Category Archives: TU News – India

TU News from India

Kerala State employees strike against Contributory Pension –

03 Thursday Jan 2013

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The Kerala State Govt. Employees will go on strike from 7th January 2013 against the Kerala government decision to implement Contributory Pension Scheme for its employees instead of the existing Statutory Pension.The Kerala Cabinet took the anti-worker decision today, which will be implemented from 1st April 2013.

The Central Government has already implemented a similar scheme w.e.f. 01-01-2004. Except the Left ruled states of Tripura, W.Bengal and Kerala, all the other states also implemented it. Now after the UDF government came in Kerala, it has also implemented this disastrous Scheme. The State Govt. employees and Teachers’ organisations have declared strike from 7th January demanding reversal of the Scheme.
My full support and solidarity to the struggle.

March to Parliament – Prelude to the 20-21 February Strike

21 Friday Dec 2012

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MORE than fifty thousand workers and employees participated in the March to Parliament by the central trade unions—BMS, INTUC, AITUC, HMS, CITU, AIUTUC, AICCTU, UTUC, TUCC, LPF, SEWA and federations of employees on December 20. The march was the culmination of the two days countrywide jail bharo agitation on December 18-19, 2012 in which lakhs have courted arrest, all over the country. The unprecedented participation and the enthusiasm of the participants showed the anger of the workers against the anti-worker policies of the government. Even though the march included only people from the nearby states, the participation was more than expected.

A K Padmanabhan, president, represented the Centre of Indian trade Unions (CITU) in the presidium, which consisted of one representative each from all the central trade unions. The speakers were, B N Rai (BMS), Ashok Singh (INTUC), Gurudas Dasgupta (AITUC), R A Mittal (HMS), Tapan Sen (CITU), Satyawan (AIUTUC), Swapan Mukherjee(AICCTU), Ashok Singh (UTUC), S P Tiwari (TUCC), Shanmugham(LPF).

The meeting reiterated the decision for the two days countrywide general strike on February 20-21, 2013.

The meeting moved a resolution condemning the recent heinous rape and assault on a 23 year old girl in Delhi and against the increasing violence against women in the country, especially the capital city and the failure of the administration to provide security to its citizens.

The meeting also adopted a resolution in support of the struggle of the Maruti Workers Union, Manesar, Gurgaon, demanding the reinstatement of all workers who were terminated illegally and withdrawal of the false cases against the workers.

Apart from the central trade unions, all unions of employees of central and state government, banks, insurance, defense, telecom etc also participated in the programme.

DEMANDS

The five point demand charter formulated jointly by the central trade unions and federations is: 1) concrete measures to contain price rise, 2) concrete measures for employment generation, 3) strict enforcement of labour laws, 4) universal social security cover for organised and unorganised workers and creation of National Social Security Fund and 5) stoppage of disinvestment in central and state PSUs/undertakings.

Other immediate demands are: no contractisation of work of permanent/perennial nature and payment of wages and benefits to the contract workers at the same rate as available to the regular workers of the industry or establishment ; amendment of the Minimum Wages Act to ensure universal coverage irrespective of the schedules and fixation of statutory minimum wage at not less than Rs 10,000, linked with the consumer price index; removal of all ceilings on payment and eligibility of bonus, provident fund; increase in the quantum of gratuity; assured pension for all and compulsory registration of trade unions within a period of 45 days and immediate ratification of the ILO Conventions 87 and 98.9 PD DATED 23-12-2012

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Lakhs of workers March to Parliament on 20 December

20 Thursday Dec 2012

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Lakhs of workers coming from all parts of the country marched to Parliament through the streests of Delhi protesting against the anti-worker policies of the government and demanding the right to organise, settlement of issues of unorganised workers like minimum wage and social security measures, opposing disinvestment and privatisation of PSUs, against price-rise etc. The Parliament March was organised by the 11 Central Trade Unions including INTUC, BMS, CITU, AITUC, HMS, UTUC etc. which was also participated by the National Federations and All India Unions of Central/State government employees, Banks, Insurance, BSNL, coal, steel, teachers, womens organisations etc. The Parliament street was overcrowded by the workers who were carrying the colourful flags and banners of their unions. The March was stopped before the Parliament Police Station where a huge rally was held. A big stage was erected with the banner of the Parliament March and the names of the 11 Central Trade Unions. The rally was presided by a Presidium consisting of the Presidents of the 11 central Trade Unions including Com. A.K.Padmanabhn (CITU) and Com. Amarjit Kaur (AITUC). The General Secretaries of the Central trade Unions addressed the rally within the stipulated time of 10 minutes each. Com. Tapan Sen GS CITU, Gurudas Dasgupta, GS, AITUC and other leaders of central TUs addressed.
The Central leaders congratulated the participants and hailed the unity of the workers. The leaders called upon the workers to make the 20-21 February 2013 two days strike a big success.
A good number of workers participated from BSNLEU including from the nearby states like Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan etc. Coms. V.A.N.Namboodiri, President, Animesh Mitra, Dy. General Secretary, Saibal Sen Gupta, AGS, Balbir Singh, Circle Secretary Punjab and other leaders were present.

Parliament march to-day, 20th December

20 Thursday Dec 2012

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The Parliament March called by Central trade Unions against the anti-people, anti-workers policies and on major demands of the workers including the un-organised sector will be held today, 2oth December 2012. Thousands of workers from all over India have already reached Delhi to participate. It will be a great demonstration of the workers to compel the government to concede their demands.

Strike by CG Employees – Solidarity call

08 Saturday Dec 2012

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BSNL Employees Union, All India BSNL-DOT Pensioners Association (AIBDPA) and BSNL Casual and Contract Workers Federation(BSNLCCWF) have called upon its members to give full support and solidarity to the 12th December Strike of the CG Employees and to organise demonstrations on the day at the CG office premises.

Give all support and solidarity to the strike!

JOINT CONVENTION OF CPSTU AT CHENNAI – 15TH DEC.2012.

05 Wednesday Dec 2012

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A Joint National Convention of Central Public sector Trade Unions (CPSTU) will be held at Pitti Thiyagaraya Arangam (Hall), Chennai on 15th December 2012 at 10.00 AM . This is the first convention after the successful Bangalore convention and will deal with the challenges that the workers are facing in the neo-liberalisation and anti-worker policies of the government. The Convention will also discuss and prepare for the success of the 2 days National strike on 20-21 February 2013 called by the Central Trade Unions in the National Convention of Workers held at New Delhi on 4th September 2012 on the important and urgent demands of the workers.

As per the decisions of the National Convention, Joint Conventions were held during September, October and November. Satyagraha/Jail Bharo/ arrest programmes will be organised on 18th and 19th December. A massive Parliament March is being organised on 20th December which will be participated by thousands of workers, mainly from the nearby states.  The next two months will be fully utilised for propaganda and campaign for the 2 days strike.

The CPSTU Convention at Chennai will discuss all these issues and plan for implementing the decisions of the National Convention of Workers held on 4th September 2012.

Mahapadav by 50,000 Scheme workers at Jantar Mantar

29 Thursday Nov 2012

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The ‘mahapadav’ of more than 50000 ‘scheme workers’ , most of them women, including anganwadi workers and helpers, ASHAs, mid day meal workers, Child Labour Project teachers, Krishak Sathis, para teachers, Sakti Sahayikas, Yashodas/ Mamathas, IKP Animators, Grameen Rojgar Sevaks, etc has started at Jantar Mantar at 11.00 AM on 26th November 2012.
These 50000 workers are here to highlight the common demands of the around 1 crore ‘scheme workers’ employed in different schemes/ programmes of the government of India – recognition as workers, minimum wages, social security benefits and regularisation, raising the slogan – ‘No to honorarium or Incentive; we demand Minimum Wages and Social Security Benefits’
These workers have come from all over the country including from far off states like Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Odisha, West Bengal, and also from Jammu and Kashmir, in addition to all the ‘Hindi speaking’ states of Bihar, Jharkhand, Chattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Rajasthan and Delhi with the largest contingents coming from Haryana and Punjab.
Around 10000 ‘scheme workers’ from far off places who have reached the national capital earlier and were camping at Ramlila Maidan marched in an attractive and disciplined procession to Jantar Mantar while all the others reached Jantar Mantar directly.
Hemalata, secretary, CITU welcomed this unprecedented mobilisation of ‘scheme workers’ being organised by Centre of Indian Trade Unions. Tapan Sen, MP and general secretary of CITU inaugurated the ‘mahapadav’ while AK Padmanabhan, presided. National office bearers of CITU, Neelima Maitra and AR Sindhu, president and general secretary of All India Federation of Anganwadi Workers and Helpers and state level leaders of ASHAs, mid day meal workers were on the dais.
Addressing the gathering AK Padmanabhan called upon all the scheme workers to unitedly fight against the neoliberal policies of the government which led to increasing exploitation of all workers. He called upon them to join with all the other sections of the workers to intensify the struggle against these policies.
Inaugurating the ‘mahapadav’, Tapan Sen said the government of India was committing a fraud upon the people through its inhuman exploitation of the workers who were providing the most important services related to health, education, food and nutrition for the people, particularly for the poor women and children. The workers who contributed to the human development of the country were forced to starve and suffer because of this atrocious attitude of the government which called them ‘social workers’, ‘activists’, ‘friends’, ‘guests’ etc just to deny them the status of workers.
Tapan Sen demanded that these services should be provided as rights and entitlements to all the citizens and not through ‘schemes’ and ‘programmes’ which can be withdrawn any time as per the whims and fancies of the government of the day and that all the workers in different government schemes should be recognised as workers with all the attendant benefits including minimum wages and social security benefits.
A team of 11 CITU leaders including Hemalata, Varalakshmi, national secretaries, Mercy Kutti Amma, vice president of CITU, Surender Malik, Pramod Pradhan, Prem Nath Rai, general secretaries of the state committees of Haryana, Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh respectively, Uma Maheswara Rao, Tapan Sharma, Gajendra Jha and Radha Raman Sarangi, office bearers of the Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Chattisgarh and Odisha state committees of CITU and Deven Patel, leader of the state government employees and anganwadi employees in Chattisgarh started a fast  for two days, during the duration of the ‘mahapadav’ in solidarity with the demands of the ‘scheme workers’.
AR Sindhu, general secretary of AIFAWH said that the exploitation of the ‘scheme workers’ was the biggest scam in the country. Ranjana Nirula, treasurer of CITU and convenor of the all India coordination committee of ASHAS criticised the government for exploiting the services of lakhs of women workers on the name of ‘social work’. Neelima Maitra, president of AIFAWH spoke on the need of all scheme workers to come together. (Courtsey: Ganashakti)

Maruti Workers on Hunger Strike

08 Thursday Nov 2012

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The real picture of the conspiracy of the Haryana Govt and the Maruti Management is exposed now. They were claiming that there was no victimisation of the Maruti workers for the earlier agitations conducted by the employees.

Yesterday the Maruti workers started Hunger Strike at the Mini Secretariat at Gurgaon demanding reinstatement of the sacked workers and release of the 147 workers who are in jail in connection with the earlier agitation. The workers in the jail are also refusing to take food. The police manhandled the workers when they were making arrangements for the hunger strike. It was only after the Central Trade Unions like CITU and AITUC intervened that they were allowed to sit in hunger strike. Despite the intervention a few leaders of the union were taken in to custody and were not released till evening yesterday.

While labour laws and Industrial Disputes Act etc. are there to deal with strikes and such other agitations, the Haryana Government in collaboration with the Maruti Management is dismissing, jailing and victimising the workers. Even the right to protest is being suppressed.  This is what is happening in the neo-liberalisation era. Corporates and employers are given full freedom to do whatever they want. The entire trade union movement in the country has to react against these anti-worker policies to defeat the same.

NALCO Workers strike against Disinvestment

28 Sunday Oct 2012

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The 25,000 and odd workers and officers of National Aluminium Company (NALCO) went on a one day strike on 20th October opposing the decision of the govenment to disinvest  additional 12.5% % of its share.The strike was successful in all its offices/factories. The call was given jointly by the central trade unions.

My hearty congratulations to the workers and officers of the NALCO for their militant struggle against disinvestment and the anti-PSU policies of the government.

Congratulations to NALCO workers for successful strike – CITU

24 Wednesday Oct 2012

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CITU congratulates the workers and executives of NALCO for the successful one day protest strike today (20.10.2012) against the proposed further disinvestment of 12.5% of its shares.  More than 25000 workers and executives have participated in this united strike action called by all the Trade Unions including affiliates of CITU, INTUC, AITUC, BMS, HMS resulting in a total strike in the plants and offices of NALCO.

All the Trade Unions in the state of Odisha have organised solidarity demonstrations and rallies all over the state to express solidarity with the strike in NALCO. Thousands of workers have participated in these demonstrations.  CITU congratulates all the workers and the trade unions for their solidarity actions in support of the NALCO workers.

Trade unions all over the country are determined to safeguard the interests of the country and will not allow the government to go ahead with their sell out of the assets of the country.

CITU calls upon all sections of workers to carry forward the struggle against privatisation, which is a part of the over all struggle against neoliberal policies of the UPA government