Dear Comrades, Friends,
This blog has completed one year with the support of all of you.I have tried to bring news as also information which are important and our friends would like to read. I have got full support from all of you and a large number have visited the blog during this period as also sent their comments. I would try to improve the publication in the coming days.
Thanking you all
VAN Namboodiri

The first Communist Ministry under E.M.S.Namboodiripad in Kerala was dismissed by the Nehru Government on 31st July 1959. As every body, including Congress leaders, will admit now, it was a clear case of murder of democracy.
After the formation of Kerala as a separate state on reorganisation of States on 1st November 1956, the first election to the state was held in 1957. The Communist Party of India won the election with only a slim majority of two seats, out of 127 seats it won 60 seats with 5 independents supported by it. The entire world pointed out it as the first communist victory through democratic elections. There was reluctance on the part of the Central Government headed by Jawaharlal Nehru to accept this defeat and allow the government to be formed. The Congress party under the Presidentship of Indira Gandhi made all efforts for getting some defection from the Communist ranks, but utterly failed even to snatch away the independents. The Government was formed with E.M.S.Namboodiripad as the Chief Minister.
The first Communist ministry in Kerala within months started effective legislation on Land reforms, education system and also on the labour front. It was implementing land reforms which the Congress governments had promised but not implemented any where in India. It was a fool proof Land Reforms Act that the government passed, through issuance of an ordinance even before the bill was moved in the assembly.All these angered not only the congress government but also the feudal and communal forces which had vested interests against the education and agrarian reforms.
Indira Gandhi, then Congress President, managed to combine all the anti-communist forces and tried to defect some of the independents but failed. It was then that the ‘Vimochana Samaram’, the so called ‘liberation movement’ started. Utilising this opportunity the Central Government dismissed the EMS Government under Article 356 of the Constitution, even though there was no justification. Incidentaly, this was probably the first occasion of dismissal under Article 356, which the Central Government misused many times later to dismiss state governments which it did not like.
It is 52 years on 31st July 2011, after that massacre of democracy by the then Congress government. The first EMS government was one of the best government Kerala has ever seen.

The BSNL Management had agreed to the demand of BSNLEU and AIBDPA that the vacant quarters be allotted to the DOT-BSNL retirees on request. We met Director (HR) yesterday once again and he has assured that the orders will be issued without further delay. Those comrades who wanted quarters can apply and get the same allotted to them.

The draft Lok Pal Bill, approved by the Cabinet will be completely ineffective in dealing with the huge corruption cases in the Government or elsewhere. It is drafted in such a way that the big fish can easily avoid being caught. The punishment proposed are very less compared to the gravity of the offence against the people and the country. The draft Lok Pal Bill is only a toothless and harmless bill intended to save the guilty. Not only the Civil Society leaders like Anna Hazare, but the entire opposition parties have accused the government for this soft treatment towards corruption.

Is it that the government feels that many in the government are corrupt and will be caught if the bill is strong? Is it because of that the Prime Minister and M.P.s are kept out of this? The people have to understand the drama being played by the government.

The Parliament session starts on Monday, 1st August 2011. It may end by the end of first week of Septemeber 2011. There is no doubt that it will be a stormy session. The Lok Pal Bill, the many scams including 2G scam and the allegation pointing towards Prime Minister and P.Chidambaram, former Finance Minister, the new revealations in the cash for vote scam etc. is going to make the session a explosive. The price rise, anti-worker policy etc. are also going to be raised by the opposition parties.

BSNL Casual-Contract Workers on Struggle Path
More than one lakh casual and contract workers engaged in BSNL, the telecom PSU, are on the struggle path to achieve their long pending demands and to end the injustice being meted out to them. BSNL Casual and Contract Workers Federation, in its Central Executive Committee meeting held on 16th June at New Delhi has decided to organise Protest Demonstrations on 7th July and to organise a Bharat Sanchar Bhawan March on 26th August 2011 to the BSNL Corporate Office, New Delhi.
The system of casual labour was started in the Department of Telecom decades back for laying cables and lines, removing faults in telephone lines etc. They were eligible for being regularised in the DOT after working for 240 days in a year without any break. By 1988, DOT issued orders to stop the practice of engaging casual labour, but since there was lots of work to be done, the engagement continued. In 1998 a similar instruction was issued, but the engagement again continued.
At the time of formation of BSNL, converting DOT services in to a corporation, an agreement was made by the DOT with the then recognised Federations that all the left out casual labours and Temporary Status Mazdoors (those casual labours who are eligible for regularisation, but due to lack of vacancies could not be regularised and given the Temporary Status) will be regularised with effect from 01-10-2000, the date of formation of the PSU. About 2000 casual workers as also TSMs were regularised accordingly. The process was going on with the other left out casual labour/TSM.
But after 2006, the regularisation was completely stopped by the BSNL management on the plea that the Supreme Court in State of Karnataka & others Vs. Umadevi & others has given a judgement against regularisation of casual labour/TSM. However the Departments of Income Tax, Customs, and Defence etc. regularised their casual labours citing the same judgement in which there was a clause that a new scheme can be introduced for regularisation. In other Central PSUs also casual/contract labour was regularised. Even after citing these examples BSNL management refused to regularise these labours who have been engaged for 10 to 20 years continuously. According to a reply from the Communications Minister in the Parliament, there are 3361 such casual labours out of which 2270 are in W.Bengal alone.
Some of the above TSMs in Odisha circle approached the High Court for justice and the High Court issued favourable orders on the basis of which BSNL was compelled to regularise them. At the same time, BSNL is not prepared to grant regularisation to similarly placed mazdoors.
The daily wages of the casual labour are to be fixed as 1/30th of the monthly salary of a regular employee working in the same kind of job. But now they are given only 1/30th of the central Government rates which is less compared to the PSU wages.
The wages of the contract labour are fixed according to the minimum wages notified by the Government of India. As per the latest notification, the minimum wages for unskilled/semiskilled/skilled/highly skilled in A, B, C class cities are as follows:
Labour A class B Class C Class
Unskilled 247.00 205.00 165.00
Semiskilled 273.00 232.00 192.00
Skilled/clerical 301.00 273.00 232.00
Highly skilled 327.00 301.00 273.00
But in BSNL the labours are being paid a pittance of Rs. 2000/- to Rs.2500/- monthly which is only about half of the wages that is to be paid. After sustained struggles, the BSNL management has issued orders on minimum wages, but except in W.Bengal and T.Nadu , no circle authorities are paying the same to their contract labours. Worst exploitation by the Contractors and certain corrupt officers are continuing resulting in denial of due wages to the labourers.
As per Contract Labour (Regulation and Abolition) Act 1970 and other labour acts, social security measures like EPF, ESI are to be implemented for the Casual and Contract labour. But these are also not implemented to the BSNL casual contract workers.
Despite several discussions with the management, when the issues could not be settled, the BSNL Casual and Contract Workers Federation submitted a petition to the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Labour through Com. P.R.Natarajan, CPI(M) MP. The Standing Committee held a meeting in which the BSNL Management assured that all rules and regulations will be implemented with regard to the casual and contract workers. In fact, they stated that all these orders were implemented.
But what happened afterwards is shocking. Instead of implementing the social security measures and paying minimum wages, most of the casual and contract workers are being retrenched stating that minimum wage cannot be paid and that there is no work. Both the arguments have no basis. These workers were engaged for the past 10 to 20 years and the argument that there is no work is only to deny them minimum wage and social security measures. The arrears from February 2011 are not yet paid.
The workers are on struggle in many places all over the country. BSNL Casual and Contract Workers Federation have called for a Protest Demonstration on 7th July and Bharat Sanchar Bhawan March on 11th August. A charter of demands has been submitted to the management with the following demands:
1. Regularisation of all casual labour /TSM
2. Payment of wages to casual labour on IDA
3. Payment of Minimum wages to Contract Labour.
4. Implementation of EPF, ESI etc.
BSNL Employees Union, the recognised union in BSNL, has extended full support and solidarity to the struggle of the casual and contract workers. In case the long pending issues are not settled, further sustained agitation including strike will have to be resorted to.
……………….
V.A.N.Namboodiri
President,
BSNL Casual and Contract Workers Federation

It was only after sustained struggle and prolonged discussion that the Government was compelled to issue orders for pension revision of pre-2007 BSNL absorbed DOT employees. It was a great achievement which many of our own employees were not hopeful. But the orders have been issued. Though many months have passed the retirees have not got pension revision and the arrears. This is a torment to the retired employees.
BSNL, DOT and all other concerned authorities should take immediate action to ensure that the pension revision is fixed and arrears payment made without any delay.

The strike by the Posts and Telegraphs Employees in 1946 was not only a strike for settlement of the workers demands, but also it was part of the great Indian Independence struggle. The strike continued from 11th July to 5th August 1946, till discussion took place and most of the demands were settled.
The strike had the full support of all political parties. Big rallies were held in Madras, Mumbai and Calcutta by the common people and workers in support of the strike. The biggest rally was held in Calcutta on 29th July 1946. Lakhs of people participated. Calcutta had never before seen such a big rally. The strike was successful. The British government was compelled to concede most of the demands.