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CENTRAL TRADE UNIONS DEMAND URGENT INTERVENTION BY THE LABOUR MINISTER

03 Friday Apr 2020

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CENTRAL TRADE UNIONS DEMAND URGENT INTERVENTION BY THE LABOUR MINISTER

Date: 1.04.2020
To
Shri Santosh Gangwar
The Minister for Labour and Employment,
Govt. of India
Shram Shakti Bhawan, Rafi Marg
New Delhi – 110001

Sir,

We the Central Trade Unions would like to draw your attention to the complaints/information/grievances being received by us from the workers, employees and our unions from all over India. On our part we are doing whatever possible at our level in contacting the concerned officials of various government/state enterprises/institutions/industries/sectors and the state & local administration for the redressal. Our unions and activists are also involved in the relief work despite constraints of movement.

However we are bringing to your notice for seeking your immediate intervention at your level.

At the outset we would like to point out that we had raised several issues in our joint letter addressed to the Prime Minister on 26th March 2020 (letter attached) . We had demanded immediate announcement of strong statutory enforceable measures to arrest and put a ban on the ongoing spree of retrenchments, wage cut, forced unpaid leave etc being perpetrated by the employers on the workers, particularly contract/casual/temporary/fixed term workers in various establishments, particularly in private sector throughout the country to be enforced both by central and state governments. We are still regularly getting information of forced unpaid leave etc. including from NCR region. Appeal/Advisory by the Govt, both the Labour Ministry and Home Ministry is not at all working at ground level to prevent loss of employment and earnings and also eviction from local residence in the process of lock down. We had detailed the demands about the immediate packages for various sectors of workers.

The experience of the past seven days unfortunately bears out our apprehensions. We give some instances:

Employees manning essential services run in the public/government sector being stopped and detained by the police, in spite of their holding valid Identity Cards issued by the concerned authorities, the contract/outsourced workers mostly not being provided any protective gear. Even the ASHA and Anganwadi workers who are working in the frontline in combating Corona are being tortured and manhandled in various states by Police and local miscreants with impunity.

A vast number of workers, not even registered in any of the welfare boards and for whose benefit the Government claims to be putting in place the Social Security Code, suddenly find themselves without work, without any support system to feed them and cut off far away from their native places. There are reports pouring in from all the States that workers’ services are being dispensed with in total disregard of the “Advisory” by the Secretary Ministry of Labour and also by Home Secretary.

The government has not mobilized any machinery to transport grain supplies in their Godowns to various rationing outlets in States. Restriction on inter-state transport movement made the situation difficult further. Hoarding is rampant and the prices of essential commodities are shooting up which is causing further hardship to the working people.

We urge you to impress upon the concerned departments to deal with those seeking opportunity in this hour of crisis or being callous to the plight of the masses, by enforcing the message of government advisories, to ensure that everyone has the means to feed himself/herself.

The migrant workers are in deep distress with no work, no money and removal from their work places and in many cases eviction from the rented accommodations, and have nothing to depend upon for stay and food and are desperately attempting to reach back to their home facing police highhandedness. Due to sudden lock down, the rail and road transport shutdown, they are walking on highways hundreds of miles, some of them along with their families including small children. Many of them are stopped/detained, insulted and humiliated by police particularly on the inter-state borders and are now staying under the sky midway. And above this, there are reports of deaths due to accidents and hardships.

We urge you that the government must act urgently to rescue them with necessary transport facilities and they should be provided with food, shelter water and required health services. This is in line with the directions/advisories issued by the Home Secretary to all state govts. But Central Govt also must take the responsibilities to facilitate implementation of their own advisories/directions.

Please also ensure that all the unorganized workforce, registered and un registered, the daily/casual/contract/outsourced and piece rated home based workers, agriculture workers, MGNREGA and scheme workers including ASHA, Mid day meal, Anganwadi and others in such a category, those who are truck drivers and helpers, coolies/porters/loaders unloaders, construction & beedi workers, the domestic workers, waste pickers, self employed as hawkers-vendors, rickshaw pullers, e-rickshaw/auto/taxi drivers etc. are covered for the cash and ration relief at the earliest. Public Distribution System be used effectively and universally for all these needy people. Opening of procurement centers for the farm produce near to villages and towns could also help the accessibility to the producers and buyers. A comprehensive income-support scheme for all the unorganized/informal sector workers is the urgent need of the hour and we urge the Govt to urgently act upon the same to save overwhelming majority of the country’s workforce from biggest human disaster. Bank branches in some cases are 40 – 50 kilometer from the place of workers/their families, hence the other methods of disbursal of cash transfer should also be devised.

The ESIC hospitals and dispensaries be furnished with all necessary protective equipments for the safety of medical, paramedical, safai karamcharis and other staff while giving their services. The necessary inputs of medical facilities be taken care off. They should also be considered for insurance cover.

In view of the ever-growing scale and spread of the problems of these workers particularly migrant workers, and the trade unions being in the thick of things we request you to ask the counterparts in ministry of labour in respective states to communicate and coordinate with all the trade unions in their states including formation of trade union committees and issuing valid passes to office bearers of trade unions for addressing the above mentioned issues including their participation in relief work.

INTUC AITUC HMS CITU AIUTUC
TUCC SEWA AICCTU LPF UTUC

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AUAB plans agitational programmes – Day Long Hunger Fast on 18-10-2019

11 Friday Oct 2019

Posted by in AUAB, BSNL, TU News - India

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We are happy to know that AUAB of BSNL has met with increased number of unions and decided for agitational programmes to save BSNL and on demands of the workers.We have been requesting all the unions to meet and jointly plan programmes. We congratulate the unions/associations for the unity for action. The decisions of the meeting of AUAB held on 11-10-2019, as published in BSNLEU website is given below:

AUAB gives call for hunger strike on 18.10.2019 – make the programme a resounding success..

A meeting of the AUAB was held today. Com.Chandeswar Singh, Chairman, presided over. Com.P.Abhimanyu, Convenor, welcomed everyone and briefed about the agenda.The meeting expressed it’s serious resentment over the non-payment of the September salary. Non-payment of contract workers’ wages for the past 8 months, non-payment of electricity bills, the misleading reports appearing in the media that, BSNL would be closed down,etc., were seriously viewed by the meeting. After in-depth discussion, it was decided to organise a one day hunger strike on 18-10-2019, to be participated in by the General Secretaries, Circle Secretaries and District Secretaries, at the Corporate Office, Circle and SSA levels respectively. Together with this, lunch hour demonstrations are to be organised at all the places on same day, involving the entire Executives and Non-Executives of BSNL. It is also decided that the unions and associations which could not attend today’s meeting are to be contacted immediately and are to be requested to participate in the programme. The AUAB will again meet on 21-10-2019, to decide about the next course of action. The following are the demands:-

Demands:-

Immediate payment of the September salary. Timely payment of salary every month.
Payment of contract / casual labourers’ wages and payment electricity bills and rentals.
Revival of BSNL by immediate allocation of 4G spectrum, extension of financial assistance / soft loan and approval for BSNL’s Land Monetisation proposal.
Settlement of 3rd Pay Revision, Pension Revision and 30% Superannuation benefits.
. Immediate remittance of dues towards GPF, Bank loan EMI, Society, LIC premium,etc.

AIBDPA and BSNLCCWF have also given call to participate in the programme effectively.

Convention of Left Parties Protest programmes between 10th and 16th October on urgent issues.

21 Saturday Sep 2019

Posted by in TU News, TU News - India

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This convention of Left Parties on 20th September 2019 at Delhi has decided to cal for protest activities against the anti-worker actions of the govt and on the following demands

Increased public investment to generate employment. Until then the central government must provide unemployment allowance to the youth.
Ensure a minimum wage of Rs. 18,000 per month.
The government must ensure the provision of monthly living wages for the large number of workers who have been terminated.
Stop privatization of the Public Sector. Withdraw 100% FDI in defence and coal sectors. Halt the large scale privatization of BSNL, ordnance factories, Indian Railways, Air India etc.
Allocations for MGNREGA must be enhanced to ensure the payment of past dues and for providing a minimum of 200 days of work at the designated minimum wage.
A one-time loan waiver to the farmers to meet agrarian distress, stem growing farmers suicides and announcement and implementation of the minimum support price one and half times higher than the input costs.
Raise minimum monthly old age/widow pension to Rs. 3000.

This convention of the Left parties resolves to
Call upon all its units to conduct protest on these issues and organise protest activities demanding the immediate implementation of the above demands by the Modi government between 10th and 16th of October 2019.

51st Anniversary of of historic 19th September 1968 strike

12 Thursday Sep 2019

Posted by in CG Employees, TU News - India

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51 years are over after the historical one day token strike of the Central Government employees which took place on 19th September 1968.

It was a strike which shook the government and the country. More than 30 lakhs of CG employees participated keeping the country to a standstill. The P and T workers with their strategical position in the Communication sector ensured that the entire machinery of the governments, both at central and states were paralysed.

It was a struggle for the dignity of labour, for the 15th ILC approved Need Based Minimum Wage, for full neutralisation in cost of living through Dearness Allowance and such other demands. The demands were well understood by the workers despite the false and anti- propaganda of the government.

The Indira Gandhi Government used the hated Essential Service Maintenance Ordinance(ESMO) and other anti-worker ordinances to suppress the struggle, instead of conceding the just demands of the workers. The workers did not flinch; they had the bitter experience of the 1960 strike which was treated as ‘Civil Rebellion’ and tried to be suppressed by then then Prime Minister, Jawaharlal Nehru. The workers had understood the policy of the government, which was only to support the rich and ignore the justified demands of the workers.

It is to the credit of the Communist Government in Kerala,  headed by Com.EMS Namboodiripad, who declared that his government will not use the ESMA against the striking government employees, despite the central government warned him that failure to implement ESMA may result in dismissal of his government.

Thousands of workers were arrested, jailed, terminated, suspended, dismissed and heavily victimised. NFPTE and other CGE unions were derecognised. For the first time after the formation of the united organisation, NFPTE in 1954, a fake union was floated, which later became FNPTO to serve the interests of the ruling political party.

I still remember the enthusiasm of the workers in preparing for the strike and participation despite threat of dismissal and victimisation. I was working at calicut at that time. Thousands of people and supporters of the strike had collected in front of the Telephone Exchange blocking the road for almost half a km. The strike was a big success. In Calicut alone, 44 temporary employees were terminated, 95 suspended in P and T and almost all the active workers charge-sheeted and punished. It was similar in other departments. I was out of service for about three years and was reinstated after transfer to another division. This was the case with many of the leaders and active workers and even ordinary members. 9 workers became martyrs after being shot dead.

Many years have passed since then. The workers are now getting DA automatically, whenever there is an increase in the cost of living. Strike victimisation has come down. Usually only dies-non is issued for participation in the strike, except in isolated cases. Recognition of the union is not withdrawn.

A similar situation of struggle is gathering storm. The Minimum Wage as per Dr. Akroyd formula which is around Rs.26,000 is not implemented. The VII CPC has recommended only Rs. 18,000. The struggle of the CG Employees will continue for justice. BSNL employees, who were part of the CG Employees earlier, always keeps close connection with the CG employees including very cordial relations of the unions/associations.

On this 51th anniversary of the historical strike, I pay homage to the martyrs of the 1968 September 19th Strike. The great leaders who led the strike, the workers who implemented the call – we remember all of them, some still in the movement, all of them retired and some already no more with us. I will always remember those comrades who were part of this great struggle and contributed for a better future for the working class. ( The history of the 1968 Strike is fully described in the book ” History of P and T Trade Union Movement” written by me and published by NFPE. Copies are available with NFPE Hqrs. Price: Rs.100)

Towards Struggle for a better world for the workers!

Central Trade Unions congratulate Defense Employees for successful strike in the interest of working people of the country.

23 Friday Aug 2019

Posted by in CG Employees, General, TU News - India

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The Central Trade Unions (CTUs) namely INTUC, AITUC, HMS, CITU, AIUTUC, TUCC, SEWA, AICCTU, LPF, UTUC in their meeting on 21st August 2019, at Delhi congratulated the defense employees for successful strike from 20th August in all industrial, non-industrial (Clerical, office staff) defense production units,Junior Officers, Charge Hands have walked out of 41 ordnance factories (OF) as declared almost a month back, against Modi Government’s plans to corporatize and then to privatise them. This move of the Government will put national security at risk and hence is anti-national.

The Government wants these 41 Indian Ordnance Factories to produce Rs. 30,000 Cr worth of goods by 2024. The Unions have accepted the challenge, but want the government to assure them that the plans to corporatize the ordnance factories will be shelved.

The workmen in essential services like fire-fighting, water and electric supply, hospitals in the Ordnance Factories colonies have also struck work, but are back manning those services voluntarily, foregoing the salaries for the days of strikes.

This massive strike has been peaceful, except in West Bengal, where the oldest ordnance factories are situated. There are reports that the Police lathi-charged the striking workers, injuring scores of them, four seriously. We condemn this unprovoked lathi-charge.

The CTUs call upon the Modi Government to pay heed to the voice of these soldiers behind the lines, who have struck work not for any of their immediate financial demands but for guaranteeing the supply lines to our Armed Forces. The Government’s plans of corporatization of ordnance factories will jeopardize just that guarantee.

CTUs also extended their support to the agitations being carried out for almost a month against the move of corporatisation of production units in Railways with an eye on its huge lands and resources actually to pave way for privatisation to benefit corporate houses. It is hearting to note that the family members of the affected employees are also participating in these agitations.

We call upon all our affiliated unions and Independent Federations/Associations to organise solidarity action programmes on 27th August throughout the Country in support of striking defense employees and agitating railway employees.

INTUC AITUC HMS CITU AIUTUC

TUCC SEWA AICCTU LPF UTUC

[Date : 23 – Aug – 2019]

BSNL Workers to go organise three days strike from 18th February 2019

26 Saturday Jan 2019

Posted by in AIBDPA - BSNL DOT Pensioners, BSNL News, BSNLEU, TU News - India

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The AUAB meeting held today, the 25th January, 2019 has decided to organise a three day strike from 18.02.2019. The decisions of the AUAB meeting, and also the charter of demands are as below:

Decisions

Considering various ground realities, the meeting decided to call on all the Executives and Non-Executives of BSNL to go on a three day strike from 18.02.2019.
Street corner meetings are to be organised throughout the country for 5 days from 11.02.2019, and mobilise the support of the general public for the strike demands.
Press meetings are to be organised at circle and district levels on 12 or 13 February.
To meet all political parties, for mobilising their support for the demands especially, the revival of BSNL.
Demands

Implementation of 3rd Pay Revision with 15% fitment.
Allotment of 4G spectrum to BSNL, as per the proposals submitted by the BSNL Management.
Revision of pension to BSNL retirees w.e.f. 01.01.2017.
Payment of pension contribution by BSNL as per the government rule.
Settlement of the left out issues of the 2nd Pay Revision Committee.
a) Approval for BSNL’s Land Management Policy without any delay.
b) Expeditiously complete the mutation and the process of transferring of all assets to BSNL, as per the Cabinet decision taken on the eve of the formation of BSNL.

Extend financial support to BSNL, to ensure financial viability, as per the decision taken by the Group of Ministers, at the time of formation of BSNL. Issue letter of comfort for BSNL’s proposals for taking bank loans.
Scrap the proposal for outsourcing for the maintenance of BSNL’s mobile towers.
(BSNLEU Website)

AIBDPA FULLY SUPPORTS THE DECISION AND CALLS UPON ALL ITS UNITS PARTICIPATE IN THE CAMPAIGN BY THE AUAB UNITS AND TO ORGANIZE SOLIDARITY DHARNA/ DEMONSTRATION DURING THE STRIKE.

BSNL Employees Union is always in the front of struggle

12 Saturday Jan 2019

Posted by in BSNLEU, Telecom, TU News

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BSNL Employees Union always was in the forefront of the strikes called by the Central trade unions. There were 18 general strikes including the 48 hours strike on 8-9 January 2019, against the anti-people anti- worker neo-liberal policy of the government since 1991.The dates of the strikes are given below:

  1. 29th November 1991
  2. 16th June 1992
  3. 9th September 1993
  4. 29th September 1994
  5. 11th December 1996
  6. 11th May 2000
  7. 12th March 2001
  8. 16th April 2002
  9. 24th February 2004.
  10. 29th September 2005
  11. 14th December 2006
  12. 20th August 2008
  13. 7th September 2010
  14. 28th February 2012
  15. 20-21 February 2013
  16. 2nd September 2015
  17. 2nd September 2016
  18. 8-9 January 2019

The strike was participated by the mainstream of the P and T workers since 1991, the first strike. After formation of BSNL, the workers participated as per the call of BSNL Employees Union. In the first strike, about 2 crore workers participated and in the last strike  it was participated by more than 20 crores.

The struggle goes on!

STRUGGLE FOR UNITY,

UNITY FOR STRUGGLE  and

UNITY AND STRUGGLE FOR PROGRESS!

 

Complete Strike in BSNL – Congratulations!

08 Tuesday Jan 2019

Posted by in BSNLEU, TU News

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As per reports received so far, the strike in BSNL was almost complete. Many offices were completely closed. Striking workers organised demonstrations and held meetings in many places. The casual contract workers also participated in the strike as per the call of BSNLCCWF. Pensioners under the leadership of AIBDPA gave solidarity and support by organising demonstrations and participating in the meetings.

Congratulations to the comrades on strike!

Massive Strike all over India, Congratulations!

08 Tuesday Jan 2019

Posted by in BSNLEU, CG Employees, TU News

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Today, 8th January, 2019 is the first day of the two-day nation-wide general strike call given jointly by 10 Central Trade Unions and independent Federations, against the anti-worker, anti-people and anti-national policies of the BJP-RSS led Central Government.

The reports received from various states show the spontaneous response to the call from the workers in various states and various sectors of economy. Reports from the States of Assom, Manipur, Kerala, Odisha, Meghalaya, Puducherry show that there is complete shut down. Finance Sector, i.e. banking and insurance was closed for business even in Andaman islands. Electricity generation and distribution, coal extraction and movement is affected. Many state governments have declared holidays for schools in view of the strike. The BEST, Mumbai city road transport service provided by the Municipal Corporation, recorded a 100% strike. Very good strike in BSNL. There are reports of arrests of striking workers in Assom and West Bengal, slapping of ESMA and No Work No Pay notices, in various states. It is an attack on democracy, which we strongly condemn.

We congratulate the workers/employees for their exemplary fighting mood and exhort them to carry forward the struggle to 9th January,
2019 also. 10 central Trade Unions Are : INTUC AITUC HMS CITU AIUTUC TUCC SEWA AICCTU LPF UTUC (Courtsey:Ganashakti)

Solidarity from WFTU for India’s General Strike on 8-9 January 2019

07 Monday Jan 2019

Posted by in BSNLEU, TU News

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The World Federation of Trade Unions on behalf of its more than 95 million in 130 countries of the 5 continents expresses its internationalist solidarity and support to All India general strike on 8-9 January 2019. The WFTU affiliates are taking a leading role in the preparations of the strike which is called by the joint platform of the 10 central trade unions and dozens of independent federations.

The forthcoming “All India General Strike” will be the third and biggest countrywide strike against the neo-liberal policy of Modi’s governance which is aligned with the World Trade Organization norms and is variously affecting the working class of India worsening its living and working conditions.

During the last years, the Indian working class has been resisting, undertaking struggles at local, sectoral and national level. The two-day general strike is the continuing and escalation of the previous struggles against the policy which creates a country of unemployment and stagnancy of wages in combination with rising prices, relentless attacks against the worker’s rights and unparalleled privatization policy of public sector.

In front of this situation the Trade Unions are rising up, fighting for dignified minimum wages and pension to all, creation of new dignified jobs, curbing of rising prices of essential commodities, universal, social security coverage to all, stoppage of privatization policy, end to the infraction of the labor and trade unions rights, end to contractualisation.

The World Federation of Trade Unions joints its voice with the call of the class-oriented trade unions for militant and massive participation of all the workers of the country regardless their sector or region. The WFTU supports the fair demands of the declared strike, given that the class-oriented struggle for a dignified life and work is the only way out from the capitalist barbarity.