The Budget presented by Finance Minister has put tax burden for final withdrawal of EPF. Tax for workers and tax waival and exemption for corporates. This is NDA government.
EPF withdrawal will be taxed
29 Monday Feb 2016
Posted in Uncategorized
Monthly Archives: February 2016
‘SWAS’ – out of 100 days, 60 days are over; What is the Update?
29 Monday Feb 2016
Posted in BSNL - Better Service to the Nation, BSNL News, BSNLEU, Forum
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Out of the 100 Days programme for Revival of BSNL under “SWAS’ (Service With A Smile), started from 1st January, 60 days are completed by 29th February 2016. it is utmost necessary to have an up-date in the matter after 60% of the period is over.
What is the actual increase in (a) Telephone connections (2) Market rate (c) revenue (d) satisfaction level of the customers and other connected matters? This is very much necessary to plan the future programmes. The BSNL Management and the unions should assess the situation and plan for the next stage.
No increase of limit in Income Tax exemption, But reduction of tax for corporates
29 Monday Feb 2016
Posted in General
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The pro-corporate, anti-people policy of the NDA government has once again been revealed and exposed. While there is no increase of the lower limit for exemption of income tax, which will benefit the common people and the working class, the corporate tax is reduced by 5%, which will benefit the privileged class.
Re-Privatisation of Nationalised Banks on the Government Agenda – Oppose and defeat the sinister move
29 Monday Feb 2016
It is now very clear why there was continuous attack on the Public Sector Banks recently from the government and the ruling parties.. The PSU Banks were blamed for the increased NPA (Non-Performing Assets ie. Bad Loans), reduced capital etc. The attack was aggressive and to put the banks in a bad light.
The reason is now clear to all. The government want to privatise these PSU Banks, which was brought in to the Public Sector from the private sector due to bad performance. As the next stage, the Finance Minister Arun Jaitely has announced in the Budget that the government share in the PSU banks can be reduced less than 50%. That clearly means privatisation.
The Members of the Parliament in the Parliament and the politicians, workers and people outside should fight and defeat the sinister move.
All India Protest Day on 10-03-2016 – Observe with massive participation
26 Friday Feb 2016
CENTRAL TRADE UNIONS DECIDE TO CONTINUE ACTION AGAINST CENTRAL AND STATE GOVTS. ANTI-LABOUR POLICIES All India Protest Day on 10th March, 2016 on 12 point charter
New Delhi: All the Central Trade Unions met on 27th January 2016 and resolved to continue their protest action against the anti labour policies of the Central and some State Govts. Central Trade Unions decided to observe 10th March, 2016 as All India Protest Day against Govt. indifference to the 12 point charter of demands and its unwillingness to restart discussions for working out concrete steps for resolution of the issues.
The Central Trade Unions reviewed the drastically deteriorating conditions of work and life of the working people and govt. going ahead with labour law amendments, disinvestment of PSUs and allowing FDI in strategic sectors. The Govt., it appears, does not want to wait for legislating these anti worker labour law amendments, it is taking away rights of workers by way of executive orders and directing state govts to carry out such pro-management amendments. The trade unions condemned one such directive issued by the Secretary, Ministry of Labour and Employment, Govt. of India on this 12th January granting exemption to so called start up enterprises from inspection and application of 9 major labor law legislations, thereby legitimizing the violations.
The Central Trade Unions took note of and extend solidarity to the sectoral struggles of workers/employees in Banks, Defence, Coal, Port and Docks and Telecommunications sectors, the anganwadi workers on their respective demands and also the Central Govt. employees including Railways resolve to launch action against retrograde recommendations of 7th Central Pay Commission. They also expressed their serious concern over extremely harsh punishment of “double life imprisonment” given by the Court to eight workers of Pricol Ltd., Coimbatore and appealed to all workers to extend help and solidarity.
The Central Trade Unions also decided to organize massive National Convention of Workers in Talkatora Stadium, New Delhi in the last week of March, 2016 to decide about the next course of united action programme.
Fight against anti labour policies will continue. The Central Trade Unions directed its constituents to prepare jointly for protest action on 10th March, 2016. They also appealed to independent employees/workers/unions and federations to participate in the protest action against the offensive of the Govt. against workers and common people.
Railways Budget Disappointing – CPI(M)
25 Thursday Feb 2016
Posted in General
Despite delivering probably the longest railway budget speech the budgetary proposals do not evoke any sense of well being in the Indian railways. Having hiked the passenger and freight charges several times prior to the budget, it was only natural that further hikes in the budget were not announced. The people of India were hoping that the budget will address the issue of expanding railway connectivity and take substantive measures for improving passenger amenities. On both these counts the budget was very disappointing.
Most importantly, given the alarming rise in rail accidents it was hoped that better measures for ensuring safety standards and financial allocations for enhancing safety measures would be taken up. Unfortunately, the budget does not generate any greater confidence amongst the Indian people for whom the railways constitute the most important link in the country’s connectivity and therefore its unity.
The most worrisome aspect of the budget concerns the financial health of the railways. Last year’s performance has been much below the anticipated earnings by the railways. Both freight and passenger earnings have significantly dropped and the gap between the budgetary estimates and the revised estimates of railway revenue is around a massive Rs. 17,000 crores. Further, the railways require around Rs. 32,000 crores to fulfill the obligations and recommendations of the 7th Pay Commission. This means that the railways are starting the financial year with a shortfall of nearly Rs. 50,000 crores. This shortfall, the railway minister hopes, will be bridged and surplus funds would be available for improving the railways through a massive dose of public-private partnership and the selling of the assets currently held by the Indian railways. The PPP model has globally proved to be a failure in improving the railways all across the world. Selling assets is like selling family silver to meet the day to day expenditure. This makes neither economic nor common sense.
Consequently, the grandiose projects announced by the railway minister, will in all probability, remain on paper like most of the earlier announcements made during the recent years.
Another disturbing aspect is that there is very little in the budget for protecting, leave aside improving the welfare of the railway workers. The railway minister praised the railway workers as the mainstay of the Indian Railways. This however appears mere lip service. Most of the services have already been privatized and the remaining few are also to enter the PPP mode. The workers discharging these services do not have any protection and in some cases are not even paid the stipulated minimum wages. This does not augur well for the future health of the Indian railways.
The CPI(M) has all along demanded that the Indian Railways must maintain its role in providing better services to the people as its foremost objective and not be reduced into a mere accounting exercise balancing its revenues and expenditures. We will have to wait for the general budget to see if there is any significant improvement in the budgetary support for the railways. Given the fiscal constraints and the overall economic slowdown in the Indian economy under this BJP government this however will not be forthcoming.
The consequent increased burdens on the people, the privatization of its assets and the abdication of the responsibility towards its workforce together mounts a further attack on the Indian people, who are crying for relief. (Press Statement by CPI(M)
BSNL on Revival Path, But much more to be done
25 Thursday Feb 2016
Posted in BSNL - Better Service to the Nation, BSNL News, BSNLEU, Forum
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BSNL is on the revival path after a weak performance for 4-5 years. It has increased its wireless connections systematically during the last few months at an accelerated rate of 1.41% putting Bharti Airtel, Vodafone and Idea behind in increase of numbers. BSNL market share has been increased to 8.16% from the earlier 8.06%. However, BSNL has to much improve its revival package to compete with the private companies:
As per the TRAI report for December 2015, the statistics are as below:
I. Land Line Sector
First position BSNL with 59.31% market share.
II. Wireless Sector
- Bharti Airtel : 24.07%
- Vodafone : 19.15%
- Idea : 17.01%
- Reliance : 9.98%
- Aircel : 8.47%
- BSNL : 8.16%
III. Broadband
- Bharti Airtel : 23.07%
- Vodafone : 18.98%
- Idea : 15.54%
- BSNL : 14.54%
Both the BSNL Management, the Unions and the workers have to make maximum efforts to improve the financial position of BSNL as also the service to the customers. It is not as simple and easy as telling. The main obstruction is the anti-PSU policy of the government which refuses to assist BSNL and even deny the financial dues to be paid by Government. Now the BSNL Management and Unions have initiated the ‘Service With A Smile’ (SWAS) programme, which has improved the BSNL position. But still, BSNL is far behind, except in the Landline sector, where it is still in the leading position with about 60% market share. The strategy should be to maintain and improve its position in Landlines and improve in the other sectors.
Let us make the ‘SWAS’ campaign a great success through dedicated and efficient work and save BSNL and its workers.
D-7, Telegraph Place, New Delhi no more – a peep in to the past
25 Thursday Feb 2016
Posted in Uncategorized
D-7, Telegraph Place, New Delhi – 110001 was the Quarters allotted to BSNL Employees Union since its formation. Earlier it was allotted to T.III Union and its GS Com. P.S.Raman Kutty stayed there. It is in the Gole Market area directly opposite to the Sucheta Kripalani Hospital.
Since 2003, I had been staying there till 12th January 2016, on which day I shifted to the Quarters allotted to BSNLEU at T-18 C, Atul Grove Road, New Delhi -110001. The shift became necessary as the Telegraph Place was sold to the Jharkhand government by the Central government. The quarters in the Telegraph Place are being demolished and a ‘Jharkhand Bhawan’ will be constructed there. The Bhoomi Puja attended by the Governor and Chief Minister of Jharkhand was held on 19th January 2016.
It was at D-7 that the meetings of the Joint Action Committee/Joint Forum, United Forum etc. used to meet while I was the Convener of those committees. BSNLEU was first registered at this address. And also AIBDPA. AIBDPA, NCCPA meetings also used to be held here. The office of the RMS Union Class III was in D-2, Telegraph Place which is in the same complex, has now been shifted to Postal Quarters Kalibari. Com.N.J.Iyer, B.K.Banerjee and C.C.Pillai(1994- 2010) General Secretaries of R.III Union,who were also office bearers of NFPE and Confederation of CG employees functioned from there. Com.Giriraj Singh, President, NFPE and GS R III also functioned from D-2 till the present shift.
NFPTE and all the All India Unions affiliated to it were accommodated in the ‘P and T House’, 9 Pusa Road, New Delhi since its inception in 1954. Later the offices were shifted to Dada Ghosh Bhawan in the 1960s, when the owner of 9,Pusa Road wanted the building vacated. However, R.III Union continued in the out house of 9, Pusa Road for some more time.
Later NFTE and some of its affiliates were allotted quarters by DOT at Gole Market. T.III got another quarters (D-7) in Gole market. Quarters granted to NFTE was demolished and another quarter was allotted at Kali Mandir Marg for NFTE, which now has been shifted near Corporate office.
Change is a constant factor. There is nothing which is not changing. In the same way, the NFPTE, NFTE, E.III/T.III – all had shifted offices several times. That is part of history. However, shifting from D-7, Telegraph Place reminds me about the past, its activities. It is also not sure how many days I will stay at the new place, since the allotment is only temporary.
The History of the P and T TU movement is full of struggles, crises and advances. These offices/quarters also have their part in the same.
Stop Violent Attacks on Citizens – CPI(M)
25 Thursday Feb 2016
Posted in General
| New Delhi, February 24: The Polit Bureau of the communist Party of India (Marxist) has issued the following statement:
The Polit Bureau of the CPI (M) expresses its grave concern and anguish over the growing signs of hatred and use of violence unilaterally to intimidate individuals, groups, identities who hold views contrary to those of the perpetrators. We are shocked over the acid attack on the social activist turned AAP functionary Soni Sori in Dantewada district of Chhattisgarh. Sori had to be brought to Delhi for urgent medical attention and continue to be in hospital. We are outraged by the brazen violence by the mob belonging to an extreme right wing group to force a policeman, Yusuf Sheikh in Latur in Maharashtra, to be paraded and install a saffron flag in Ambedkar Chowk which was in a sensitive part of the town. As a part his call of duty he was trying to restrict these miscreants to carry out their intention which could lead to repercussions leading to law and order problem. Sheikh grievously injured and undergoing treatment in Latur has reportedly complained “I phoned the control room and appraised them about the situation. Using my mobile, I called the in-charge of the Renapur station on his cell phone. But still, they failed to send reinforcements in time. The policemen reached Pangaon by 10.10 am. By then, the mob had assaulted me brutally and humiliated me by parading me.” Similar violence was let loose on Kanhaiya Kumar and academics and journalists while he was in police custody and was being produced in the Sessions Court in the Patiala House precinct. Particularly disturbing is the inaction, complicity and failure to apprehend the perpetrators by the law enforcement agencies. It is also clear that such brazen acts which show utter disregard for laws of the land could not be spreading rapidly but for this complicit role. No doubt, the overall atmosphere in the country which smacks of intolerance, hatred and polarisation has apparently emboldened the perpetrators. We demand that the Central Government, particularly the Prime Minister, who recently claimed that he is the PM of the whole country and not just of the BJP, to come out categorically and initiate measures to stop such blatant violations of law and the constitutional principles. Citizens must be emphatically reassured, constitutionally will not be allowed to be breached. |
Massive Protest against US Marine Base in Okinawa, Japan
23 Tuesday Feb 2016
Posted in General, WORLD NEWS
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About 30,000 people demonstrated outside the Japan Parliament forming a Human Chain protesting against the construction of a US Marine Base in Okinawa, which is part of Japan. The protest has been swelling as the US is strengthening its military bases in Japan. The people shouted “No more US bases in Japan.”
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