Monthly Archives: June 2011

Haryana casual/contract workers mobilise for action.

05 Sunday Jun 2011

Posted by in TU News - Telecom specific

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The massive meeting of the casual and contract workers of Haryana at Hissar on 5th June was a clear indication of the determination to fight against injustice and get the rights of the casual/contract workers in BSNL got settled. Along with Circle Secretary of BSNLEU Comrade M.S.Kadian, Circle President Naresh Kumar and Hari Om Sharma i reached Hissar to attend the meeting. The workers told that they are not getting the minimum wage. Neither the social security measures like EPF, ESI are implemented. Much exploitation is going on.
In my speech I explained the rights of the casual and contract workers and the government orders and BSNL orders in these respects. However, these orders are not being implemented at the local levels. I conveyed my support and solidarity to the struggles of the workers. More than 200 comrades participated in the meeting.

Baba Ramdev on fast against corruption – controversies

04 Saturday Jun 2011

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Baba Ramdev has started his fast at Ramlila maidan today against corruption. Thousands of his followers are participating in it in the well arranged pandal. But some of the media has termed it as five star fast. Congress has stated that it is a political game of the BJP/RSS. Anna Hazare supported the fast, but today he has stated that he will come to Delhi and see whether it is a five star fast.
Central Government succumbed to the threat of fast and four cabinet ministers including Pranab Mukherjee went to the airport to receive Baba Ramdev to dissuade him from starting the fast. The government also says that it has agreed to most of the demands raised by Baba Ramdev. At the same time congress party is ridiculing the fast.
What is cooking is not clear. Let us wait. But there is not doubt that the huge scams and corruption coming one after another have to be exposed, enquired and the the guilty given maximum penalty for cheating the country and the people.

WFTU Demands on May Day for a ‘Decent Wage’

04 Saturday Jun 2011

Posted by in TU News - India

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World Federation of Trade Unions (WFTU) General Secretary, George Mavrikos in his May Day speech in Beijing on 28th April 2011 demanded for full and permanent work, with stable serice conditions, full social insurance, working and wage rights, remains timely, pertinent and necessary. Only jobs with these features can be characterised as “Decent Work”.
He also supported the demand for a large open international militant campaign for:
* 35 hours per week
* 5days X 7 hours per day
* Better salaries / Living wage.

How much is the minimum wage?

04 Saturday Jun 2011

Posted by in TU News - India

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BSNL, through contractors and otherwise, have engaged thousands of casual/contract labours for the last many years. They were not being paid the minimum wage except in few circles like W.Bengal, T.Nadu etc. The Government of India has clearly stipulated what is the minimum wage to ge paid to the contract labour. It is based (1) on the base of the skill and (2) in which calss of city they are working. The Labout Ministry vide its orders dated 06-04-2011 has stipulated the present minimum wages as follows:
Labour Minimum Wage
A Class city B class C Class
Unskilled 247.00 205.00 165.00
Semi-skilled/
Unskilled Supervisory 273.00 232.00 192.00
Skilled/Clerical 301.00 273.00 232.00
Highly skilled 327.00 301.00 273.00

Our comrades should take initiative to ensure that these minimum wages are paid to our contract workers.

India Post wants connectivity to 1.6 lakh Post Offices – BSNL should act immediately

04 Saturday Jun 2011

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The India Post has decided to float tenders for connectivity to its 1.6 lakh Post offices through out the country.They want 30,000 MPLS links in urban and semi-urban areas and 1,30,000 links in rural and deep rural areas.The project may be of about Rs.2000 crore or so.
This is a good opportunity for the BSNL to get these tenders, since BSNL is the only company which has got the capacity to provide the connectivity to all these urban and rural areas at present. Further, both are under the Ministry of Communications.
However, mutual negotiated agreement will be the best solution as has been done by BSNL with Income Tax, SBI etc.
BSNL management has to take immediate action to ensure that either through negotiated settlement or through tenders the project should be got for BSNL. It will help the ailing BSNL.Any delay or complacency on the part of BSNL management will see a repeat of how BSNL lost the Railway tender for one lakh connections.

The Postal Workers to go on Indefinite Strike from 5th July 2011

03 Friday Jun 2011

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The Central Joint Council of Action of the Postal workers have decided to go for an indefinite strike with effect from 5th July 2011 on their long pending demands. One of the main demands is that there should be no closure/merger of Post Offices, RMS and Sorting offices. It is also demanded that there should be no private franchise. Many other demands are also there. The Postal workers are fully justified for going on strike.
The telecom workers should fully support and give solidarity to the struggle.

A meeting with Dr. Binayak Sen

03 Friday Jun 2011

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It was an unexpected meeting. It was 26th May 2011. I was waiting at the Kolkatta airport to board the Air India Delhi flight. Boarding time was announced as 1700 hours. But even after one hour there was no announcement for boarding. It was then that I saw Dr. Binayak Sen, the noted activist, whose life imprisonment for alleged connection with the extremists was strongly opposed by the intelligentia, social activists and many political parties. I could recognise him immediately since his many photos have been published in the dailies. He was waiting for his flight to Raipur. I introduced myself to him. He asked me about the 2G scam and I told him the latest developments. His brother also was with him. By the time boarding was announced for both and we parted and started for the plane.

May Song – Into the streets may First!

03 Friday Jun 2011

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The following is a poem written by Alfred Hayes and published on 1st May 1934. It is fully relevant today.
Into the streets on May First
______________________________
Into the streets May First!
Into the roaring square!
Shake the midtown towers!
Shatter the downtown air!
Come with a storm of banners,
Come with an earthquake tread,
Bells, hurl out of your belfries,
Red Flag, leap out your red!
Out of the shops and factories,
Up with the sickle and hammer,
Comrades, these are our tools,
A song and a banner!
Roll song, from the sea of our hearts,
Banner, leap and be free:
Song and banner together,
Down with the bourgeoisie!
Sweep the big barricade!
Pour forth like a second Flood!
Thunder the alps of the air!
Subways are roaring our millions-
Comrades, in to the city square!!!

An inspiring poem indeed!

Air India grounds flight due to cash-crunch to buy petrol

03 Friday Jun 2011

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It is reported that 50 flights, about 10% of its fleet, have been grounded by Air India due to its inability to purchase petrol. The Air India owes huge amounts to the oil companies, since it could not pay the dues to heavy loss of the company. An agreement was reached that the Air India now will have to purchase oil on cash basis. Since the day collection is less Air India has not been able to pay full cash. As such oil companies refused supply of petrol.Hence the cancellation of flights.
If the government can subsidise the private business to the extent of lakhs of crores of rupees, why can’t the government subsidise the PSU, Air India. It was only due to the wrong policy of the Government and pro=private decisions of the former minister that the Air India has gone into loss. It is the duty of the government to save Air India.

Protest this SEBI Chief”s move to invest Pension Funds in market

03 Friday Jun 2011

Posted by in AIBDPA - BSNL DOT Pensioners

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There is a serious move from the SEBI Board Chairman Mr. U.K.Sinha to get the pension funds to be invested in the market.His argument is that it will be a long term fund for the markets. According to him, India is the only country which has prohibited pension funds from the market.
The employees who are the real investors and stakeholders of the pension fund have again and again objected to the investment of their hard earned money in the risky market. There have been several cases in the foreign countries where the pensioners had lost their entire money in the volatile markets. The Chairman of the Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority (PFRDA), Mr. Yogesh Aggarwal also share this opinion on the heavy risk.
The Government is under much pressure by the big business to get the pension funds invested in the market. The government itself seems to be in support of the same. Despite protests from the Left, the bill for PFRDA has been moved in the Parliament.
The situation is grave. It is only through sustained struggle that the workers will be able to stop the same, which is very much necessary to save the pension funds from being misused and lost.