Monthly Archives: June 2015

“BLACK DAY” on 30th June 2015 against privatisation of Railways – AIRF

13 Saturday Jun 2015

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New Delhi-12th June 2015
Dr. Bibek Debroy Committee Report is a clear roadmap for privatization of Indian Railways. This was stated here by Shri Shiva Gopal Mishra, General Secretary of All India Railwaymen’s Federation (AIRF).
Shri Mishra further stated that the suggestions given by the Committee will endanger the Railway Safety and It will also increase financial burden on Indian Railways. The Report is quite unworkable and will be against 95 percent of Rail users of this country, who travels in general & sleeper classes.
Shri Mishra further hoped that keeping in mind its wider ramifications particularly on the comman man , government may not implement it.
Shri Shiva Gopal Mishra further mentioned that AIRF has decided to organize 23rd June to 30th June , 2015 as campaign week. AIRF has also given Clarion call to organize Black Day on 30th June 2015 throughout Indian Railway by wearing black badge and organizing Mass Meetings in the Ist phase of its agitation. In 2nd phase Rail users will also be involved and the movement will be made “ Jan Andolan”. (Courtesy: AIRF)

Speech of Com. Mavrikos, Secretary General WFTU at ILO 104 Session

13 Saturday Jun 2015

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A week ago, the World Federation of  Trade Unions held in Brussels, inside the European Parliament, an important International Trade Union Conference about the consequences on the workers and trade union movement of the policies of embargoes,blockades and discrimination imposed by the EU, the NATO, the USA and their allies.The participants of the Conference proved with evidence that  these policies of the imperialists against peoples and countries have always the workers, the youth, the women and the pensioners as their final victims, depriving from millions of workers the hope that they can build their future with dignified work.

It was also proved that the embargoes, blockades and discrimination have nothing to do with democracy and freedom. These words are used as an excuse. They use them hypocritically. In reality, we are talking about competition within the capitalist system, for rivalries and contradiction within the imperialist system, which happen for the control of the markets, the definition of new borders between countries, for new energy pipelines, for the  profits of transnational corporations and of the monopolies.

  • So, as a result of the imperialist interventions in Iraq, Libya and Syria, thousands of  women and children die in the Mediterranean Sea. For all those people, dignified work remains a mere declaration.
  • As a result of the ongoing and long lasting blockade against Cuba, the peoples of the whole world are deprived of the great achievements of the  Cuban Revolution in Medicine.
  • As a result of the blockades and the policy of Israel against the Palestinians, the Palestinians still don’t have their own homeland, with East Jerusalem as its capital.
  • As a result of the sanctions against Russia, poor farmers from Greece, Bulgaria, Serbia, Romania and elsewhere cannot sell their products, while Russian workers are losing their jobs.
  • As a result of the discrimination against Iran, Venezuela, the peoples in other countries are deprived of cheap oil.

Another thing that proves the hypocrisy of the imperialists is that from the ILO list of countries whose governments are accused, Colombia, Israel and the USA are missing. In these countries, governments violate basic human rights, since trade unionists are assassinated, there is discrimination even concerning who will enter a public transport bus, policemen who kill African Americans, firing without any reason, are acquitted.

The World Federation of Trade Unions, that celebrates this year its 70th anniversary, will steadily continue in all international forums intervening based on its principles, its internationalism, the values of international solidarity. It will continue standing by the  side of the People of Venezuela and the efforts of the government of President Nicolas Maduro Moros until the final defeat of  the imperialist efforts.

It will support the right of the Syrian people to decide democratically for themselves on their present and future, without external intervention of thousands of foreign mercenaries from the five continents.

We will continue to demand the punishment of those responsible for the death of 48 innocent people in Odessa, Ukraine, when neofascists set the building of the Trade Unions on fire.

We will continue to express our solidarity in practice with the imprisoned trade unionists in the prisons of Asuncion in Paraguay. We demand the immediate release of Colombian trade union leader Huber Ballesteros, who is still imprisoned in the Colombian prisons.

We are ready to cooperate, coordinate and support Peoples and unions who are victims of blockades. We must fight together to stop the blockades, embargoes that aim to plunder the natural and economic resources.

We must uncover the geostrategic games that generate unjust wars and millions of refugees.

We must steadily promote the position of the class oriented trade union movement that the natural resources must belong to the peoples, be social property and function for the improvement of the live of the simple peoples.

Only through the struggles of all of  us, we will be able to build a future with dignified work for all.

The WFTU stays loyal to these principles for 70 years now, and based on those principles that today have a more timely and rich content, we call upon all militant trade unions to fight together.

 

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VII CPC to submit Recommendations by August 2015

13 Saturday Jun 2015

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During the last installment of discussions with the Staff Side of JCM National Council, the VII CPC has informed that its Report will be submitted to the Government by the first week of August 2015. It was stated that it is recommending that the pay revision should be implemented with effect from 01-01-2016. However, there has been no assurance either on the Merger of DA with Pay or the Interim Relief, which the Staff Side has sought for earlier.

 

Unbelievable! There are 5 lakh pensioners who are above 100 years!

13 Saturday Jun 2015

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It is reported in Economic Times dated 13th June 2015, that there are about 6.05 lakh centenarians in the country and out of them about 5 lakhs are pensioners!

The information has been collected on the basis of the payment made to the pensioners through the banks. However, now the government has asked the banks to verify the list of pensioners to find out whether the same is the correct figure.

If there are 5 lakh pensioners in the country above 100 years, it is a good sign. But it is almost unbelievable since there are only a total of about 6 lakh centenarians in the country.

India Posts may get Banking licence

12 Friday Jun 2015

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After a long period of suspense, at last the India Posts may get licence for starting Payment Bank. While the government was prepared to grant bank licence to corporates, it was delaying grant of the same to the India Posts, although it was fully justified.

India Posts is having 1,54,149 Post Offices with 31 crore account holders in the Postal SB. It also delivers 1,575 crore mails every year. It is fully justified for the Bank Licence.

Let us hope the licence will be issued with out any delay.

Trade Unions Protest against government’s move on wages of Contract Workers

12 Friday Jun 2015

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The Central Trade Unions have been strongly demanding for the last few years for equal wage and benefits for the contract workers just like regular workers. The NDA government had also moved in that direction. But now due to strong pressure from the employers and corporates, the government seem to be backtracking.

According to a survey about 55%in public sector and 45% in private sector jobs are got done by the contract workers. They are being exploited in wages as well as working conditions.

The Central Trade Unions have opposed the present move of the government and have warned that they will never agree to any such condition.

Struggles by Workers to Defend and Save BSNL : 2004 – 2015 – ( 9 )

12 Friday Jun 2015

Posted by in BSNL - Better Service to the Nation, BSNLEU, Forum

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2007

Indian Telegraph Act 1986 amended to favour private companies.

The government in a move to favour the private telecom companies amended the more than one century old Indian Telegraph Act 1986 by making mobile service also eligible for USO Fund, which will enable them to grab a major portion of the same, which was only paid to BSNL & MTNL earlier for landlines.

GSM Tender issue and Agitational programmes.

Telegram campaign on 26-04-2007 against Infrastructure sharing

The Joint Forum of Unions/Associations in BSNL & MTNL in its meeting held on 17-04-2007 decided to call  all the units to sent Telegrams to the Prime Minister on 26-04-2007 and hold demonstrations on 04-05-2007 against TRAI recommendations on infrastructure sharing of BSNL/MTNL. The telegram campaign was a big success with hundreds of telegrams reaching the Prime Minister. The dharna on 04-05-2007 was massively participated.

The one week relay Dharna from 12th to 18th June 2007

The relay dharna was massively participated.

Memorandum to the Communications Minister

A Joint Memorandum by  the Joint Forum of Unions/Associations in BSNL and MTNL was submitted to Shri A.Raja, Minister Communications, on the major issues like immediate tendering for mobile lines and improving the services of BSNL and MTNL. It also indicated that if the tender for 45.5 million lines, which was pending due to court cases filed by the private telecom companies like Motorola and which has been cleared by the court after 2 years should be immediately acted upon by issuing the Advance Purchasing Order (APO) and getting the mobile lines so that the immediate need of the expansion of about 60 million line capacity ( 45.5 million tender + 14.5 million reserve quota to ITI) could be done. It was reported in the press that the government was going to cancel the tender due to pressure from private companies. It was also mentioned that if the government purposely delay the purchase, the workers will be compelled to resort to direct action. The Memorandum was signed by V.A.N.Namboodiri (BSNLEU) & Convener Joint Forum, M.B.Vichare( NFTE), K.Vallinayagam(FNTO),G.L.Jogi( SNEA(I),Prahlad Rai(AIBSNLEA), V.Narayana( BSNLMS),S.V.S.Subrahmanyam( BTEU BSNL),Dhiraj Chaudhary( SNATTA), Satyavir Singh (MTNL MKU), Ram Prasad( MTNL KU),R.C.Chaddha( MTNL SC/ST TEWA),Inderdev Singh( MTNL MS) and S.P.Sharma(BSNLWRU).

The statement of the Communications Minister Shri A.Raja, as reported in the press, which is given below shows, how the government was trying to favour the private manufacturers and creating bottlenecks in the growth of BSNL

“I will not allow BSNL to purchase 45.5. million cellular lines at the rates quoted by the lowest bidder. The rates are too high. If BSNL goes ahead with the tender in the current form and award L-1, the APO will be paying close to Rs. 10,000 crore more unnecessarily.

“A delay was unavoidable in these circumstances. It is important to correct mistakes at any stage even it holds up development.

“It is surprising Motorola, one of the leaders in the world Telecommunication equipments and a firm that supplies 2G and 3G equipments to MTNL, can not qualify technically.”

This created a grave situation with regard to the development of the BSNL.

The agitational programmes

If the tender will be delayed or cancelled, it will cause loss of many thousands of crores of rupees to BSNL and it will be out of race in the mobile market. In fact, BSNL will become almost irrelevant in the mobile sector.

Sensing the deep crisis laden situation, the Joint Forum of BSNL Unions/Associations met and decided to bring the same to the government’s notice. Thousands of telegrams were sent to the Prime Minister and Communications Minister demanding immediate action. It was also decided to organize the following action programmes culminating in strike if suitable action is not taken by the Government.

Badge Wearing Demonstration in front of exchanges/offices on 5th July 2007 onwards

Massive Dharnas before offices/exchanges on 9th and 10th July 2007.

One Day Strike on 11th July 2007, which will be converted to Indefinite Strike if the issues are not settled.

Demonstrations were organized in front of offices on July 5, 2007 onwards and massive dharnas were conducted on 9th and 10th July. Notice had already been issued that if the issue was not settled before 10th July, the workers will go on Strike on 11th July 2007. The Strike Notice was signed by the following Unions/Associations:

V.A.N.Namboodiri(BSNLEU) Convener, M.B.Vichare(NFTE), K.Vallinayagam(FNTO), V.Narayana(BSNLMS), Prahlad Rai(AIBSNLEA), G.L.Jogi(SNEA(I), S.P.Sharma(BSNLWRU), S.V.S.Subrahmanyam(BTEU) and V.Subburaman(TEPU)

The Badge wearing, Demonstrations and Dharnas as decided by the Joint Forum were massively organized. The workers actively participated and were ready for any action to save BSNL.

BSNL Bank Account frozen for not remitting EPF in Ranchi, Jharkhand

11 Thursday Jun 2015

Posted by in BSNLCCWF - Casual and Contract workers, BSNLEU

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The EPF authorities has frozen the Bank Account of BSNL in Ranchi, Jharkhand, for not remitting the EPF dues of Rs. 3,47,43,928 (3.47 crore) to the contract workers. This is not the first time such thing has happened in Jharkhand. Despite clear instructions from the BSNL Corporate Office, many SSAs are ignoring the same, thus violating the EPF Act, passed by the Parliament. This is not only a violation of the labour law of the country, but such officers are bringing shame to the BSNL itself.

BSNLCCWF has taken such cases  with the the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Labour as also the  Central EPF Commissioner. Both have criticised the BSNL management. Consequently BSNL Management has given clear instructions to field officers. Still the violation continues and BSNL accounts are frozen.

BSNLCCWF units are requested to complain to the EPF authorities, wherever, the EPF is not implemented or the dues are not paid.

We congratulate the Jharkhand Circle leaders of both BSNLCCWF and BSNLEU  for their active interest and intervention in the matter.

60: 40 issue connected with Pension payment of BSNL Retirees

11 Thursday Jun 2015

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As per an RTI received, the pension payment of BSNL retirees was less than 60% of  the various payments like dividend, tax etc.paid by BSNL to DOT till the financial year 2009-2010. From 2010-11 onwards, the pensions payment is more than 60% of the payments made by BSNL.

This is one of the reasons why the DOT was delaying the preparation of the Cabinet note on 78.2% IDA  pension fixation. However, now the cabinet note is prepared and is being forwarded to the nodal departments for approval, after which the same will be submitted to Cabinet.

 

 

Trade Unions (PAME) occupy Ministry of Finance in Greece

11 Thursday Jun 2015

Posted by in TU News - International, WFTU

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Athens, June 11, 2015 PRESS RELEASE

This moment, workers from dozens of trade unions of both the private and the public sector that rally with PAME, have occupied the Ministry of Finance of Greece, where they have raised a giant banner at the front of the building with the slogan “Enough blood we have shed! Enough we have paid! People, take the situation in your own hands! Block the new measures and the long lasting memorandums!” Already, more than 700 trade union and peoples’ organisations have called for participation to the demonstrations of PAME, today afternoon all over Greece. We call the workers, the youth, the women, the pensioners to massively take part to the demonstrations.

Congratulations to Workers in Greece for the bold action.