Category Archives: TU News

Central Govt. Announces VII Central Pay Commission

25 Wednesday Sep 2013

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The central Govt. today decided for formation of the VII Central Pay Commission which will recommend the new pay revision for the 85 and odd lakh central government employees and pensioners including the defence personnel. The recommendation of the CPC will be with effect from 1st January 2016. Probably this is the first time that the CPC has been constituted more than 2 years back. The Central govt. employees had demanded for pay revision with effect from 01-01-2011 after 5 years of the last CPC, the recommendations of which were implemented from 01-01-2006. The appointment of this CPC and the statement of Finance Minister P.Chidambaram that the recommendations of this CPC will be w.e.f. 01-01-2016 is against the demand of the Confederation of CGE and workers.

Now for the last 3 CPCs, the period has been 10 years each, but earlier the period was longer. The I CPC recommendations were implemented from 1946, II CPC from 01-01-1960, III CPC from 1974, IV from 1986, V from 01-01-1996 and the VI CPC from 01-01-2006. Now the present VII CPC will be effected from 01-01-2016.

The present announcement of the government is, of course, with an eye on the coming elections both in some states and the Parliament elections in 2014. Most of the states implement the CPC recommendations for their employees also.

WFTU Call to observe 3 October as International Day of Action

21 Saturday Sep 2013

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World Federation of Trade Unions (WFTU), the militant organisation of the international working class, of which BSNLEU is also affiliated, has given call to observe 3 October 2013 as “International Action Day” as was also last time. WFTU has called upon all organisations to observe the same by holding rallies, meetings, demonstrations etc. and focussong the demands raised there in. I am giving below the call of the WFTU in full:

WFTU CALL

“All in the Streets, Oct 3!

DEAR colleagues, militants of the class oriented trade union movement,
Members and friends of the World Federation of Trade Unions,

Trade union organisations in all continents, workers and youth,

The World Federation of Trade Unions appeals to you to join the call for the International Action Day on October 3, 2013. Demonstrations, rallies, strikes, conferences and activities will be organised in all corners of the world.

We join our voices and show our determination in action simultaneously with our brothers and fellow working people around the world, marching militantly for food, water, books, medicine and housing for all.

For the World Federation of Trade Unions, decent life presupposes that these issues of workers and people be resolved. Decent life presupposes that popular masses have stable work, a good salary, good pension, public social security, free and public education. A decent present and future for the new generations is to have stable work connected to their knowledge.

For the reformist trade union movement the slogan about “decent work” is only words; for the WFTU it has a concrete context.

We demand satisfaction of the contemporary basic needs of the world population — a realistic and practicable demand based on the productive abilities of skilled labour force, the wealth producing resources, the natural and mineral wealth, and the scientific and technological development which is continuously expanding.

There is no reason why there should be poverty, imperialist wars, destruction, torment, capitalist exploitation, privatisation of the public property and resources, hospitals and education system. The ruthless greed of the few capitalists for profit and the mechanisms and states that support them will be causing suffering, shortages, high prices and environmental pollution.

These high profits continue to exist and increase during the international capitalist crisis, besides the competition between the individual capitalists or groups, the mergers, the closing of companies and industries, the transfer of the production in other countries with cheaper salaries or non-existing labour rights, the higher exploitation of various parts of the working class and the extreme unemployment in large parts of the world.

It is our future versus their profits!

On October 3, 2013 in every country we march militantly for food, water, medicine, books, and housing for all.

Fight for your rights! Organise in your respective country the activity of your choice and join the international working class struggle!”

Contract workers also will participate on 25 Sept. Programme

21 Saturday Sep 2013

Posted by in BSNLCCWF - Casual and Contract workers, TU News - India

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Casual and Contract workers will participate in the Demonstration on 25th September called by Central Trade Unions.
BSNL Casual and Contract Workes Federation (BSNLCCWF) calls upon all its members to massively participate in the demonstration/meeting/rally being organised by the Central Trade Unions on 25th September on the major demands of the working class as decided by the National Convention of Workers held at Mavalankar hall New Delhi on 6th August 2013.
The demands include stopping of price-rise, No Disinvestment/Privatisation of PSUs, Rs. 10,000 as Minimum Wage to contract workers, Implementation of Social Security measures etc.
Organise the programmes jointly with BSNLEU and Central trade Unions.

10% DA increased for CG Employees w.e.f. July 2013

20 Friday Sep 2013

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The Cabinet has decided to increase 10% DA to the central Government Employees and pensioners w.e.f. July 2013, as per the increase in the cost of living for the earlier six months. The Central Government Pensioners also will get the increase. Accordingly the DA will increase from the present 80% to 90%. From January 2013 onwards, the DA was increased by 8%, increasing from the earlier 72% to 80%.
It is estimated that Rs. 10,879 crore will be the additional expenditure for increasing the DA for the 50 lakh employees and 30 lakh pensioners.

Give Support and solidarity to the Coal Workers Strike

19 Thursday Sep 2013

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The workers in the Coal Sector are going on strike for three days from 23rd September 2013 against disinvestment and privatisation of the coal sector. This is a joint strike by all the unions in the sector. This is a fight against the anti-PSU policy of the government.

We call upon all the BSNL Employees to give full support and Solidarity to the strike of the Coal Workers.

Anti-Disinvestment / Privatisation Day on 23rd September – Public sector TUs call

18 Wednesday Sep 2013

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The, meeting of the Public sector trade unions held at Ranchi on 18th August 2013 has given the following call:
1. Organise 23rd September 2013 as Anti-Disinvestment/Privatisation Day by organising demonstrations, gate meetings etc. and to send fax to Prime Minister Prime Minister to stop all disinvestment plans of PSUs.
2. Participate in full strength in the state level demonstrations on 25th September as given call by the National Convention of Workers held at New Dlhi on 6th August by the Central TUs.
3. Participate in the ‘International day of Action’ on 3rd October as per the call of the World Federation of Trade unions(WFTU), which is jointly being organised by the Left trade Unions in India.
BSNL Employees Union is party to all these decisions. BSNLEU, BSNLCCWF as also AIBDPA will be participating in all these programmes. Our comrades are requested to joint these programmes effectively and make them successful.

Coal India Workers on Strike on 23-25 September

19 Monday Aug 2013

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New Delhi, Aug 19 All trade unions of Coal India

have decided to go on a three day strike from September 23,

saying the government and the company have not paid heed to

the directions given by Coal Minister Sriprakash Jaiswal.

An earlier notice for a 3-day strike beginning September

19, given by CITU-led All India Coal Workers’ Federation

(AICWF) will now be withdrawn, the unions said in a joint

notice for the strike. The unions had held a meeting yesterday

in Ranchi on the issue.

“After detailed deliberations, representatives of five

central trade unions resolve to serve strike notice for three

days with effect from September 23 to 25,” the trade unions

said in the notice to Coal Secretary and Coal India Chairman.

The five central trade unions operating in Coal India and

its subsidiaries are Indian National Trade Union Congress

(INTUC), All India Trade Union Congress (AITUC), Bharatiya

Mazdoor Sangh (BMS), Hind Mazdoor Sabha (HMS) and Centre for

Indian Trade Unions (CITU). They operate either directly or

through their affiliates.

A 10 per cent disinvestment in Coal India and its proposed

restructuring are among the major issues against which the

trade unions are threatening to go on strike.

Observe 3rd October as International Day of Action

16 Friday Aug 2013

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World Federation of Trade Unions (WFTU) has called upon the working people in all the continents to observe 3rd October as International Day of Action.

For the last few years, WFTU has been organising International Day of Action.

In 2009, the Day was observed on 1st April, with slogans on Rights of Workers and against Exploitation.

In 2010, this day was observed on 7th September. With the deepening crisis in the capitalist world, the 2010 slogan was ‘we will not pay for their crisis’, raising demands for safeguarding the hard earned rights of workers.

In India, it was a coincidence that the Joint Platform of Central Trade Unions and National Federations observed countrywide General strike; on that day, demanding changes in policies of the Govt. and also pressing urgent demands of toiling masses in the country.

The 16th Congress of WFTU was held in Athens, Greece, in April 2011. It was this Congress, which decided to observe the International Day, on 3rd October, the Foundation Day of WFTU.
( From Article by Com. A.K.Padmanabhan, CITU President)

Unions Oppose proposal to change of EPS to NPS

11 Sunday Aug 2013

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PTI
New Delhi, Aug 11 Trade unions have decided to oppose finance ministry’s proposal to offer the New Pension System (NPS) to the retirement fund body EPFO’s subscribers who are covered under Employees’ Pension Scheme-1995 (EPS-95).

The Finance Ministry has said the NPS scheme provides better returns than EPS-95 run by the Employee’s Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) at present.

“Whenever this proposal will be taken up in the trustees’ meet, we will oppose it,” Hind Mazdoor Sabah Secretary and member of the EPFO’s apex decision making body, Central Board of Trustees, A D Nagpal told PTI.

Another Trustee and President of Indian National Trade Union Congress G S Reddy said, “We want to continue with the EPS-95 scheme. We don’t want to give any such option to subscribers.”

Another trustee and All India Secretary of Bhartiya Mazdoor Sangh ,Virjesh Upadhyay, also opposed it and said,”This has not come to us for discussion. But we will certainly oppose this.”

Earlier, disagreeing with the proposal, EPFO has already written a letter to the Labour Secretary explaining its position.

Financial Services Secretary has put up the proposal for NPS before the Labour Secretary.

“If we take the return of EPS as indicative return on the fund managed under EPS, then the annualised return for the period May 2009 to May 2013 will be 10.47 per cent, which on the face of it is higher than the return declared by NPS in its scheme for central government”, EPFO has said

Finance Ministry has written to the Labour Ministry saying: “The subscribers (of EPS) may be given an option to either remain with EPS or join NPS with the same contribution.”

The finance ministry has argued that NPS, which is self sustaining pension system, could be a good substitute for EPS and would be beneficial for subscribers as they would get decent returns and adequate pension wealth.

Moreover, the Finance Ministry said, “The government would be free from any open ended and financially unsustainable liability of EPS…”

Disagreeing with the contention, EPFO has said that EPS-95 provides social security for lower income group people in their old age. In addition, it also provides pension to widow, children and dependents in case of death of the subscriber.

Under the EPS scheme, many interim benefits are provided.

Subscribers can withdraw their contribution towards pension while withdrawing his or her EPF money. There is a lock in period of 15 years in NPS.

EPS’s corpus size stood at Rs 1.83 lakh crore as on March 31, 2013. Under the NPS, total corpus was at Rs 29,852 crore as on March 31, 2013 with a subscribers’ base of 47,70,507 members.

Currently central government employees are covered under the NPS while it is also available for individuals opting for it.

National Convention of Workers at New Delhi

06 Tuesday Aug 2013

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NATIONAL CONVENTION OF WORKERS AT NEW DELHI
A National Convention of Workers was held on 6th August 2013 at Mavlankar Hall, New Delhi, under the auspices of the 11 Central Trade Unions, which organised the 48 hours strike on 20-21 February 2013, on the major demands of the workers and common people. More than 1,000 delegates from the central trade unions and independent federations from the various parts of the country attended.
The Presidium consisted of the Presidents of the participating organisations including Com. A.K.Padmanabhan (CITU), Abani Roy(UTUC) and others. The Declaration of the Convention was circulated in advance both in Hindi and English.
The General Secretaries / representatives of the 11 central trade unions addressed the convention and supported the declaration and the programmes chalked out there in. S/Shri B.N.Rai (BMS), K.K.Nair (INTUC), Gurudas Dasgupta (AITUC), Harbhajan Singh and Umraomal Purohit (HMS), Tapan Sen (CITU), Satyavan Singh (AIUTUC) S.P. Tiwari (TUCC), Smt. Latha Bahan (SEWA), Rajiv Dimri(AICCTU), Ashok Ghosh (UTUC) and Pachimuthu (LPF) addressed the Convention.
After the speeches, the Presidium declared the Declaration as unanimously passed amidst thunderous applause from the house.
The Declaration congratulated the workers for the historic 48 hours strike on 20-21 February 2013 and called for further programmes on the 10 point charter on which the strike took place. It is decided to organise demonstrations/rallies/satyagrahas on 25th September 2013 and a massive demonstration before the Parliament on 12th December 2013. On the same day, 12th December, district level demonstrations also have to be organised. In the declaration as well as Convention, the issue of minimum wage and other demands of the unorganised and contract workers were stressed.
The National Convention has once again planned the next programmes for realisation of the demands raised by it. All these programmes have to be organised effectively and successfully.