the coal workers’ strike this month. In fact, the August issue of Working Class, the Citu periodical, has his article on the government indifference to the issues raised by coal worker unions.
As the contractualisation of labour was gradually eroding the presence of trade unions, he was concerned about the plight of the growing number of workers in the unorganised sector who were now outside the umbrella of unions and labour laws.
In his last article, he points to downsizing in the coal industry and the refusal of private companies to abide by the national coal wage agreement that would have ensured equal wages for all workers, irrespective of whether they were regular or on contract. With a strong argument on government action in this regard.
Dedication
His simplicity, dedication and a desire to keep all unions together endeared him to leaders across the movement. It was a happy moment for Pandhe when the unions decided to come together under a Central Coordination Committee of TUs in September 2010 on five major issues — contractualisation, price rise, implementation of labour laws, disinvestment and social security for the unorganised sector. Says Reddy, “He congratulated me when the coordination committee was formed, that it was a wonderful thing by bringing everyone together.’’
Says Sachdeva, “We would go to him for advice, as we took him as someone from AITUC, where he originally belonged.” He will be remembered more as a veteran TU leader than as a Communist party politburo member or political leader, he adds.
Tapan Sen, Citu general secretary, calls him one of the tallest leaders, who commanded respect across Tus. “Beginning as a student leader,despite a PhD, he chose to remain a full time union worker. He remained with AITUC till 1970, six years after the communist party split. Ultimately, he took the initiative, with others, to form Citu. He was one of the pioneers who started the joint platform of trade unions in national struggles in 1974. The first general strike of all unions was in 1982, where all unions except Intuc took part,’’ recalls Sen.
Sen also recalls his down-to-earth manner of communicating even the most complex issues. “We learnt from him how to communicate,” he says.
He would also be remembered as a prolific writer, who wrote theses on fraudulence in the consumer price index, on liberalisation policy and on the economic downturn, says Sen.
In 2010, he himself took the initiative to ready a new team to take charge of Citu, he says.
Sen recalls the versatility which made him go deep into sectors as varied as steel, coal, ports and power generation. “The loss is irreparable,” he says.
