10 Friday Apr 2015
Posted in Neo-liberal policy
Tags
The government decision to suspend the earlier decision of Rs. 1,000 minimum pension to EPS holders is anti-worker, anti-pensioner and is strongly protested.
We demand the government to immediately restore the Rs. 1,000 Minimum Pension.
10 Friday Apr 2015
Posted in Neo-liberal policy, TU News - India
Tags
The 11 Central Trade Unions in their meeting on 9th April has called upon to continue the sustained struggles against the anti-worker policies of the government. It has also decided to organise a National Convention of Workers on 26th May at New Delhi to chalk out further programmes. The 11 Central Trad Unions are BMS, INTUC, HMS, AITUC, CITU, AIUTUC, TUCC, SEWA, AICCTU, UTUC and LDF.
09 Thursday Apr 2015
Posted in General, Neo-liberal policy
47 years of independence has not improved the lot of the common people in India. Millionaires, Billionaires and super rich have grown in India, but not the ordinary man. India is at the 101st position among 133 countries in social progress index. Even Sri Lanka (88), Nepal (98) and Bangladesh (100) are above India. All the other BRICS countries ie. Brazil, S.Africa, China and Russia are above India.
This is a sorry state of affairs.It is a shame. The Congress /UPA which ruled the country for a long period and the NDA/BJP which also ruled for sometime and is in the rulers position now, have to answer to the people for this sorry state of affairs. It is blatant corruption and systematic exploitation of the toiling masses. These anti-people rulers have to be thrown out by the people.
08 Wednesday Apr 2015
Posted in Neo-liberal policy, PSU
Tags
The NDA government has started the Disinvest Programm in the second week of the new financial year itself. 5 % of shares of Rural Electrification Corporation (REC) has been sold getting Rs. 1,550 crore to the Government. At present the government has got 65.64% shares which will now be reduced to 60.64%.
The government is saying the disinvestment is for funds to the exchequer for developmental activities. What it will do for development after all the shares are told. Disinvestment is nothing short of selling the family wares for favouring the corporates and MNCs.
06 Monday Apr 2015
Posted in General, Neo-liberal policy
Tags
The government has called for a meeting of the Employees State Insurance Corporation,the main agenda being to make changes in the rules so that ESI is made optional,instead of compulsory as at present. Now each worker has to deposit 1.75% of salary to the ESIC while the employer will have to deposit 4.75% of the salary. Thus the 6.5% of the gross salary will be in the ESIC and the employee will get all benefit of the scheme including access to its more than 150 hospitals and 1,380 dispensaries.
The private health insurance companies have been putting much pressure of the government to get these funds diverted to them. The Government seems to be succumbing to their pressure and thinking of changing the rules making ESI optional. This will, in fact, be taking away the existing social security benefits to the workers, exempting the employers from their responsibility and also favouring the private health insurance companies to mop up funds.
This proposed change is part of the neo-liberal policy of the government and has to be strongly opposed.
02 Thursday Apr 2015
Posted in General, Neo-liberal policy
New Delhi, April 1: Centre of Indian Trade Unions registers its vehement protest over the Government decision to invest 5 to 15 percent workers PF accumulation to speculative share market ignoring total opposition by the entire trade union movement.
It may be recalled that the past Labour Ministers as Chairman of Central Board of Trustees used to take a position supporting the views of Trade Unions. But now the current Labour Minister of the BJP Government is supporting the employers demand for share market investment of PF accumulations. .
In addition to the disastrous new investment pattern, proposals have been officially made for whole-sole amendment of the Employees Provident Fund and Miscellaneous Provisions Act 1952 which includes matters presented by the Finance Minister in his Budget speech on amendment of the EPF Act.
Except widening the scope of implementation of the EPF Act, by reducing the limit of the number of workers to 10 from 20, most of the other amendments will result in the death knell of the Social Security Scheme in the country, which used to be showcased as a great achievement of the country. Option is being given to EPF subscribers to switch over to the National Pension Scheme (NPS) which is only a saving scheme. By projecting NPS as a better alternative to provident fund, Government is trying to move the workers from a Social Security Scheme, which guarantees certain benefits even to the family members of EPF subscribers.
Through some other amendments, Government, in the name of supporting small factories are reducing the existing benefits to the largest chunk of Industrial workers in the country. Workers in factories with 10 to 40 workers will get lesser benefits from EPF. It is to be noted that more than 75 per cent of industrial workers are from these factories with workers up to 40.
In total, the changes being made in the EPF Scheme in the country are part of the market oriented neoliberal economic policies of the BJP Government at the center.
CITU calls upon the working people in the country to raise their voice of protest against these amendments and investment proposals along with the campaign and preparations for the united direct action against the BJP Government’s anti worker – anti people policies (INN)
01 Wednesday Apr 2015
Posted in General, Neo-liberal policy
Tags
The Government has decided to invest 5 to 15 percent of workers Provident Fund amount in share market, ignoring the strong opposition by the entire trade union movement. In the EPF Organisation, the Central Trade Unions have vehemently opposed the same earlier.
The entire workers have to protest and defeat the anti-worker decision of the government. The 11 Central Trade Unions are expected to organise the protest effectively.
01 Wednesday Apr 2015
Posted in Neo-liberal policy, PSU
The high level committee headed by Bibek Debroy has recommended for setting up of a railway Infrastructure Company which may be disinvested later. This is part of a strategy to privatise sections of railways which are much profitable.
The increase of FDI in Railways, the forming of a separate company – all these points out to privatisation. Unless stopped in the initial stage itself, these moves are going to have a very adverse effect on the nation.
28 Saturday Mar 2015
The government is proposing to form a Tower Company, out of BSNL. It means that all the 97,000 and odd towers of BSNL will be kept separate, a few officers will be allotted to the new company, the towers will be shared and the profit will be with the new company. BSNL will loose even the funds that it is getting from the sharing. Another method to bleed BSNL. We can not accept this position. There is no need for a separate tower company.
BBNL was formed bifurcating BSNL in the same way for running the broadband service. Broadband is profitable and it has been formed as a separate company. Our demand is that it should be merged with BSNL and formal position restored.
Whether merger of BSNL with MTNL or formation of new companies out of BSNL are being done with only one single purpose; somehow to put BSNL out of service. The government could not put BSNL as a sick company so far. The merger as well the formation of new companies by bifurcating BSNL has the same target; to make BSNL sick and privatise it. We can not allow this.
Hence no merger with MTNL; No bifurcation to Tower Company; merge BBNL with BSNL.
24 Tuesday Mar 2015
Posted in General, Neo-liberal policy
Government and Airport Authority of India are on the move to privatise the profit making airports, Kolkata, Chennai etc. It is being done on the plea of modenisation of the airports.
But there is a hitch. Already the Kolkata and Chennai airports have been modernised by the govt./AAI by spending Rs. 2,700 crore and Rs. 2,400 respectively. What is the proposed amount for modernisation by the private company? Only Rs. 375 crore and Rs. 492 crore.
The Modi Government is offering the profitable Airports to the private companies for a song in the name of so called modrnisation. This can not be allowed. This has to be defeated.
VAN Namboodiri's Blog 