16 Thursday Jun 2016
Posted in General
16 Thursday Jun 2016
Posted in Disinvestment, PSU
During the UDF government in Kerala, the state PSUs were purposely made ineffective and weakened for closure and privatisation. The new LDF government and the Chief Minister has declared that the state PSUs will be revived and strengthened.
It is necessary for this purpose to prepare a White Paper on the present situation of all the state PSUs continued with action plan to rejuvenate them. Opinions/Suggestions from the trade unions, experts, public and the workers of these PSUs may be taken, before finalisaion of the programme.
The people of the country have to understand the difference between pro-PSU policy of the LDF government and the anti-PSU policy of the NDA government.
15 Wednesday Jun 2016
Posted in CITU, Disinvestment, PSU
Tags
CITU Condemns Retrograde Move to Sell Out
Public Sector Companies With Huge Asset
New Delhi, June 15: The Centre of Indian Trade Unions condemns the retrograde move by the Govt of India to fast track selling out the Central Public Sector Enterprises with its huge asset base to private hands. With this dubious intent, the NITI Ayog has been made to submit a list of CPSEs to Prime Minister’s office recommending fast track sale of those companies on various pretext.
It is a matter of alarm that in order to facilitate sale-out of the CPSEs, the NITI Ayog has been made to recommend further capital investment from national exchequer in some of those CPSEs like Air India, FACT , Chennai Petroleum, Madras Fertilisers etc, not just to revamp their operational efficiency, but to make them saleable to private hands.
The history of such strategic sale of around nine CPSEs, like IPCL, BALCO etc during the previous NDA regime reveals that each of those CPSEs with their huge asset-base were sold at prices less than one fourth of their real asset value at then market prices, that too, virtually to a single bidder, as observed by CAG at that material time. The Narendra Modi Govt at present has become more desperate in selling out huge national assets in the chosen CPSEs to its private corporate constituency, both domestic and foreign, at a throw away price, much to the detriment of national interest. Two years’ BJP regime could not create nor facilitate any new establishments for productive employment generation in any significant scale except making loud noises through media-hype and creating statistical illusions on GDP growth; on the other hand the Govt is desperately moving ahead for mega-sale of huge national assets through sale of CPSEs.
The NITI Ayog while making such disastrous recommendations along with the list of CPSEs for sale, went to the extent of arguing that “non-priority sector CPSE, once revived, could always be considered for strategic disinvestment”. Could devility go further ? Can Airlines, petroleum companies, fertilizer producing units be construed as “non-priority sector” in our country by any stretch of imagination ? But a Govt in a hurry to establish its corporate loyalty and also so called “reforms-credential” can certainly go to such devilish extent, totally unconcerned of national interest.
Such retrograde move of frittering away national assets in country’s CPSEs must be combated and resisted by the working class movement of the country. The united platform of country’s trade union movement comprising almost all the trade unions and federations of the country has already decided to go in for countrywide general strike on 2nd September 2016 demanding, inter alia, the withdrawal of such disastrous move of sale-out of national assets and CPSEs, in order to defend the working people as well as to defend the national economy.
The CITU while calling upon the working people and trade unions in the country irrespective of affiliations to prepare for staging the countrywide General Strike on 2nd September 2016 in a massive way, also calls for organizing united protest in workplaces and industrial centres against such retrograde move of privatization by the BJP Govt.
15 Wednesday Jun 2016
Posted in Price Rise, PSU
Though the NDA government is taking undue delay in taking decisions on the recommendations of the VII CPC, on the justified demands of the working class and also stopping the high price hike, it is moving fast with destroying the Public Sector Units. The latest is the cabinet decision to merge the 5 associated banks with the SBI, which is strongly opposed by the bank employees and the trade unions. In the name of strengthening the SBI, it is destroying the associated banks which have served the people in a big way. The merger will neither serve the interests of the SBI. Many branches will be closed and employees will be reduced.
The organisations of the Bank employees are on struggle against the fully unjustified decision of the government. Our full support and solidarity to them. We demand the government to retract from the wrong step.
15 Wednesday Jun 2016
Posted in BSNL, Obituary, Tributes
Tags
Com.M.P.Kunhanandan, veteran leader of the P and T employees and former all India treasurer of AIBDPA who expired on 14th June 2016 was cremated today at the electric crematorium Mavoor Road , Kozhikde. A large number of comrades, friends, co-workers and others have been present to pay homage. Comrades from other districts of Kerala also attended.
A Condolence Meeting was held afterwards at the Sports Council Auditorium organised under the various political parties and organisations and attended by a large number of people from different sections of society. V.A.N.Namboodiri presided. K.T.Kunhikannan, K.G.Jayaraj, N.Chandran, A.V.Viswanathan, Saleem, V.Sahadevan, M.Vijayakumar, K.Bhaskaran, T.V.Balan, Guruprasad, K.G.Mathai, I.K.Biju, T.V.Nirmalan,T.C.Biju Raj, K.Krishnan,O.Sadasivan and others spoke and expressed their deep condolences and sorrow. They also mentioned about the great contributions made by Com. Kunhanandan in the various fields he worked. A condolence resolution was adopted and the house stood in silence for one minute.
The people of Calicut will ever remember the great contributions of Com. M.P.Kunhanandan.
15 Wednesday Jun 2016
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The Modi Government has decided to privatise many government corporations and to sell up to 51% to private in some other corporations. It seems that as per this decision, the BJP government will dispose almost all the central PSUs to the private in the name of garnering funds for the government.
Thousands of acres of land in various metro cities owned by these corporations are going to be handed over to the private companies from meagre amounts. Existing employees of these PSUs will lose jobs, once these are transferred to private.
The Central trade unions and the public sector unions have to confront this all round attack and defeat the government conspiracy. Otherwise, there will be no central PSUs by about one decade.
14 Tuesday Jun 2016
Posted in AIBDPA - BSNL DOT Pensioners, BSNL, Obituary, Tributes
With great shock and sorrow it is informed that Com.M.P.Kunhanandan, senior leader of BSNLEU, former All India Treasurer, AIBDPA and a well known social worker, passed away today at 10.20 A.M. at a Calicut Hospital, where he was admitted two days back. He was 67.
Com.Kunhanandan was a dedicated leader of the telecom workers and has functioned in the capacity of E.III Union Divisional Secretary, Asst. Circle Secretary and many other posts in the union. His capacity to take any responsibility efficiently and effectively is well known. After retirement from service, he was functioning as the Director of a co-operative Bank in addition to his union responsibility. Com.Kunhananadan vacated his treasurer post at Tirupati AIC of AIBDPA last year on health grounds.
From the time his entry in the P&T Department, he was active in the P&T Trade Union movement. He participated in all the strikes and agitations and was victimised several times. He was issued with charge sheet and transferred in connection with the 19-01-1982 strike against victimisation. (This was mentioned in the “Panorama of P&T Trade Union Movement” written by Com.N.J.Iyer, President, NFTE)).
The grand Exhibition on “P & T Trade union Movement” displayed at the time of the last Circle Conference of BSNL Employees Union, Kerala Circle held at Calicut in 2015 at the initiative Com. MPK was a testimony of his great capacity in any field.
He was simple and sincere to the core. He was also committed to to great traditions of the P&T TU movement.
Coms.V.A.N.Namboodiri, Patron BSNLEU, P.V.Chandrasekharan, Patron AIBDPA along with Com. K.G.Sanjeevan Dist. Secretary, AIBDPA Calicut went to the hospital where Com.Kunhannadan was admitted yesterday, met his son and relatives and enquired about his health condition. He was feeling better. But today morning all of a sudden, his condition became worse and passed away.
A large number of comrades, friends and acquaintances including Pradeep Kumar, MLA, P.Mohanan Master District Secretary CPI(M),M.K.Raghavan, M.P., Thottathi Ravindran, Mayor of Calicut, Smt. Meera Darshak, Dy.Mayor, Corporation Councillors, V.A.N.Namboodiri, Advisor, AIBDPA, Vijaya Kumar, AGS, BSNL Employees Union and leaders of all political parties visited his house and conveyed condolences.
He leaves behind his wife Smt. P.K.Vineetha and two sons Suhas and Sandesh.
The cremation will take place tomorrow (15th June 2016) at Mavoor Road Crematorium, Calicut. A condolence meeting will be held at 11.00 AM at the District Sports Council Office, Mananchira, Calicut.
Our Heartfelt Condolences to the bereaved family, friends and comrades! His death is a great loss to the P&T Fraternity and working class.
Red Salute to Com.M.P.Kunhanandan!
14 Tuesday Jun 2016
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While more than 1,60,000 employees have retired in BSNL since its inception in 2000, only around 40,000 have been recruited keeping a vacuum of about 1,20,000 vacancies. Of course, there may be justification of reduction of staff due to highly sophisticated equipments. Despite that there is acute shortage, resulting delay in providing a good service. Especially in the cadres of Telecom Technician, Assistant Technician etc. who are mainly attending to the day to day service and maintenance, there has been no recruitment at all, causing much difficulty.
To make the SWAS programme (Service With A Smile), adequate staff is required and new recruitment is the route. The unions / associations in BSNL can not sit idle in the matter.
13 Monday Jun 2016
Posted in BSNL
The BSNL Management has issued orders fixing 27th September 2016 for the Membership Verification of the Executive Associations in BSNL for grant of recognition. Only one association which gets the maximum number of votes will be recognised. The verification will be through secret ballot.
13 Monday Jun 2016
Tags
Since the III Pay Revision Committee has been appointed for the pay revision of the executives in the central PSUs including BSNL, the immediate task of the recognised unions in BSNL to ensure that the wage negotiation for the revision of wages for the non-executives is started. BSNLEU, the main recognised union. has already written to the BSNL Management and Secretary DOT in this matter.
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