27 Tuesday Mar 2012
Posted in History
In the history of the world, Paris Commune 1871, has a special significance. It was the uprising of the French people against the anti-people rule and also to defend the state from the Prussian attack.
The Paris Commune was formed on 28th March 1871 and continued till 18th May 1871. The period was brief, but the impact was world-wide.
27 Tuesday Mar 2012
Posted in History
The Editorial in Deshabhimani Weekly last week on the death anniversaries of Comrades EMS Namboodiripad, AKG and Thayat Sankaran was a brief painting on the lives of these three communists who in their own way have enriched the society for a better tomorrow.
I have my own memories of the contact with these great leaders which I cherish much. I am not going to write these now, but may post later. At present, my homage to all the three real communists !
27 Tuesday Mar 2012
Posted in BSNLCCWF - Casual and Contract workers
Gross injustice is cruelly meted out to the thousands of casual labour by the BSNL management. They were engaged by the DOT, mainly in the 1980s and 1990s and they have been working continuously for the last twenty to 13 years. At the time of corporatisation it was assured by the DOT that all the left out casual labours, who are eligible as per the existing rules will be regularised and vacancies were kept for them. More than six thousand casual labours were regularised accordingly on or after 01-10-2000. But due to the administrative lethargy of certain field/circle management, many cases for regularisation were not furnished to the BSNL Corporate Office quickly. But most of these cases were furnished to the C.O. by 2003-2004.
Instead of regularising them as per assurance, the BSNL Corporate delayed them month after month in the name of scrutinising the records etc. And now it is denying regularisation on the plea of a Supreme Court Judgement. But DOP&T has clearly given permission to regularise the casual labour on the basis of the same Supreme Court judgement and many Departments like Income Tax, Customs, Central Excise have already regularised their casual labours.
But despite BSNLEU, the lone recognised union in BSNL, has been continuously taking up the case in all forums including the National Council, the management has not taken any action to regularise them so far. Even the Labour Ministry has recently issued a statement regarding the rules for regularisation of TSMs and Casual Labour.
If there is any sincerity left on the part of the management they can not keep away from the regularisation of these workers engaged in the DOT/BSNL for many years. Any delay in forwarding their cases to the corporate office was not by their mistake, but by the field level management. The mistake has to be corrected and they should be regularised. The assurance given to the Unions for their regularisation should be kept. There is not much financial commitment since they are already getting the wage of a Group D in the Central Government.
Today, once again, the issue was discussed by me with Shri A.N.Rai, Director (HR) and Shri R.N.Goyal, GM (Estt.) and demanded that immediate action be taken to regularise them. Both of them agreed that some way has got to be found. I have told that these casual labour can be regularised in the same way, how others were regularised in the Income Tax etc. and how they were regularised in BSNL itself earlier. We want that justice be meted out to these workers who toiled their entire youth for the development, expansion and maintenance of the DOT/BSNL services. History will not forgive the BSNL management if justice is not meted to these workers.
27 Tuesday Mar 2012
Yesterday, 26th March, I could meet top leaders of the CITU and discuss about the issue of contract-casual workers in BSNL. The present situation was explained to Coms. A.K.Padmanabhan, President and Tapan Sen, General Secretary, CITU and sought their guidance. They said they will intimate their units to give all help and support in the struggles of the BSNL casual-contract workers for getting their grievance settled. Our local level comrades may meet the local leaders of CITU if any help is needed.Com. Tapan Sen, he is also a Member of Parliament assured to take up these issues in the Parliament. He also assured to get a meeting with the Labour Minister within a few days.
My thanks to these CITU leaders for coming to the help of the BSNL casual and contract workers.
27 Tuesday Mar 2012
Posted in Corruption
The statement of General V.K.Singh, former army chief, that he was offered bribe of Rs. 14 crore for purchase of army trucks and that it was reported to the Defence Minister Shri A.K.Antony has startled the Parliament and the nation. There was sharp exchanges, the government was in the dock and a CBI enquiry has been ordered.
But this is no news for those who are connected and in the knowledge of defence deals. India is one of the countries who are spending a major portion of its revenues for defence purchase. In the past also, there has been many scandals and charges of bribe, but nothing was proved and no action taken, since the persons behind the scams are MNCs with strong political clout in many countries and the top-level politicians, bureaucrats and military officers.
It is doubtful that whether any results will come out of the enquiry by CBI, which institution is completely under the control of the central government.
26 Monday Mar 2012
Posted in General
March 27, 1977 was a day of freedom for the people of India, who were faced with the draconian Emergency imposed on the country by Prime Minister Indira Gandhi . Faced with the election debacle, Indira Gandhi promulgated the Emergency on 25th June 1975. Democratic rights were taken away, the press was made silent, free speech was taboo. Almost all opposition political leaders were put in jail. Fundamental rights bore the maximum attacks. Trade unions were derecognised and no struggles could take place. No increase in DA, even after 5 DAs were eligible. The country became one big prison, with a complete nation gagged.
Trade Union leaders were also arrested in large numbers and jailed. I was taken in to custody twice, but was released after long hours’ interrogation. But many other P&T comrades both in Kerala and W.Bengal were jailed including Com. N.J.Iyer.
The Emergency was revoked by Indira Gandhi in the miscalculation that the Congress will win in the election just announced. But the people reacted to the hated Emergency completely by routing the Congress. For the first time, a non-Congress Government, headed by Janata Party came in to power.
Let there be no such ‘Emergency’ again.
26 Monday Mar 2012
Posted in BSNLEU
As usual the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the DOT and BSNL has been signed with the targets, action plan etc. for the year 2012-13.
One of the proposal is to retrench 15% of the staff through VRS. As on 31-12-2011, the staff is 2.71 lakhs. Hence the 15% will come to 40,650. This means the DOT/BSNL themselves have halved their target of sending out one lakh workers. It is also under consideration for grant of a loan of Rs. 15,000 by DOT to BSNL, which may probably for this purpose only.
Indeed, the government is not prepared to give money for development and expansion, but is prepared to give for retrenching workers ! But the BSNLEU will resist the move with all its strength and defeat the same as earlier.
26 Monday Mar 2012
Posted in PSU
Wage Agreement has been signed in the Coal sector for the five-year period from 01-01-2011 to 30-06-2016. The earlier agreement was also for five-year from 2001 to 2006. The workers will get a minimum of 25% fitment.
It is also agreed that contract labour will be granted al rights provided in the rules and government acts and the management as the Principal Employer will ensure that these are implemented by the contractors.
My congratulations to the workers and unions in the Coal industry. We have to try to get the five-year negotiation and settlement in BSNL also.
26 Monday Mar 2012
Posted in PSU
Shri Mallikarjun Kharge, Minister of Labour and Employment has informed Rajya Sabha last week that the Government has allocated Rs. 9.9 crore for implementation of VRS(Voluntary retirement Scheme) in certain PSUs in the financial year 2012-13. Certainly it should be the Minister for Labour and Employment who should take initiative in sending out workers from their jobs after giving some pittance. Government has no money to give employment, but has sufficient money to send them out to the streets.
It is to be remembered that for the last 25 years, there has been no recruitment in the Central government and the PSUs. Mostly contract workers are engaged by giving a small amount to do the job of the regular employees. Government itself is exploiting the workers, instead of granting them minimum wage and social security. It will be appropriate if the minister is called Minister for Unemployment and Exploitation of Labour.
26 Monday Mar 2012
Posted in PSU
The Central Government has received Rs. 16,767 crore as interim dividend from 17 PSUs this year. Some more are yet to declare their dividend. Coal India, ONGC and NTPC tops the lists with dividend of Rs. 5,400, Rs. 4853 and Rs. 2,439 respectively. Last year the interim dividend paid was only Rs. 12,254 crore. The aggregate dividend paid last year was to the tune of Rs. 26,507. This year it is expected to be more.
As seen above, the PSUs are hens giving golden eggs. But the Government wants to hand over them to the private companies to benefit them instead of the government and the people. For the government, the rich and affluent 1% of corporates and big business are more dear than the 99% of the common people. It is not only in US, but in India also the 99% has to fight for their right to live.
VAN Namboodiri's Blog 