13 Monday Jan 2014
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This is time of Festivals. My Best Wishes and greetings to all our best wishers, comrades and friends for Pongal, Makara sankranti, New Year and Milad-Ul-Nabi!
Have a happy time with the family and friends!
12 Sunday Jan 2014
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Unable to meet the Disinvestment target of Rs.40,000 crore this financial year, the government has started harassing the PSUs to somehow get the money from them. Disinvestment in coal could not take place due to the strong opposition from the workers. Now the disinvestment in IOC also could not take place.
In this situation, the government is asking all the cash rich PSUs to provide funds to the government either through disinvestment, ross-holding or special dividend.
This has been what happened to BSNL also. The government took away all the cash through Spectrum charges, notional loan, interest and so on. Now BSNL is not having funds to expand and even to pay the wages of the employees. The government wants all the PSUs to reach that position so that privatisation will be easy and the corporates and big business can maximise their profits.
12 Sunday Jan 2014
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A PTI report about the shifting of farmers from agriculture in large numbers due to loss and other problems shows under how much difficulty the farmers are and the government is taking care of them. The report is reproduced below:
Coimbatore: Jan 12: Nearly 8.67 lakh farmers have quit agriculture and shifted to other sectors during the last 10 years in Tamil Nadu as per the 2011 census, a farmer’s body leader said today.
Federation of Tamil Nadu Agricultural Associations Secretary S Nallasami said that the Census suggested that from 2001 to 2011, 8,67,582 farmers have stopped agriculture due to various reasons, including huge loss.
Moreover, there was an increase in the number of agricultural labourers during the period, as the farmers sell their land to real estate and prefer to work on daily wage, he said in a release here.
He attributed the reason for the plight of the farmers to wrong import policy of the Centre, unremunerative prices for farmers’ produce, industrialistion and urbanisation, coupled with the failure to divert the rain and other waters going to sea to the farmers’ fields, by linking rivers.
On fixing prices for the produce, like sugarcane, Nallasami said while the Government was implementing the recommendations of the Pay commission immediately, it was not bothered about the suggestions of the Commission for Agriculture Cost and Price, leaving the farmers in the lurch and at the mercy of the middlemen.
12 Sunday Jan 2014
Posted in BSNLCCWF - Casual and Contract workers
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The Circle Conference of W.Bengal BSNLCCWF was held on 11-12 January 2014 at Kolkata. There was massive participation in the Open session. More than 1000 workers participated. 310 delegates attended. Com. Govinda Das, Circle President presided.
The Conference was inaugurated by Com.Animesh Mitra, Dy.GS BSNLEU and Vice-President BSNLCCWF. Coms. Saibal SenGupta, Om Prakash Singh, Adhir Kumar Sen, Circle Secretaries of BSNLEU, Biplab Das, Tapos Banerjee, Circle Secretary BSNLCCWF Kolkata and other leaders addressed.
The Report presented by Com. Tapas Ghosh, Circle secretary was adopted after discussion. The conference discussed about the issues of the casual and contract workers and took appropriate decisions.
The Conference unanimously elected Coms. Govinda Das and Tapas Ghosh as President and Circle Secretary respectively.
Congratulations to the W.Bengal comrades who have conducted the Circle Conference successfully.
12 Sunday Jan 2014
Posted in News
Today is the 150th Birth Anniversary of Swami Vivekananda. He was born on 12th January 1863 and died on 4th July 1902.
Disciple of Shri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa, he toured all over the world and spoke on Religion, Philosophy and Vedanta.
The Birth Anniversary was celebrated in many centres.
12 Sunday Jan 2014
Posted in PSU, TU News - India
A report on the wage revision of SAIL employees w.e.f. 2012, a five year agreement is given below:
NEW DELHI, JAN 12:
Annual wage outgo of SAIL will go up by at least Rs 1,000 crore with the PSU set to sign a pact with its 85,000 non-executives for a 16 per cent hike in basic and dearness allowances and six per cent rise in perks.
Wage revision in SAIL, done every five years, is pending since January 2012 due to differences on the extent of hike between the company management and its unions’ umbrella body, National Joint Committee for Steel (NJCS).
“The management and the unions have nearly reached an accord at the last meeting held in December. It will be given a final shape in the form of an agreement in the next meeting slated later this month,” a source involved in the discussions told PTI.
At the last meeting, the management conveyed to the union representatives that given the current scenario of the steel industry, it would not be able to shell out more than 16 per cent hike in basic and dearness allowances apart from a 6 per cent rise in perks and pensions each.
Union representatives involved in wage talks were demanding between 17 and 18 per cent hike, the source said, adding the management has asked them to come back with a consensus in next meeting.
Initially, the union had asked for a 21.6 per cent hike, similar to the rise in 2007, in basic and dearness allowances.
However, the management said given the current market condition of steel in which consumption grew by just 0.5 per cent during the April-December period, an encore of 2007 is just not possible.
“Even if the unions agree with management’s proposal, it will add at least Rs 1,000 crore burden on wage front for SAIL each year. Since the revision has been pending for two years, the immediate outgo will be over Rs 2,100 crore,” the source said.
SAIL has already made the required provisions for paying out majority of the arrears and the disbursement would be made soon after the wage revision pact is signed.
The company’s net profit more than doubled to Rs 1,180 crore in the July-September quarter, although realisation fell by 6.5 per cent on subdued prices. Its employee expenses, however, went up to Rs 2,495 crore during the quarter from Rs 2,090 crore in the same period a year ago.
12 Sunday Jan 2014
Posted in News, TU News - India
The Central Board of Trustees of the EPF which will meet on 13th January is expected to announce 8.5 % interest for the deposits, just like last year.
The EPFO, which is estimated to have an income of Rs 20,796.96 crore in the current fiscal, needs Rs 20,740 crore to pay 8.5 per cent interest to the subscribers.
EPFO had provided 8.5 per cent interest in the 2012-13 fiscal, which was higher than 8.25 announced in 2011-12. The demand of the employees organisations are that the interest should be 9.5% which is not agreed.
11 Saturday Jan 2014
BSNL has decided to waived installation charges for the following categorie:
‘BSNL offers this new promotional offer for waival of installation charges only to the prospective customers registering for Landline and Broadband connections who opt for Annual Payment Option as follows
BSNL Waived off Broadband installation charges of Rs.250/- for customers opting for Annual Payment Option.
BSNL Waived off Combo Plan installation charges of Rs.500/300 for the customers of Urban & Rural areas who opts for Annual Payment Option.
BSNL Waived Landline installation charges of Rs.750/550 (urban/rural) for the customers opting for Annual Payment Option.
This newly announced promotional scheme for waival of Landline/Broadband installation charges shall be available in all the BSNL circles on PAN India basis with effect from 9th January 2014 to 31st March 2014.’
11 Saturday Jan 2014
The Chief Justice of Delhi has stated that 47 new courts will be opened in the state to speed up the pending court cases. A good decision, considering the long delay in finalising the cases.
Whether other states will follow suit? It will be better, if they do.
11 Saturday Jan 2014
Posted in PSU
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Banking industry seems to have understood that new recruitment is necessary for the growth of business and beer service to the customers.
The Syndicate Bank, one of the Public Sector Banks has decided to recruit about 5,000 new staff in the coming year, 2014-15. it has opened 145 new branches in this year and is projected to open another 250 branches.
This is a good news for the customers and the staff in Syndicate Bank. Young blood, new recruits are always necessary for the growth and health of any institution.
Will BSNL Management realise this truth!
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