Monthly Archives: June 2013

Three Election Results of the Unions – A report in Working Class

03 Monday Jun 2013

Posted by in Uncategorized

≈ 2 Comments

I am giving below a report published in the June 2013 issue of Working Class, Organ of CITU,  with regard to three elections in PSU/Govt.:Three election results in April – May, 2013 of CITU affiliated and associated unions in public sector and government departments are significant. Elections were held through secret ballots for recognition of the unions.

Massive Victory of CITU Union in Bhilai Steel Plant

CITU affiliated Hindustan Steel Employees Union (HSEL) in Bhilai achieved a massive victory in secret ballot of the workers, held on 12 May, and became the number one recognized union of the Bhilai Steel Plant of SAIL.

Out of total 22,000 workers of the plant, 19,584 workers cast their votes. Eight unions contested. HSEU (CITU) secured 8,692 (44.38%) votes defeating the nearest contestant Ispat Shramik Manch (ISM) who secured 5,599 votes, INTUC union got 3,773, SWU 534, AITUC union 315, AICCTU 315, BMS 232 and HMS 75, invalid 49 votes.

CITU congratulated HSEU and also conveyed gratitude to the workers of Bhilai Steel Plant for extending such massive support to CITU union.  Steel Workers’ Federation of India (SWFI) also congratulated the HSEU for such resounding victory.

BSNL Employees Union’s 5th Successive Victory

Out of total about 2.05 lakh BSNL employees, more than 1.93 lakh employees in 35 circles across the country cast their votes on 16 April. 48.68% employees voted for BSNL Employees Union and 30.28% for NFTE (BSNL). Both got recognition out of total 18 unions in the fray. It is the 5th time victory of BSNL Employees Union in a row. (Working Class, May, 2013). CITU greeted BSNL Employees Union for this massive victory.

Victory of Railway Unions

Election in Railways was held during 25 – 27 April and the result was declared on 3 May. As per rules, minimum 30% votes are required for getting recognition status in Railways.

Left supported MTP Employees Union in Kolkata Metro Railway secured 46.02% votes and became the only recognized union defeating Congress supported Metro Railway Workers Union (27.33%) and Trinamool Congress supported Metro Rail TMC Sramik Karmachari Union (23.05%).

In Eastern Railway, Left-supported Eastern Railwaymrn’s Union secured 46.44% votes and became the number one recognized union for railwaymen. Congress-supported Eastern Railwaymen’s Congress secured 36.10% votes and became 2nd recognized union. Trinamool Congress supported Eastern Railway Employees and Workers Congress got only 10.11% votes. Of this, in Jamalpur Railway Workshop in Bihar, Left-supported union got 4540 votes out of total 9214 workers and became number one recognized union in the workshop.

In South Eastern Railway, Congress supported SE Railwaymen’s Congress secured 45.32% and number one position followed by Left supported SE Railwaymen’s Union with 41.70 % votes and 2nd recognized union status. TMC supported union got only 5.21% votes.

 
© Copyright reserved  http://www.citucentre.org 2009 ®

Thousands protest in Tokyo against Nuclear reactors

02 Sunday Jun 2013

Posted by in General, Uncategorized

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, ,

 

 

 

 

A report from AFP

Tokyo, Jun 2 Thousands of anti-nuclear demonstrators rallied in the Japanese capital Tokyo today as conservative Prime Minister Shinzo Abe considers restarting reactors. Organisers said 7,500 people gathered at a park in the city centre, including disaster victims and celebrities such as Nobel literature laureate Kenzaburo Oe. Protesters later marched through the capital, holding anti-nuclear banners including one which read: “No Nukes! Unevolved Apes Want Nukes!” They also demonstrated outside the headquarters of Tokyo Electric Power Co, operator of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant which was crippled by meltdowns after the March 2011 tsunami. Abe, whose Liberal Democratic Party has close ties with the nation’s powerful business circles, has repeatedly said he would allow reactor restarts if their safety could be ensured. Japan turned off its 50 reactors for safety checks in the wake of the disaster but has restarted two of them, citing possible summertime power shortages. Radiation from the plant, 220 kilometres northeast of Tokyo, spread over a wide area after the worst nuclear accident since the 1986 Chernobyl disaster.

Penalty increased for mobile tower radiation breach

01 Saturday Jun 2013

Posted by in Telecom

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

,

The Communications Minister Kapil Sibal has stated that mobile companies will have to pay penalty of Rs. 10 lakh, instead of the present 5 lakhs for breach of radiation norms of mobile towers. The radiation permissible level since 1 September 2012 was lowered to 0.45 watts per square metre. The mobile companies have to abide by the same.

But the question arises. Penalties are fixed for many violations, illegal roaming, manipulating SLD calls to local calls to avoid tax/revenue sharing, providing mobile connections without verification, not providing connections in villages/rural areas as per licencing conditions etc.etc. But who pays these penalties? Either the companies go to court or pressurise the DOT/Minister to relax it and get favourable decisions. The companies are going scot-free even violating all conditions.

Instead of the name sake penalties, the licence of these companies should be immediately cancelled, which only will compel them to abide by the rules of the land. But we need not expect the present government to take any such action. All in the name of increasing investments and allowing to maximise profits of the private companies.

 

 

BSNL Revival a must for the Nation

01 Saturday Jun 2013

Posted by in BSNL - Better Service to the Nation

≈ 3 Comments

Tags

BSNL is the government company providing telecom services all over India, except in the metropolitan cities of Delhi and Mumbai where the services are provided by another government company MTNL. BSNL and MTNL are the continuation of the Department of P&T, and later Department of Telecom, which provided telegraph and telecom services since their introduction in India.

As per the neo-liberalisation policy being aggressively implemented by the Central Government, private companies were allowed to provide telecom services in the 1990s. At the same time, the government started moves, one after another, which resulted first in corporatisation and then in weakening of the new PSU, BSNL.

India is a country having lakhs of villages and rural areas, where the private companies are not much interested in providing services, since most of them are loss making. BSNL, which is committed to implement the universal service obligation of the government, is providing services in these areas. Naturally BSNL is suffering huge losses. In the crucial border areas, naxal affected areas etc. it is only BSNL, which provides services facing severe risks. BSNL and MTNL keep the tariff low despite severe competition.

The existence and growth of BSNL and MTNL is a must for the growth of the country and its security. The government has to realise this and ensure that BSNL and MTNL are helped to tide over the present crisis. It has to honour its financial commitments which it has given at the time of corporatisation.

The workers have to sincerely continue their maximum efforts to improve the services. Management has to become efficient to plan its programmes and implement effectively.

All out efforts are required from all stake-holders to revitalise and strengthen BSNL and MTNL.