Author Archives: VAN NAMBOODIRI

Implement the new wages for both Casual and Contract workers in BSNL – Demonstration on May Day

21 Friday Apr 2017

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The Central Executive Committee meeting of the BSNLCCWF held at New Delhi on 19th April 2017 (with the participation of available members), has called upon the workers to organise May Day on 1st May 2017, by hoisting the red flag of the Federation and demanding the BSNL Management to urgently implement the increased wages for the casual and contract workers.

The wages of the Casual labour are to be paid at the rate of Rs. 18,000 per month as recommended by VII CPC and accepted by the government for the Group D employees. The contract workers are to be paid Rs. 350 to Rs. 693 per day ( different for unskilled, semi-skilled, skilled and highly skilled and also for C class, B class and A class cities) as per the order dated 17-03-2017 issued by the Chief Labour Commissioner.  BSNLCCWF had already met the CLC and BSNL Management demanding early implementation.

Make maximum effort for making the May Day Programme a great success. Participate in the joint demonstration etc. with other trade unions.

Privatsation of Chennai, Kozhikode Railway Stations.

21 Friday Apr 2017

Posted by in Neo-liberal policy, TU News - India

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As part of implementing the Bibek Debroy report, central government is proposing to privatise many railway stations in the name of modernisation, providing more facilities etc. Chennai and Kozhikode are two of these railway stations.

The intention is to hand over the railway stations to the private so that the latter can utilise the land, construct buildings, do their business and garner huge profit. They will loot the travellers by increasing price  for everything in the station, including food. The hard experience of the privatisation of airports is before us.

This attack on the Railways and the public/travellers has to be opposed and defeated as was done in the case of privatisation of Chennai and Kolkata airports by the people of T.Nadu and W.Bengal. It is appreciated that the trade unions, on the initiative of the  railway unions, have opposed the anti-worker  anti-people decision.

Retrenchment of 600 workers in WIPRO

21 Friday Apr 2017

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IT major WIPRO Limited is proposing to retrench about 600 workers. Its argument is the retrenchment is necessary to make the company more efficient. Such flimsy arguments are always floated to justify hire and fire / retrenchment.

Haryana Roadway Workers’ Strike – Support by CITU

14 Friday Apr 2017

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CITU EXTENDS SUPPORT TO STRIKING
HARYANA ROADWAYS WORKERS AGAINST PRIVATISATION OF ROUTES

2017-04-13

New Delhi, April 13: The workers of Haryana Roadways Corporation irrespective of affiliations had been on strike since 10th April 2017 opposing award of 1600 permits to  private operators to ply on 253 routes by the BJP Government of Haryana. In these 253 routes mainly the Haryana Roadways buses have been plying.  The game plan is to push the state-owned Haryana Roadways Corporation to unviability leading to its sickness paving way for total privatization of passenger transport system in the state.
The strike is being conducted by all the unions of Haryana Roadways workers and the strike is total even on the fourth day. Workers are determined to resist the ugly game plan of the BJP Govt of Haryana to completely privatise the passenger transport services in the state much to the detriment of the interests of people and Roadways workers which will only benefit the private operators and those in the Government handling the contracts. The BJP-run State Government unleashed severe repression on the workers and more than 150 union leaders have been put under suspension. Braving all repression, strike is continuing totally demonstrating total unity of the workers and common people in general came forward in supporting the strike action denouncing the nefarious conspiracy of the state government for privatization of bus services.

The Centre of Indian Trade Unions congratulates the Haryana Roadways workers for their heroic strike struggle  and extends all support to their struggle against privatization. Already CITU unions and other mass organizations in Haryana have been organizing solidarity programmes throughout the state. CITU calls upon the working class to stand by the continuing strike struggles by the Haryana Roadway workers against privatization and demands upon the State Government of Haryana to refrain from their retrograde decision, withdraw all victimization and end the stalemate in consultation with the unions.

We Remember Dr.B.R.Ambedkar, the Architect of the India Constitution

13 Thursday Apr 2017

Posted by in General, Obituary, Tributes

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Bharat Ratna Dr. B.R.Ambedkar, the great social reformer and architect of the Indian Constitution, was born 126 years back on 14th April 1891. His life was full of struggles against untouchability and other social ills imposed on the dalits and the underprivileged. A scholar of great knowledge and highly academically qualified, Dr. Ambedkar was the proper person to steer the constitution of Independent India. Hence he is also considered as the Architect of the Constitution. He has written a large number of books on various social issues.
Many memorials and statues of Dr. Ambedkar are spread all over India in his memory.

On his 186th Birth Anniversary, we remember his great contribution to the society and pay respectful homage to him.

Warm Greetings on the New Year Day – Vishu, Vaisakhi, Good Friday, Tamil New Year, Maisadi, Vaisakhadi and Bhihu.

13 Thursday Apr 2017

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14th April is the New Year Day and Festival in many parts of the country. It is celebrated in the name of Vishu, Bhihu, Vaisakhi, Tamil New Year, Maisakhadi, Vaisakhadi and other such names. This time being Friday, it is also the Good Friday, piously observed by the Christians all over the world.

On this day, my Warm Greetings and Best Wishes to all friends, comrades and well wishers!

NUMBER OF PEOPLE WITH ASSETS OF OVER RS 200 CR RISES TO 283

13 Thursday Apr 2017

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The following report in the press shows, how neo-liberal policies are creating millionaires and billionaires in the country. As at present there are 283 persons with assets of more than Rs. 200 crores. This might have been calculated on the official records or based on the taxes paid. But if black money, undeclared assets are also taken in to consideration, the number may almost double. This increase is while crores of people are living in poverty and distress.

“PTI

New Delhi, Apr 11 Continuing with upward trend, the number of people showing gross assets exceeding Rs 200 crore increased to 283 in the country during the last financial year ended March 31.
The number of such individual taxpayers was 195 in the previous fiscal, 2015-16, Minister of State for Finance Santosh Kumar Gangwar said in a written reply to the Rajya Sabha.
The number has been increasing over the past few years. In 2013-14, the number of individual taxpayers with gross assets exceeding Rs 200 crore was 107. It moved up to 134 in 2014-15.
To a query whether India occupies second position in terms of increase in the number of billionaires, Ganagwar said: “No such information is available.”
The government policies are geared towards promoting inclusiveness in growth and reducing the gap between the rich and the poor through specific measures, he said while replying to the query whether “the country’s policies are making the rich persons richer and the poor persons poorer”.
The increasing formalisation of the economy and the reduction in unaccounted incomes that demonetisation can bring about is expected to release significant resources for the government to further pursue its inclusive policies and create opportunities for the poor in the medium-term, he added.
The reply stated that the information on the number of people with gross assets exceeding Rs 200 crore “is based upon that data as reported by individual taxpayers in Schedule – AL of Income Tax Return…(It) is otherwise not used for any computation purposes while processing the Return and hence, the reported data is not verified”.
Replying to a separate query, Gangwar said that as on March 1, 2017, 48,48,641 taxpayers had enrolled on GST portal.
He also said the introduction of the Goods and Services Tax would mark a clear departure from the scheme of distribution of fiscal power envisaged in the Constitution.
GST will also broaden the tax base and result better tax compliance due to robust IT infrastructure, he said.” (Courtesy: Ganashakti)

Petrol, Diesel prices may increase daily.

13 Thursday Apr 2017

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The decision of the government that petrol and diesel prices will be fixed daily is an affront to commonsense and is intended to help the oil companies to increase their profit. In addition to the confusion due to daily price fixing, The customers will be exploited much more than at present. Though the Government has stated  that the prices are being fixed in relation with global prices, in practice it is completely different. When the global prices increase, it is increased here also. But when the global prices decrease, by increasing the taxes etc. the customer does not get the benefit. End this ruthless exploitation of the common people!

Modi Government is practically becoming the government for the corporates!

Remembering Jallianwala Bagh Martyrs

12 Wednesday Apr 2017

Posted by in Independence Struggle, Obituary, Tributes

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1) The walls with the marks of firing 2) Martyrs Column 3) The well in which dead bodies have been dumped.

Long 98 years have passed after the massacre of more than 1,000 innocent people including pilgrims who gathered at Jallianwlla Bagh for Baisakhi festival on 13th April 1919. A protest meeting against the brutal lathi charge on the leaders of the freedom fighters were also going to be held. The British General Dyer ordered fire against the thousands of people gathered killing more than 1,000 and wounding many thousands. The narrow way to outside was completely blocked so that people can not escape.

This is one of the most tragic incident of the past. After Independence, a Martyrs Column has been erected at Jallianwala Bagh in 1961. The deep well in which large number of dead bodies have been dumped is still there. One can see the the scars of the shots in the buildings round the Bagh. 13th April is celebrated every year as Martyrs Day and meetings with thousands of people are held there. I also got the chance to participate in one such meeting.

Red Salute to the Immortal Martyrs of Jallianwala Bagh!

Declare Andaman Cellular Jail as National Monument – CPI(M) MP

12 Wednesday Apr 2017

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“New Delhi, Apr 11 A CPI(M) member today expressed concern in the Rajya Sabha that the Andaman Cellular Jail, which represented death-defying heroism of the freedom fighters, has not yet been declared a national monument.
Raising the issue during the Zero Hour, Ritabrata Banerjee said the Cellular Jail in Port Blair has “unfortunately even today” not been declared a national monument and the government seems to have “no records” as far as the jail is concerned.
He said the popular sound and light show there continues to ignore most of the heroes and seems to have ignored historical records and sought a comprehensive portrayal of the realities.
“The Jail and light and sound show is dedicated to one single cell of a particular inmate. Historians belonging to all schools of history and British archive records that no inmates were kept in a single cell for more than a week. They were rotated,” Banerjee said.” (Courtesy: Ganashakti)

I completely agree with the demand raised in the Parliament. Hundreds of freedom fighters belonging all states in the country were put in the Cellular Jail in Port Blair and many of them died there mostly due to the harsh conditions and physical torture. Some of the tools of torture as also the gallows are still there.The names of those martyrs who died while in prison are also kept there. Many of the wings of the building have been demolished to construct a hospital or so. The demand to keep the Jail as a national monument should be accepted by the government.