Monthly Archives: March 2016

International Women’s Day – 8th March 2016

07 Monday Mar 2016

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8th March is the International Women’s Day.  This day is observed and celebrated throughout the world. Many functions on gender equality, women’s rights, equal opportunity, equal space, education  and all such issues will be discussed and debated. But it is to be remembered that it is not the duty of women alone, but that of men also.

Warm Greetings and Best Wishes to all on this International Women’s Day!

Task Force to reduce central staff

07 Monday Mar 2016

Posted by in CG Employees

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Government constitute Task Force to reduce staff 

“Prime Minister Narendra Modi has constituted a five-member task force to rationalise central government staff and ensure their maximum optimisation.

            The task force will be headed by Establishment Officer and Additional Secretary in Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) Rajiv Kumar and it will submit its report next month.” (Press Release by Government)

This is clearly a move to reduce the staff strength. Due to ban on recruitment, the staff strength in the Central Services has gone down drastically. Thousands of employees are retiring every month, but the recruitment is very less. The government is proposing to further reduce the number.  The Central government employees’ organisations have to fight this attack on the workers.

         

 

EPF under attack by Government

07 Monday Mar 2016

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Employees Provident Fund is under attack.Government is trying to take away the  hard earned money of the employees put in the EPF. This year’s Budget has proposed  to tax 60% of the EPF at the time of withdrawal after retirement. The right to withdraw the EPF fully, if you leave the job at any time, is also taken away. The EPF can be fully withdrawn only after you reach 60 years. The government has also been compelling the EPFO to put the savings in private mutual funds etc. to help the corporate  on the plea of getting more dividend.

It seems that the government want to hand over the huge funds at the disposal of the EPF to the private corporates for their benefit. This will be disastrous. Strong protest should erupt from the workers and their organisations. Government should be compelled to withdraw the enethical move to tax the EPF money.

It is also necessary that similar tax imposed on the NPS should be withdrawn.

Air India to post profit by 2016-17

07 Monday Mar 2016

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There is hope for Air India for better future. As per the revenue estimate put up by the board and the increase in traffic, it is pointed out that the airline may be profitable by 2016-17. The PSU has posted an operational profit of Rs. 8 crore in 2015-16 and the loss has come down from Rs. 5,859 crore in 2014-15 to Rs. 2,636 in the current year.

It is learnt that large amount of airfare charges are to be paid by the government to the Air India during the last few years. The government should pay the same urgently to help the company.

Central Government resembling “Hitler’s Fascism Model” – Sitaram Yechuri

06 Sunday Mar 2016

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Mumbai, Mar 6 CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury today said the present regime at the Centre would resemble “Hitler’s fascism model” if a parallel is drawn with history, even as he accused BJP and RSS of manufacturing the debate on nationalism to serve their agenda of “Hindu” rashtra.
“An aggressive nationalism debate has been manufactured by the BJP and RSS so that they can force their agenda on the nation. They want to convert a democratic, republic and a secular country into a Hindu rashtra,” he told reporters here.
The senior Left leader alleged that nationalistic feelings of people are being misused.
“If a parallel were to be drawn of the present government with history, the present regime resembles (Adolf) Hitler’s fascism model,” he said.
Yechury said the patriotism debate was manufactured for specific reasons as “the government is unable to handle the massive expectations people had. Also, people are grappling with financial stress of which the government can do nothing about”.
He alleged the government intends to let private banks take over their public sector counterparts who, as per conservative estimates, have lost around Rs 6 lakh crore due to non-payment of loans.
“There has been a 26 per cent rise in farmers’ suicides during two years of Modi’s rule. (Crude) oil rates have fallen drastically but consumers have not benefited. There is frustration among people. The government is scared that all this does not transform into an agitation and thus this nationalism debate is created,” he said.
Replying to a query, he said if Jawaharlal Nehru University is compared with its peers, “its contribution in IAS, IFS, IPS is large and people’s money is being used properly”.
“You will find a JNU product everywhere. So there is no wastage of taxpayers’ money. JNU students are also soldiers who are fighting for a better India,” he said referring to the criticism of the university and its students by the right-wing parties. (Courtesy: Ganashakti)

 

Organise massive dharna on 10th March demanding 78.2% IDA Pension Fixation

05 Saturday Mar 2016

Posted by in AIBDPA - BSNL DOT Pensioners

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The DOT and the central government is unnecessarily delaying grant of 78.2% IDA Pension fixation for pre-10-06-2013 and pre-2007 BSNL absorbed pensioners. The delay can not be justified at all. It is about three years since the 78.2% IDA was granted to the employees and to those retired after June 2013. But those retired before that date is yet to get the same.

The file is moving from desk to desk  in DOT without finalisation. Assurances are plenty that the file will be sent to Cabinet early, but every time some new problem or unnecessary question arises and the files continues to be in DOT.

This discrimination and injustice should end. The BSNL pensioners should be granted to the pre- June 2013 and pre-2007 pensioners.

AIBDPA has called for massive protest by Dharna on 10th March 2016 demanding 78.2% IDA Pension fixation. Participate in the programme fully by bringing all the pensioners to the dharna.

We shall fight! We shall win!  We shall not allow the government to cheat the pensioners of their hard earned right!

Reservation – Press Note by Government

05 Saturday Mar 2016

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RESERVATION IN PROMOTION 

Press Information Bureau 

Government of India

Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances & Pensions

02-March-2016 15:37 IST

Reservation in Promotion 

            The instructions issued by Department of Personnel & Training provide for reservation in promotion to persons belonging to Scheduled Castes (SCs) and Scheduled Tribes (STs) in posts in the Central Government upto the lowest rung of Group ‘A’. These instructions are also being implemented by Central Public Sector Undertakings, wherever reservation in promotion is applicable.

            The Supreme Court in its judgment dated 19.10.2006 in the matter of M. Nagaraj & Others vs. Union of India and Ors., while upholding the validity of some of the Constitutional Amendments, observed that the concerned State will have to show in each case the existence of compelling reasons, namely, backwardness, inadequacy of representation and overall efficiency of administration before providing reservation in promotion. In order to provide impediment free reservation in promotion to SCs and STs, the Constitution (One Hundred and Seventeenth Amendment) Bill, 2012 was introduced in Rajya Sabha in September, 2012. The Bill was passed by the Rajya Sabha on 17.12.2012 and transmitted to the Lok Sabha for consideration and passing. The Bill could not be considered in the Lok Sabha and lapsed on the dissolution of 15th Lok Sabha. The issues emanating from the Supreme Court judgment in M. Nagaraj case are under examination.

  •  This was stated by Minister of State for Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions and Minister of State in the PMO Dr. Jitendra Singh in a written reply to a question by Shri Kaushal Kishore in the Lok Sabha today.

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Withdraw the unjustified tax on PF withdrawal, Mr. FM

05 Saturday Mar 2016

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As pointed out earlier in this blog, there is no justification to tax the withdrawal from Provident Fund, the hard earned funds of the employees. It is inhuman and cruel to steal the funds from those retiring workers, who have deposited the same for utilising after their retirement.

Strong and wide protests have erupted from all sections of workers against this tax proposal. The Central trade Unions have strongly opposed. Most of the newspapers, in their editorials, have criticised the government move.

Accept the mistake Mr. Finance Minister and withdraw the unjustified tax proposal!

A revisit on Telecom Sector needed

05 Saturday Mar 2016

Posted by in BSNL - Better Service to the Nation, BSNL News, General

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Telecom is one sector which had outgrown all other sectors during the last few decades. The private sector has outgrown the public sector companies in telecom due to the massive capital investment through FDI and loans from the banks. Another reason is the division of the Telecom services under the DOT in to many companies through corporatisation, like  BSNL,MTNL and VSNL. They  would have grown much more than the private telecom companies had the government has not continued its anti-PSU, anti BSNL-MTNL-VSNL policy. VSNL is privatised and is now Tata Telecommunications. More than 46% shares of MTNL have been sold.

In between, further division of BSNL has taken place by forming BBNL by bifurcation of the former. Move is afoot to form a Tower Company out of BSNL with the intention of privatising the same. Making all these PSUs in to loss is in preparation for privatisation.

This is a critical period. While through the initiative of the  BSNLEU, Forum of BSNL Unions/Associations and the BSNL Management a gradual change for the revival of BSNL is taking place, such a move is yet to take place in MTNL.

It is in this context that the workers and their unions/associations have to revisit the entire strategy to strengthen the public sector telecom companies and providing an excellent service to the customers.  The following points needs consideration.

  1. What is the possibility of merging the telecom PSUs including BSNL, MTNL and BBNL as also C-DOT? What will be the impact of such a merger? What should be the criteria and conditions for such a merger, if the same is to be demanded.
  2. What is the pros and cons of such a merger?
  3. The employees in most of the private telecom companies are  not organised as far as the available information. Much exploitation is taking place. Is it not necessary to organise the workers in these companies? What is to be done in this matter? Why can’t the unions/associations in BSNL/MTNL take the initiative?
  4. Is there any possibilities of forming a composite union for both the executive and non-executive employees in these PSUs? The example of Unions in Nepal Telecom can be examined.
  5. Workers participation in Management is not only an idea. it is to be practiced. At least one post of Director in these PSUs should be granted to the recognised union/s.

Many such suggestions may come if a fruitful discussion take place in the matter. There is no doubt that a revisit is necessary for saving the telecom PSUs.

Why not one union for both executives and non executives?

04 Friday Mar 2016

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Presently there are separate unions/associations for executives and nonexecutives in the PSUs. This in reality is dividing the working class in to separate compartments.
This system should go. All the workers should be united.