Category Archives: TU News

Greek Workers on sustained struggle

20 Saturday Jul 2013

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Athens, July 17 :The strike on 16th July with the demonstrations against the multi-pronged law of the government of ND and PASOK in Athens and in 65 cities throughout the country has been the starting point for new struggles. This draft law threatens to smash any rights that have remained for the working people both in the private and public sector, by means of abolishing the National Collective Bargaining Agreement and setting the minimum wage according to the needs of the businesses’ profitability, dismissing thousands of employees in the public sector and the municipalities, imposing new cuts in healthcare and welfare, introducing new tax categories that impose an even more savage tax plundering with the abolition of tax-free income, something that will have tragic consequences in the every-day life of the workers’ and people’s families.

The class oriented forces fought for this strike in difficult conditions under the overall assault of the government and the employers, with the employer-led trade unionism undermining the struggle of the working people. They showed that the working people, both in public and private sector, must carry out a unified struggle along with self-employed and poor farmers.

In Athens the Omonia Square was flooded with strikers and protesters who arrived at 10:30 after having gathered in their meeting points. It was a particularly mass strike demonstration. There has also been an important participation of workers who in the previous organized struggles in their workplaces. (Report from AFP)

The Glorious 5 Days Strike of 1960

10 Wednesday Jul 2013

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The 5 days strike by the Central Government Employees started from 11th July 1960 will always inspire not only the CG Employees, but the entire working class in India. It was the biggest strike that Indian government had to face since Independence in 1947.

The strike called by the All India Railwaymen Federation (AIRF), All India Defence Employees Federation (AIDEF) and Confederation of Central Government Employees and Workers demanded the government to modify the retrograde recommendations of the II Central Pay Commission, grant of Minimum Wage, Full neutralisation for cost of living etc.

The Government dealt the strike with iron hands. The government declined to meet the leaders of the Joint Action Committee. Instead it promulgated the Essential Service maintenance Ordinance against the strike with stringent punishment. Prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru termed the strike as ‘Civil Rebellion’ and issued instructions to suppress it with all the might of the central and state governments. Thousands of workers were jailed (outsiders also for supporting the strike), dismissed, terminated, suspended, charge sheeted, severely punished and transferred. The All India leaders were arrested and paraded hand-cuffed through the streets of Delhi. The government dealt with the strikers as enemies of the country. The strike could not go on more than 5 days. It was mercilessly suppressed by the government.

It took more than 4 years to get all the officials got reinstated. Even that was only after the Members of Parliament like Coms. A.K.Gopalan, Nath Pai, S.M.Banerjee and others lambasted the government in the Parliament about the inhuman treatment of the strikers by the government.

I was working at Cannanore (Kannur) at that time. Three comrade were put in jail, punished for 6 months rigorous imprisonment. I was kept out of service, charge sheeted and punished. The working class realised  the inhuman face of the Congress government. Though suppressed with in a decade the government was compelled to accept at least some of the demands.

BY once again going on a one day strike on 19th September 1968, the workers showed that they will continue to fight for their rights.

Programmes of Action by Central TUs

09 Tuesday Jul 2013

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 The Joint meeting of Central Trade Unions held on 8th July 2013 at BMS office, New Delhi has decided the following course of joint mobilization/agitations and activities

National Convention of Trade     Unions on 6th August 2013 at Mavalankar Hall, New Delhi

  1. State     level and district level rallies/agitations/demonstrations/jail bharo etc     during last week of September 2013
  2. March/demonstration     before Parliament in the month of December during Parliament session.
  3. In     various sectors like Coal, Telecom, Banks & Insurance, Transport,     Power, Port & Dock etc, joint struggles/strikes are being     planned/undertaken by the respective federations. All support should be     extended to those struggles. Central Trade Unions should also jointly endeavour     to develop sectoral struggles in various sectors.
  4. Dates and details of programmes in September and December will be finalized through joint consultation of Central Trade Unions and announced from the National Convention.

You are requested to please ensure participation of your organization in the National Convention of Trade Unions to be held on 6th August 2013 at Mavalankar Hall, New Delhi as on all previous occasions.

Central TUs write to Prime Minister on Minimum Wage and other Demands

29 Saturday Jun 2013

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The 11 Central trade Unions which called for the 48 hours strike focussing the 10 demands they have raised have written to the Prime Minister on 23rd May 2013 seeking his intervention for settling the issues raised by them.

The Group of Ministers (GoM) headed by Defence Minister A.K.Antony, met with the Central Trade Union leaders on 22nd May, in which the leaders focussed the main issues of the strike as also pointed out in the 45th Session of the Indian Labour Conference (ILC) in which the Prime Minister was also present.

In the letter to PM, the CTUs stated:

” On being urged by the Central Trade Unions for concrete response on some of the demands like Minimum Wages of not less than Rs. 10,000, universal social security cover to all workers, assured pension for the entire working population, same wage for same work as regular workers for the contract workers in the respective ministry/establishments, concrete programmes for implementation of labour laws etc. Chairman of the meeting conveyed on behalf of the Group of Ministers that some time is needed for internal discussion and hey will revert back to the trade unions shortly within a month’s time.

“We like to impress upon you that all Central Trade Unions  in the country have been jointly pressing for these demands in the last three years or so through numerous memorandums and various programmes observed jointly throughout the country.

“In the context of the step for bipartite discussion with the Central Trade Unions already initiated  by you, we urge upon your effective intervention so that these long pending just demands of the workers are sorted out through dialogue with the forum constituted by you within a month’s time as urged upon by the concerned GoM, in the interests of the working people and the nation.”

While the central government is very quick to resolve even the unjustified demands of the corporates by modifying the Tax rules, why it is taking so much time for settling the just demands of the working class raised by them and on which about 12crores workers have gone on strike for 48 hours?

Kingfisher workers end hunger strike

08 Saturday Jun 2013

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The hundreds of Kingfisher workers who were on hunger strike demanding salary for the last one year has ended the same after discussion with the CEO of Kingfisher Sanjay Aggerwal. It is hoped that the pending salary will be paid without further delay.

 

 

 

Revolutionary Greetings to NFPE Federal Council!

07 Friday Jun 2013

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The 9th Federal Council of the National Federation of Postal Employees is scheduled to be held from 9th to 12th June at Hyderabad. NFPTE which was formed in 1954 got bifurcated in 1985 in to NFPE and NFTE consequent to the bifurcation of the P&T in to Postal and Telecommunication Departments. While the service section of the Department of Telecom was converted in to a PSU, BSNL, the Department of Posts continued as such and NFPE also continued. The present Federal Council of NFPE is the 9th after its formation.

NFPTE  has a glorious past organising many historic struggles for the interest of the Central Government employees and specially for the P&T employees. NFPE as also BSNLEU is continuing with this great tradition.

On behalf of BSNLEU and on my own behalf, I convey Best Wishes for the success of the Federal Council and Revolutionary Greetings to all the comrades !

Kingfisher workers protest non-payment of salary

07 Friday Jun 2013

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Hundreds of workers of Kingfisher held a silent protest before its Mumbai Office yesterday against non-payment of salaries since July2012. They demanded immediate payment of salary. While the workers are in extreme difficulties due to non-receipt of salary for the last one year, its owner Vijay Mallaya is going on foreign tour for the Formula I Championship, of which he is a part-owner.

The workers have held a hunger strike a few days back. Many workers from out stations are also participating in the agitational programmes.

While the workers are in the streets to get their wages, the owner is in preparation to enjoy festivals and tournaments. The government and Labour Department stand as mute spectators.

Protest by Wal-Mart employees in US

31 Friday May 2013

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Employees of Wal-Mart, the biggest retail corporate in the world, will organise protest demonstration on 7th June at the HQ of the company at Bentonville, Ark in USA. They are protesting against the low wage and other unsatisfactory conditions and demanding better wages, more full-time jobs and respect for the employees. The protest demonstration is being organised by Organisation United for Respect at Wal-Mart, an organisation of the employees. The date fixed for the protest is on which the meeting of the Annual Shareholders meeting is being held at Ark.

The workers from all the Wal-Mart stores in US will be moving to Ark for the protest. They call the March by name Ride for Respect.

‘Lost Generation’, the huge unemployed youth in Spain

31 Friday May 2013

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Due to the recession and  austerity measures in Spain, the unemployment has increased multi-fold and even the highly qualified youngsters are finding it difficult to get jobs. The government jobs have been reduced drastically.

‘The unemployment rate for those between the ages of 16 and 24 has soared to 57.22 percent, and a record 27.16 percent overall, at the end of the first quarter as the country struggles through a double-dip recession sparked by the collapse of a decade-long building boom in 2008’, according to a report from Madrid, the capital of Spain. Another report says that the youth feel that they are the ‘lost generation’.

It is not only Spain, but almost all the countries in Europe are facing the serious aftermath of the recession.

14th Conference of CITU : Immediate Tasks

29 Wednesday May 2013

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The Immediate tasks outlined for the coming period by the 14th AIC of CITU is reproduced below:

1. Week-long intensive campaign at all workplaces and industrial areas commencing from CITU Foundation Day on 30th May 2013 focusing on demands;

i)      Minimum Wage at not less than Rs 10,000 per month and its linkage with consumer price index for the purpose of Dearness Allowance; ii)     Same Wage as regular workers for same and similar work for the contract workers in respective industries and establishments to be enforced stringently through appropriate amendment of Contract Labour (Regulation & Abolition ) Act 1970; and iii)     Universal Social Security coverage and assured pension for all workers both in unorganized and organized sector;

–     Covering widest spectrum of workers and activising all union level committees;  –     Widespread distribution of handbills; pasting posters, holding gate-meetings, shop level meetings, at workers’ residential colonies, area level meetings etc to be decided by the state/district/area/union level committees; –     Aiming to reach widest sections of workers irrespective of their affiliations; –     State committees monitoring and sending reports to CITU centre with every details including number of printed materials circulated and number of workers directly covered.

2.     The campaign is to culminate in next week-long massive mobilization and agitation, the form to be decided by the state committees, at district/block/ tehsil  level or staging dharna before the central/state government offices.