Author Archives: VAN NAMBOODIRI

MASS DHARNA IN FRONT OF FINANCE MINISTER’S OFFICE A RESOUNDING SUCCESS

23 Tuesday May 2017

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23rd MAY 2017

ABOUT 3000 CENTRAL GOVERNMENT EMPLOYEES AND PENSIONERS RALLIED IN FRONT OF NORTH BLOCK, THE CENTRE OF GOVERNANCE OF GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

AN OUTBURST OF PROTEST, ANGER, RESENTMENT AND DISCONTENTMENT AGAINST THE BETRAYAL OF NDA GOVERNMENT

The mass dharna organized in front of Union Finance Minister’s office at North Block, New Delhi was a thundering success. Inspite of repeated intervention of the police authorities and also denial of police permission in the last minute, employees and pensioners poured in thousands from all parts of the country and defeated the attempt of the authorities to prevent the Confederation from conducting the dharna at the declared venue, North Block, the centre of governance of Govt. of India. About 3000 employees and pensioners participated. As South Block and North Block are highly protected security zone in Delhi, during the last more than 15 years, no agitational programme could be organized near South/North Block. The dharna participants included employees from various affiliates of Confederation, Central Government Pensioners Associations, Autonomous body employees and pensioners. As a mark of solidarity and support of Central Secretariat employees, the leaders of Central Secretaries Employees Associations also participated in the mass dharna. The demands raised in the 21 point charter of demands of Confederation submitted to Government during the 16th May 2017 strike was highlighted. The demands included honour assurance given by the Group of Minister’s on 30.06.2016 to NJCA leaders, Increase minimum wage and fitment formula, grant revised allowances including HRA and Transport Allowance from 01.01.2016, Implement option-I parity recommended by 7th Pay Commission for pre-2016 pensioners, Implement positive recommendations of Kamalesh Chandra Committee Report on GDS and grant Civil Servant Status to Gramin Dak Sevaks, Regularise casual, Part-time, contingent, daily-rated and contract workers and grant equal pay for equal work, withdraw stringent conditions imposed on MACP promotions, Scrap PFRDA Act and withdraw NPS, stop outsourcing, Fill up all vacant posts, remove 5% condition on compassionate appointments, upgradation of pay scale of LDC/UDC, parity in pay to stenographers, Assistants, Ministerial staff in subordinate offices and in all organized accounts cadres with that of Central Secretariat staff etc.

The mass dharna programme was presided by Com. K. K. N. Kutty, National President, Confederation. Coms: M. Krishnan, Secretary General, Confederation, R. N. Parashar, Secretary General, NFPE, Asok Kumar Kanojia, President, ITEF, Tapas Bose, President, Audit & Accounts Associations, R. Seethalkshmi, Convenor, Women’s Sub Committee, M. K. Kaushik, Ghanashyam, Central Secretariat Employees Association, Worlikar, National Federation of Atomic Energy Employees, Srikrishna Sharma, Central Government Pensioners Association, Rajasthan, Jaipur, Giriraj Singh, President, NFPE & COC Delhi addressed the huge gathering. Com. Vrigu Bhattacharjee, Secretary General, Civil Accounts Employees Association & General Secretary, COC Delhi welcomed the dharna participants and Com. Geetha Bhattacharjee, National Secretariat member, offered vote of thanks. The mass dharna commenced at 11 AM and concluded at 2.30 PM. Slogans condemning the betrayal of the Group of Ministers were shouted.

The successful mass dharna once again proved that it is Confederation and Confederation alone is dare enough to fight against the betrayal of the NDA Government and also against all injustices meted out to the Central Government employees and Pensioners. The unprecedented success of the 16th March 2017 one day strike and the 23rd May 2017 mass dharna programme is a clear message to the Government that Confederation shall not rest, till the genuine and justified demands of the Central Government employees and Pensioners are settled.

Let us march forward to our next programme i.e; HUMAN CHAIN of Central Government Employees and Pensioners in all major cities in front of all important offices on 22nd June 2017.

Yours faithfully,

(M. Krishnan)
Secretary General (Courtesy: Confederation website)

Dharna against Railway Station Privatisation

22 Monday May 2017

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Despite heavy rain, a massive dharna was organised at the Kozhikode Railway Station premises today, 22nd May 2017, against the move of the government to privatise the Kozhikode Railway Station. The dharna organised under the ‘Committee Against Railway Privatisation’ was inaugurated by Com.V.A.N.Namboodiri, senior TU leader and Founder General Secretary of BSNLEU. He attacked the privatisation policy of the government and the need to unitedly fight against the same. The experience in BSNL was shared. Railway privatisation will benefit the corporates only by utilisation of the railway land for building malls, hotels etc. The dharna was presided over by CITU District Secretary Com. P.K.Mukundan, who is also the Chairman of the Reception Committee. Leaders of INTUC, AITUC, CITU and other service organisations spoke and expressed their solidarity and support to the struggle.

CPI(M) Condemns Brutal Attack on Protesters In Kolkata

22 Monday May 2017

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New Delhi, May 22: The Polit Bureau of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) has issued the followings statement:

Condemn Brutal Attack on Protesters In Kolkata

The Polit Bureau of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) strongly condemns the police brutality unleashed against peaceful protesters at the state government headquarters Nabanna in Kolkata today. Over nine hundred protesters were grievously injured and over a hundred of them are reportedly in a critical condition. Even media personnel were not spared.

Left Kisan and agricultural workers organisations had given a call for a protest action on an 18 point charter of demands highlighting the hardships imposed upon the people of West Bengal particularly in the rural areas and demanding that the state government implement pro-people measures. Subsequently, Left mass organisations and the West Bengal Left Front expressed their solidarity with this action and joined the protest.

The protest was peaceful. The leaders went to handover the memorandum which was not allowed by the authorities. Subsequently, the tens of thousands who had collected there were barricaded to ensure that there is no escape route and brutal attack was launched through water cannons and lathi charge. Male police assaulted and roughed up women protesters.

The Polit Bureau of the CPI(M) strongly condemns this anti-democratic attitude of the Trinamul Congress state government and the Chief Minister who is disregarding the issues of growing hardships being imposed on the livelihood of the people of West Bengal.

If the state government believes that through such brutality, protests will be crushed in West Bengal, then the least that can be said is that these are entirely misplaced. The people of West Bengal will continue to rise in protest and immediate protest actions will take place all over the state against this police brutality.

Report of WFTU APRO Meeting at Chennai

21 Sunday May 2017

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The 2017 WFTU APRO meeting started on 20th May 2017 in the city of Chennai India hosted by AIBEA India with the participation of 13 countries affiliates of WFTU and 45 trade unions from all Asia Pacific area.

The meeting is conducted by cde Mahadevan Deputy general secretary of WFTU and director of APRO. In the meeting are also present with important speeches cde Swadesh Dev Roye, deputy general secretary of the WFTU and the presidential council members from the area.

The WFTU General Secretary George Mavrikos has spoken today, May 20th at the APRO Meeting, giving the full picture of the international trade union movement.

The WFTU General Secretary pointed the daily tasks and challenges of the working class, he underlined the need of strengthening the APRO with many activities in all countries and the importance of the trade union formation and training.

The WFTU General Secretary in his speech gave the guidelines of the declarations of the 17th World Trade Union Congress.(Report from WFTU)

Com.Kelu Ettan remembered

20 Saturday May 2017

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Com.Keluettan with Coms. Balu and VAN

20th May 2017 is the 26th death anniversary Com.M.K.Kelu, respectfully and fondly called Keluettan, one of the senior most leaders of the CPI(M) in Kerala. His entire life was dedicated to the cause of the people. He was in prison for many years as a freedom fighter as also as a Communist leader. For six decades he was leading the struggles of the workers.

A meeting was held in the morning under the auspices of the Keluettan Padana Gaveshana Kendra. Along with Coms. Viswan Master, K.T.Kunhikannan, K.K.C.Pillai and others, I also shared my remembrances of Com. Keluettan.

Red Salute to Com. Keluettan!

US Pensioners in difficulty

20 Saturday May 2017

Posted by in TU News - International, WFTU

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I am herewith furnishing a report of the TUI(P&R) regarding the pitiabe condition of the pensioners in USA. Pension is in danger!

US: Pensions on the brink of bankruptcy

The deficit of public pension funds of states and cities in the US threatens to bankrupt much of the country, as happened with Detroit and most recently Puerto Rico. A study reveals that the actual hole system triples the official deficit figures is located at 1.38 trillion. Chicago may be the last city to fall, but the situation is also complicated in Fort Worth, New Orleans, Philadelphia, South Carolina and Dallas. The states of Illinois, Kentucky and New Jersey are not spared.

The pension system deficit amounted to US 3.85 trillion, according to a recent study published by the Hoover Institution. The research highlights the problem of sustainable pensions in the developed economies is about to implode in the short term in several cities and states. Joshua Rauh, study author and professor of finance at the Stanford Graduate School of Business, believes the next financial crisis will occur for this reason and puts Chicago as the first victim, a person who will not be covered in 19 years with the income tax records the city.

Rauh explains that most cities and states offer retirement benefits to public employees who are financed from payroll taxes but used to pay current pensions. ” They hope to cover future costs of upcoming pension with return on assets generated by the system, but even the most optimistic forecasts future spending will be covered , ” he says on the ball of debt that is being generated around public pensions .

Fort Worth, New Orleans, Philadelphia and Dallas also encounter trouble paying pensions in the short term. So that no more solution will make painful choices: raise taxes or cut benefits, which would recognize the failure of the system. The pension problem aggravated the financial situation of these cities. In fact, Detroit went bankrupt in part by the unpayable debt retirements. Puerto Rico, recently filed for bankruptcy law, a pension liability 123,000 million. But it might not be the only case Illinois, Kentucky and New Jersey are poised to become the next Puerto Rico, according to Rauh.

The problem of population aging will occur in the medium term, the paper points out that the main problem is mismanagement of the assets of pension funds. The system needs an annual yield of 7% to cover the liabilities, however, in recent years barely reach 3%. Since the mid-eighties the various state laws have allowed pension funds to increase their exposure to riskier positions outside fixed income, making it harder to comply with the provisions that guarantee the sustainability of the system.

Rauh research shows that the worst asset management raises the deficit of public funds three times more than the liability recognized by states and cities, amounting to 1.38 trillion dollars. The Social Security itself estimates that in 17 years there will be sufficient funds to cover pension commitment if the debt is not raised.

The problem has already broken out in several parts of the country. South Carolina has recognized that the deficit amounted to 24.100 million, three times its annual budget, and it will be difficult to pay pensions in the short term. The pension fund of Michigan public school accrues a liability of 26.700 million after 41 consecutive years having more than revenue expenditure.

In 2014, the federal government under President Obama decided to allow pension funds to cut payments to curb liquidity tensions. Illinois two years ago to the new law filed to reduce the amount of their beneficiaries. Kansas also did the same, reports El Economista.

 

Homage to our great leader Comrade Moni Bose!

19 Friday May 2017

Posted by in BSNLEU, Obituary, Tributes, Uncategorized

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19th May 2017 is the 7th death anniversary of Com. Moni Bose, veteran P&T TU leader and former Patron of BSNL Employees Union. He became the General Secretary of All India Telecom Employees Union Class III in the historical Bhopal All India Conference in 1991. He was terminated from service in connection with the 1949 proposed strike and was never reinstated. His entire life was spent for working and leading struggles for the interest of the workers.

I have close connection with him since 1960s till his death. At Bhopal Conference, he was elected as General Secretary and myself as President. In the next AIC at Thiruvananthapuram in 1994, he was elected as President and myself General Secretary. He resigned the post in 1996 to abide by the government recognition rules that at least one of the President or General Secretary should be a working employee. Both of us were retired. It was with much reluctance that the CWC accepted his resignation and elected Com. K.D.M.Tripathi as President. Whether he was in any post or not, he was the beloved leader of all the comrades.

Last month, while at Calcutta, I had the opportunity to meet the families of both Com.K.G.Bose and Com.Moni Bose. Com.Jyotsna Didi and other family members were very happy and we had our breakfast together.

On his 7th death anniversary we pay our homage to Com. Moni Bose! Red Salute to Comrade!

Kerala Govt. will construct 2000 houses for widows of minority

19 Friday May 2017

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The LDF  government in Kerala announced in the assembly that it will construct 2000 houses this year for the widows of the minority at a cost of Rs. 3.5 lakh each. Last year the government had constructed 1200 such houses for them.

Congratulations to the Kerala LDF Government for these welfare measures.

Homage to Com. E.K.Nayanar, the popular Chief Minister

19 Friday May 2017

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It is difficult to accept that 13 years have passed after Comrade E.K.Nayanar, the three times popular Chief Minister of Kerala, has left us forever. His smiling and joyful face is still before us.

Com. Nayanar passed away on 19th May 2004. All through the funeral journey from Thirivananthapuram to Payyambala, Kannur, where he was cremated, lakhs of people paid homage to their charismatic leader. Many of the them cried in their great loss.

He was an able administrator and a real communist. He served  the party and the people in various ways. Anybody who came in contact with him will remember his deep faith in humanity and willingness to help everybody.

While at Kozhikode and Thiruvanathapuram, I met him several times for union matters.  Many times I had been fortunate to travel with him while coming back from Thiruvnanthapuram in the week end. I highly value these meetings.

On his 13th death anniversary we pay homage to him. Red Salute to Com. E.K.Nayanar!

 

Kerala Government pays Rs.2 lakhs to persons died in demonetisation queue

19 Friday May 2017

Posted by in AIBDPA - BSNL DOT Pensioners, General

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Kerala Government has announced Rs. 2 lakh each to the family of the following four persons who died while standing in queue for withdrawing money from ATM or at Bank at the period of demonetization:

  1. C.Chandrasekharan, Kollam 2. Karthikeyan, Alappuzha 3. P.Pareeth, Tirur and 4. K.K.Unni, Kannur. C.Chandrasekhran is a BSNL Pensioner and member of AIBDPA.

The Central Government should pay compensation to all the 17 or more persons who have died likewise all over India. The central government is fully responsible for these tragic deaths.