Monthly Archives: December 2014

Coal India Management ready for discussion with Unions

22 Monday Dec 2014

Posted by in PSU, Uncategorized

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The Coal India Limited management has stated that they are ready to talk with the unions on the issues of Strike given notice of by the unions. The Unions in CIL has jointly given notice for strike from 6th January 2015.

The charter of demands include stopping or withdrawing “process of denationalisation of coal sector” and stopping “disinvestment, restructuring of CIL” (Coal India), among others. The demands also include extending the National Coal Wage Agreement (NCWA) wages and other benefits to existing and prospective captive coal workers and lifting the ban on general recruitment. Regularising contract workers engaged in mining jobs in underground as well as open cast mines is another demand.

Earlier, the proposed strike on November 24 by CIL employee unions was deferred after a meeting between the Coal Ministry officials and trade unions.

Pre-2011 list of Black Money holders will not be supplied from Switzerland

22 Monday Dec 2014

Posted by in General, Neo-liberal policy

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It is reported that the law ministry has informed  that the list of black money holders before 2011 will not be supplied by the Swiss government since the agreement between the governments is only from 2011.

If the report is correct, this will mean that majority of the black money holders will be out of the inquiry and any action that may be taken. The big sharks are all going to be scotfree.

 

Homage to Com.P.R. Menon, Veteran Railway Union Leader

22 Monday Dec 2014

Posted by in Obituary, Tributes

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Com.P.R.Menon, veteran leader of the Railway workers passed away at Mumbai on 5th December 2014 at the age of 81. He was the unquestioned leader of the National Railway Mazdoor Union (NRMU), former General secretary of the Union for 33 years and now the President of the same. He was also Vice-President of the All India Railwaymens’ Federation (AIRF) for a long time.

Com.P.R.Menon was born in Tirur, Kerala and after studies joined the Railways Office in Bombay. Within no time he became active in the union and was elected as the President of NRMU at the comparatively young age of 36. Since then he is in the leadership of the Railways Unions and have led and organised many struggles for the Railway workers.

He led the 1960, 1968 strikes and was victimised several times. After the historical 20 days Railway Strike of 1974, he was kept out of service for many years.  He was a communist and sacrificed his entire life for the working class.

I had the opportunity to meet him several times, in the meetings of the unions and also at Mumbai when I went there. He was of very simple nature and met the workers and helped them in many ways.

His death is a big loss to the trade union movement in the country, especially the Railway workers. My Respectful Homage and Red Salute to Com. P.R.Menon.

 

 

India to reverse Palestine Policy?

22 Monday Dec 2014

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It seems that the NDA government is on the move to change its Palestine Policy. The government of India, despite its close connection with Israel in defence dealings, had always supported the cause of the Palestine and voted in favour of its recognition in UN. Now it is reported in today’s  Hindu( dated 22nd December) that the government is thinking of abstaining  from such voting instead of supporting the Palestine cause.

This is unacceptable. The Government should support the cause of the Palestine people and not the interest of the aggressor, the Israel Zionists.

 

21st December 2014, Coldest day in 11 years, Fog started

22 Monday Dec 2014

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Delhi is reeling under cold. Yesterday, 21st December 2014, was the coldest day for the last 11 years, especially for the maximum temperature in the day. It was 15 degree in day time and 6 degree in night. This may continue for a few days. because of the thick fog,many trains and flights were also delayed.

In Amritsar and many places in the North, the situation was worse with cold wind and rain.

RINL chosen for Best PSU Award

22 Monday Dec 2014

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Rashtriya Ispat Nigam Limited (RINL), the steel plant at Visakhapatnam has been selected for the Best Public Sector Organisation Award – 2014 by the Quality Circle Forum of India. The RINL is getting this award for the seventh time.

Our Hearty Congratulations to the workers and management of RINL for their excellent performance and winning the award.

Selling of Family Silver – How much already sold.

22 Monday Dec 2014

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As per a report in the Business Line today, during the last 4 financial years the government has already sold shares of profitable PSUs worth Rs. 75,813 crores as shown below:

2010-11 : Rs. 22,144 crore

2011-12 : Rs. 13,894 crore

2012-13 : Rs. 23,956 crore

2013-14 : Rs. 15,819 crore

Total       : Rs. 75,813 crore

In this Financial year Rs. 1,700 crores worth share has already been sold and more are going to be sold.

Maximum profit and benefit are for the corporates and the rich who buy the shares and not the government or the people.

Another Disinvestment – 5% of SAIL for Disinvestment in January 2015

22 Monday Dec 2014

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Disinvestment process goes on. Within a few years all the assets of the people will be sold to the corporates and rich by the Government, who is only the manager. Now it is the turn of the SAIL, Steel Authority of India Limited, a good profit company.

5% of the shares, coming to  42.77 crores of shares  worth Rs.14,,900 crore will be disinvested. The present 68.94% shares of SAIL will come down to 63.94%.

Pre-2005 currency notes to be surrendered before 1 January 2015

21 Sunday Dec 2014

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Reserve Bank of India has advised people to surrender all pre-2005 currency notes before 1 January 2015. These includes all currency notes.
Post-2005 notes  have the year of printing on the reverse side of the note, while the pre- 2005 do not have the same. It is easy to find out.
Better exchange the pre- 2005 notes within the stipulated time.
Already the Reserve Bank has shedded 144.66 crore such notes with a value of about Rs. 52,855 crore.

Ban Forced Re-conversions – CPI(M)

21 Sunday Dec 2014

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December 21, 2014

Press Statement

The Polit Bureau of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) now in session in New Delhi has issued the following statement:

Prohibit Forcible Reconversion

The BJP and the RSS are indulging in doublespeak by talking about religious conversions. The RSS organisations are conducting a reconversion campaign targeting the minorities. The RSS Chief Mohan Bhagwat has justified this reconversion as bringing back people to their original faith. The episode of reconversion in Agra has exposed how false assurances and inducements were used for reconversion.

At the same time the BJP and RSS leaders are demanding a law to ban forcible religious conversions. There is no need for such a law as Article 25 of the Indian Constitution provides for “freedom of conscience and free profession, practice and propagation of religions”. If there is any forcible conversion it is already covered under Indian Penal Code (Section 153(a)) as it classifies forcible attempts in the name of religion as a criminal offence.

In fact the RSS campaign for forcible reconversion and the call for a law to ban forcible conversions are both directed against the religious minorities and intended to use the issue of conversion to sharpen communal divisions.

The Polit Bureau demands that the RSS sponsored reconversion campaign be prohibited using the provisions of the law.