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Best Wishes and Warm Greetings to all friends, comrades and visitors on the joyous occasion of Diwali!
Diwali Greetings to all!
17 Tuesday Oct 2017
Monthly Archives: October 2017
“Taj Mahal, a blot on the India History” – BJP leader
16 Monday Oct 2017
Posted in General, Uncategorized
After removal of the world famous Taj Mahal from the tourist map of UP by the state government, a senior BJP leader, Sangeet Som MLA has stated that the monument was built by traitors and is a blot on India history. “Many people were worried that the Taj Mahal was removed from the list of historical places in the UP tourism booklet. What history are we talking about? The man who built Taj Mahal imprisoned his father. He wanted to massacre Hindus. If this is history, then it is very unfortunate and we will change this history, I guarantee you” Mr Som said at a rally in Meerut on Sunday.
Is BJP governments going to rewrite history and demolish all the earlier monuments which they do not like as in the case Babri Masjid? Is Red Fort, which is also built by Shah Jahan, on the firing line? Whether Prime Minister will discontinue hoisting the National Flag in Red Fort. Whether the South Block and North Block built by Britishers will be demolished ?
Intolerance against against minorities, against dalits, against free thinkers, against Communists and now against historical monuments! – BJP government moving fast on Fascist lines ?
GOVT. ATTACK ON POSTAL SERVICES – NFPE ON STRUGGLE PATH
16 Monday Oct 2017
Posted in Postal Service
Government has unleashed a sudden and most damaging attack on Post office Small Savings Schemes. Notifications are already issued permitting all Nationalised Banks and three Private Banks ( ICICI Bank , AXIS Bank and HDFC Bank) to accept deposits for all Small Savings Schemes viz ; Recurring Deposit (RD) , Time Deposits (TD) , Monthly Income Scheme (MIS) Senior Citizen Savings Scheme (SCSS) , Sukanya Samridhi Account (SSA) , Kisan Vikas Patra (KVP) and National Savings Certificate (NSC VIII issue) with effect from 10th October 2017.
This is a great blow to the Post office Small Savings Schemes and will be a threat to the job security of Postal Employees and also MPKBY /SAS Agents. About 40% of the Revenue and about 50% of the workload of Post office depends on the Post office Small Savings Schemes. Outsourcing of POSSS work to Banks will result in steady fall in Revenue and Workload of Postal Department.
GDS Committee Report , though submitted to Govt on 24th November 2016 , is still pending with Finance Ministry for approval. GDS Membership verification process has been suddenly stopped by the Government.
Overall situation in Postal Department is worsening day by day and resentment of the Employees is mounting.
NFPE CHQ views the above situation with grave concern and calls upon the entirety of Postal and RMS employees including GDS and Casual labourers to conduct mass protest demonstrations at all Centres and in front of all offices on 23rdOCTOBER 2017.
Urgent meeting of NFPE Federal Secretariat to be held shortly will announce further course of action. (Courtesy: NFPE Website)
The ITS Officers should support the struggle of the BSNL Unions and Associations.
16 Monday Oct 2017
Posted in BSNL
The agitation started by the Unions and Associations in BSNL for grant of wage revision from 01-01-2017 and against formation of separate Tower Company is fully justified and appreciated.
Except the top management and the ITS Officers, almost all are are united in the struggle. Just like the future of the employees, the future of the ITS is also dependent upon the future existence of BSNL. If BSNL does not exist, what will happen to them? They may be sent back to government, where it will be difficult even to find an office,nay a table and chair for them. The benefit they get from BSNL will all be over. Even otherwise ITS is part of the BSNL family.
It is therefore necessary that the ITS officers also should join the struggle of the workers to save BSNL by stopping the formation of Tower Company etc. It is hoped that the ITS Association will rethink and support the demands of the workers.
BSNL employees on war path for wage revision.
16 Monday Oct 2017
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BSNL employees under the leadership of ‘All Unions and Associations’ in BSNL, has started a series of agitational programmes demanding wage revision from 01-01-2017 and also against formation of separate tower company. The second demand is for saving BSNL and the first is for doing justice to the hard working employees, who have flown the flag of BSNL high and strong.
THE FIRST PROGRAMME WAS ORGANISED TODAY, 16th OCTOBER BY HOLDING MASSIVE DEMONSTRATIONS IN FRONT OF BSNL OFFICES/EXCHANGES. Despite the anti – BSNL stand of the government and the cut-throat competition by the biggest corporate in the country, Reliance, BSNL continues to march ahead only with the whole hearted dedication of the workers and the management. The stand of the DOT and the Communications Minister denying wage revision is not acceptable. The justifications for the wage revision have been fully submitted to the DOT and government by the Unions and Associations.
The government should not forget that despite its decision to disinvest and sell shares of BSNL, it could not be implemented due to the strong opposition of the workers. It is the same with the VRS which the government wanted for one lakh workers. The latter completely rejected VRS. The government could not implement its decision to unbundle its copper cables before the strong protest of the workers. Though the management and the government tried to deny a decent wage revision to employees w.e.f. 01-01-2007, through continuous struggles, they could achieve the same. This is the glorious history of BSNL workers.
If the government/DOT/Management do not concede the demands, the entire BSNL workers will be on war path. Unity and further unity is required to win the big battle. If no wage revision takes place, the future of the existing employees, the present and future pensioners and the BSNL direct recruitees will be bleak. Hence not only the employees, but the pensioners also have to completely join the struggle being organised by the workers. Of course, the government need not wait for grant of pension revision to the BSNL pensioners on the basis of the III PRC, since the pension is fully paid by the government and not the BSNL.
STRUGGLE FOR UNITY, UNITY FOR STRUGGLE AND UNITY & STRUGGLE FOR ADVANCEMENT.
Mass Dharna by CG employees on 17th October 2017
14 Saturday Oct 2017
Posted in CG Employees
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Confederation of Central Government Employees and Workers has called upon all its affiliates to organize Mass Dharna at all State Capitals on 17th October 2017 demanding immediate settlement of 21 points Charter of Demands submitted by it to the government. The Demands are given below:
CHARTER OF DEMANDS
1. Honour the assurance given by the Group of Ministers to NJCA on 30th June 2016 and 6th July 2016, especially increase in minimum wage and fitment factor. Grant revised HRA at the rate of 30%, 20% and 10% with effect from 01-01-2016. Settle all anomalies arising out of implementation of 7th CPC recommendations, in a time bound manner.
2. Implement option-I recommended by 7th CPC regarding parity in pension of pre-2016 pensioners.
3. Scrap PFRDA Act and Contributory Pension Scheme and grant pension and Family Pension to all Central Government employees recruited after 01.01.2004, under CCS (Pension) Rules 1972.
4. Treat GraminDakSewaks of Postal department as Civil Servants, and extend all benefits like pay, pension, allowances etc. of departmental employees to GDS.
5. Regularise all casual, contract, part-time, contingent and Daily rated mazdoors and grant equal pay and other benefits.
6. (a) No Downsizing, Privatisation, outsourcing and contractorisation of Government functions.
(b) Stop proposed move to close down Government of India Presses
7. Withdraw the arbitrary decision of the Government to enhance the bench mark for performance appraisal for promotion and financial upgradations under MACP from “GOOD” to VERY GOOD” and also decision to withhold annual increments in the case of those employees who are not able to meet the bench march either for MACP or for regular promotion within the first 20 years of service. Grant MACP pay fixation benefits on promotional hierarchy and not on pay-level hierarchy. Personnel promoted on the basis of examination should be treated as fresh entrants to the cadre for grant of MACP.
8. (a) Withdraw the draconian FR 56 (J) and Rule 48 of CCs (Pension) Rules 1972 which is being misused as a short cut as purity measure to punish and victimize the employees.
(b) Withdraw all trade union victimisations and attack on trade union facilities.
9. Fill up all vacant posts including promotional posts in a time bound manner. Lift ban on creation of posts. Undertake cadre Review to assess the requirement of employees and their cadre prospects. Modify recruitment rules of Group-‘C’ cadre and make recruitment on Reginal basis.
10. Remove 5% ceiling on compassionate appointments and grant appointment in all deserving cases.
11. Grant five promotions in the service carreer to all Central Govt. employees.
12. Abolish and upgrade all Lower Division Clerks to Upper Division Clerks.
13. Ensure parity in pay for all stenographers, Assistants, Ministerial Staff in subordinate offices and in all organized Accounts cadres with Central Secretariat staff by upgrading their pay scales. Grant pay scale of Drivers in LokSabha Secretariat to Drivers working in all other Central Government Departments.
14. Reject the stipulation of 7th CPC to reduce the salary to 80% for the second year of Child Care leave and retain the existing provision.
15. Introduce Productivity Linked bonus in all department and continue the existing bi-lateral agreement on PLB wherever it exists.
16. Ensure cashless, hassle free medical treatment to all Central Government employees & Pensioners in all recognized Government and Private hospitals.
17. Revision of Overtime Allowance (OTA) and Night Duty Allowance (NDA) w.e.f 01.01.2016 based on 7th CPC pay scale.
18. Revision of wages of Central Government employees in every five years.
19. Revive JCM functioning at all levels. Grant recognition to the unions/Associations under CCS (RSA) Rules 1993 within a time frame to facilitate effective JCM functioning.
20. Implementation of the Revised Pay structure in respect of employees and pensioners of autonomous bodies consequent on implementation of CCS (Revised Pay) Rules 2016 and Revised Pension Rules in respect of Central Government employees and pensioners.
21. Implementation of the “equal pay for equal work” judgment of the Supreme Court in all departments of the Central Government.
Birth Centenary of Eric Hobsbawm – Marxist Historian.
14 Saturday Oct 2017
Posted in Obituary, Tributes
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The Birth Centenary of British Marxist Historian Eric Hobsbawm is being observed this year. He was born on 9th June 1917 and died on 1st October 2012. He has written many books on history and the trilogy on the 19th Century, “The Long 19th Century” (The Age of Revolution: Europe 1789–1848, The Age of Capital: 1848–1875 and The Age of Empire: 1875–1914) which has been accepted as an authority on the subject. He was honoured by many awards. He was buried at High Gate Cemetery, where Karl Marx was also put to rest.
The Kerala Sahithya Academy is organising the last of the five series lecture at Kozhikode on 14th October 2017 at K.P.Kesava menon Hall at 5.PM.in co-ordination with the Purogamana Kala Sahithya Sangham. The Eric Hobsbawm lecture will delivered by Prof. Jyothirmaya Sharma, famous historian.
US creates unrest in West Asia
14 Saturday Oct 2017
Posted in General, Uncategorized
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US President Donald Trump has declared that he will not certify the Nuclear Deal with Iran, which was started during the president ship of Barak Obama. This will mean that the US is going to create fresh unrest in West Asia. It is very clear that Trump is taking a confrontational position with all whom he differs with. Already the relations with Cuba and N.Korea has worsened due to the arrogant attitude of Trump. He has withdrawn from UNESCO for the support given to Palestine by the world body. Is the cold war coming back?
Extend Support and Solidarity to the struggles called for by Unions and Associations – AIBDPA
13 Friday Oct 2017
Posted in AIBDPA - BSNL DOT Pensioners
All Unions and Associations of BSNL have served notice for the agitational programmes to both Secretary, DoT and CMD, BSNL on 11-10-2017 signed by 11 unions and associations.
The demands put forward are (1) Pay Revision from 01-01-2017 with 15% fitment benefit and (2) Drop the proposal to form a separate tower company.
The agitational programs are as follows;
Demonstration at Corporate, Circle and SSA levels on 16-10-2017.
Human Chain at Corporate, Circle and SSA levels on 16-11-2017
Two Days Strike on December 12th and 13th, 2017
Indefinite Strike if the issues are not settled, date of which will be announced in due course.
All the AIBDPA Units are requested to support the above agitational programs by participating in the Dharna and Human Chain and extend all help and co-operation for the strike.
AIBDPA will chalk out separate agitational programs for Pension Revision from 01-01-2017 with 15% fitment after the Mass Dharna called by NCCPA at New Delhi on 25-10-2017.
( Courtesy: AIBDPA)
US and Israel leave UNESCO.
13 Friday Oct 2017
Posted in WORLD NEWS
In an unprecedented move, both US and Israel has left the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO)on the ground that the latter is taking an anti – Israel stand. The US has not been contributing to the UNESCO fund since 2011 since UNESCO has been recognizing Palestine.
Narrow nationalism and anti-Palestine phobia has blinded US against international commitments. World nations have criticized US for the unjustified withdrawal and also non payment of funds to UNESCO.
VAN Namboodiri's Blog 