Greece is going to face intensified struggle in the coming days as a consequence of passing the anti-people, anti-worker Austerity Bill by the Parliament on 21st October aiming at wage-cuts, job lay-offs etc.The workers and the people have been organising protest demonstrations for the last few weeks against this. One person is already dead in the turmoil.
The new package passed by the Parliament yesterday includes new tax increases, cut to pension and wages and also to dismiss 30,000 state employees.It also curtails the rights of the workers for collective bargaining.
Greece and for that matter the European nations are going to face the wrath of the workers’ movements and agitations.
Out complete support and solidarity to the fully justified struggles of the European workers!

At last the government has started thinking about women representation in the Board of Directors of companies. In the Company Bill, being prepared by the Government and which is in the final stage, it is proposed at least to have one woman Director compulsorily. This is resisted by the private companies stating that the Directors are appointed on the basis of talent and not on gender basis. But the government seems to be firm on the inclusion of woman Director. We welcome this move in the right direction.
The government should also direct the PSUs to have the same criteria. BSNL also should have one woman Director.

After hard-bargaining and in the intervention of the Haryana Government, the strike of the Maruti workers has been called off after 14 days. The Maruti Managemnt has been compelled to take back all the 1200 casual workers. It will reinstate 64 of the regular workers. About the balance 34 workers including the leaders, enquiry will be conducted. There will be no pay for the strike period plus one day penalty.
The Maruti Workers have to be congratulated for their heroic struggle against all odds against the MNC Suzuki-Maruti and compelling them to a settlement. The management has been adamant and with the support of the Haryana government has been victimising the workers for having formed a union of their own choice at the Manesar plant. The workers were moved out of the plant by the police but they stood their ground and sat outside the factory all these days 24 hours of the day. It was a grim fight and the management was compelled to come for talks and agreement. A lot of anti-worker acts of the management came in to light like only 7 minutes time for tea-break, unjustified pay cuts etc. The agreement also provides for forming of a Grievance Redressal Committee and a Labour Welfare Committee. It is also understood that the chance of recognising the Maruti Suzuki Employees Union, formed by the workers of the Manesar plant.
The support given by the workers of other plants of the Suzuki nearby is an inspiring examples of the solidarity of workers which helped in bringing a settlement.
Full details are yet to be known, but the strike is historic in more than one ways and stands as a warning to the employers who have started to exploit the workers waiving all labour laws.
Many issues are yet to be settled, but that is part of any such agreement.
My Hearty congratulations to the Maruti Workers!

BSNL has also issued orders endorsing DPE orders vide 14-3/2010-PAT(BSNL)/revised scale dated 21-10-001 increasing the IDA to 52% w.e.f. 1st October 2011. The increase is 4.8%.

While some improvements were seen in providing mobile connections in earlier months, the August statistics show a complete down fall of the BSNL new connections.
While Idea gave 23.3 lakh connections in August 2011, Reliance provided 12.8 lakh, Airtel 11.5 lakhs and Vodafone 11.3 lakhs, BSNL has fared with a meagre 2.6 lakh connections only. The workers have been putting their maximum efforts for increasing the connections, then, how this down fall has come? We have pointed out earlier to the BSNL management that mobile lines are in acute short supply and this may affect the new connections. But management was telling that sufficient number of mobile lines are available.
This colourless performance of BSNL can only be due to shortage of Mobile lines. Will the management take immediate action to get the mobile lines?

DPE vide No.F.No.2(70)/2008-DPE(WC)-GL-XVII/2011 DATED 21-10-2011 issued orders revising IDA by 4.8% making a total of IDA 52% from October 2011.
The BSNL is yet to issue orders.

The Communications Minister or for that matter the UPA Government will bend to any extent to help the private telecom operators. It is what is going to happen with the 3G roaming services.
The 3G Spectrum was allotted by circle-wise auctions on the premises that the company which auctions for a particular circle can provide 3G in that circle alone. Most of the private telecom companies auctioned for their choice circles. BSNL even without being given a chance to auction was asked to pay the maximum auction amount for all circles.
The conspiracy has now been exposed. All these private companies are providing 3G services in all the circles by making roaming agreements between them. Without paying the charges for 3G Spectrum in all the circles, they are providing the services. At the same time BSNL has been compelled to pay the full charges.This is completely against the auction rules and is cheating the government.
The TRAI has recommended to take action against these companies for violation of licence agreements, but the DOT is keeping mum, because the government don’t want any action against its favourite private companies.
And in the Draft NTP-2011, it is proposed to allow spectrum sharing which these private companies have already done. The Government is making illegal to legal to help these private companies.
And putting BSNL in to lurch which was compelled to pay for all circles.

The protest demonstrations and meetings in Greece against the pay-pension cuts and severe austerity measures reached a new heights on Thursday with more than one lakh people coming to the streets all over the country, In Athens the protest demonstrations became violent with clashes with the police. The demonstrations were part of the 48 hours strike called by the workers. to oppose the bill that is being moved in the Parliament of the pay-pension cut etc. The demonstrations are continuing.
The neo-liberal polcies and capitalist path of development have helped the rich to become richer, but the poor has become poorer and is on the path to ruin. In almost all capitalist/developed countries the protests are getting momentum.

Draft of NTP-2011 is proposing exit policy for those private telcos who want to leave from the telecom sector. This is another policy decision which will help the private companies which will be exiting. In fact if a company has failed to implement the licence agreements including rolling out services, its licence fee should be forfeitted and penalty should be imposed. Instead of that the government is now proposing to bail them out by relaxing the rules. This should not be done. There should be no question of returning the licence charges etc.
The present proposal will help cartelisation which will be against the interest of the consumers.

The International Labour Organisation (ILO) has warned the governments about a scarred generation of youths due to the increased unemployment in the world. According to the report, ‘ Global Employment Trends for youth 2011 Update’, the number of unemployed youth has increased by 4.5 million during the 2008-09 period alone. There is much frustration among the youth and it may reflect in various ways including complete distrust of entire political and economic system.
The recent protest actions in US, European countries, UK etc. and the massive participation of the youth in these agitations indicate the anger of the youth towards the present economic system of inequality.
It is for the governments, including India, to take this warning seriously and ensure more employment and reduction of disparity between the rich and poor.