Fighting to regain electoral relevance, the Communist Party of India (Marxist) want an organisational revamp.
While the party favours fixing terms for its general secretaries at all levels, it has rejected a proposal to have a retirement age for the its leaders. One of the priorities of the Left party — decided at the 20th party congress here — is paying decent stipend to the full-time workers all over the country.
The general secretaries at all levels, including the national level, will have a fixed three term of three years. There could be exceptions in rarest of the rare cases. This proposal has been in the talks for a while now.
Party general secretary Prakash Karat said the CPM believes in the policy of continuity with change. Fixing of terms for the general secretaries seems to be a move in that direction. But, another proposal for fixing a retirement age didn't go through.
The CPM also seems to be realising that it will not get full-time workers to work for the party for free or for the meager amount they pay as stipend. Though full-time workers are paid, there have been talks about hiking their stipends in the past, but nothing has been done about it. In Kerala, the local level full-time workers get a monthly stipend of Rs 3,000, much less than what a couriers get in the state.
Those who work at the party centres, including personal assistance to the senior leaders of the party, too get just thereabout. They are given accommodation free.
{{/usCountry}}Those who work at the party centres, including personal assistance to the senior leaders of the party, too get just thereabout. They are given accommodation free.
{{/usCountry}}"We have been hearing about it. The expenses are rising. We have families, school-going children and find it difficult to make both ends meet, "said a full-time workers at the party headquarters AKG Bhavan in New Delhi.