As per an answer furnished to Parliament by Jayant Sinha, Minister of State Finance, the corporates have to pay an arrear of Rs. 4,18,399 crore tax to the Government as on January 2016.

Govt. wants to impose tax on the workers’ hard earned EPF fund, but takes no action against the big corporates who have cheated the government  Rs.41.18 crores.

Of course, it is the government of the corporates, by the corporates and for the corporates.

8th March is the International Women’s Day.  This day is observed and celebrated throughout the world. Many functions on gender equality, women’s rights, equal opportunity, equal space, education  and all such issues will be discussed and debated. But it is to be remembered that it is not the duty of women alone, but that of men also.

Warm Greetings and Best Wishes to all on this International Women’s Day!

Presently there are separate unions/associations for executives and nonexecutives in the PSUs. This in reality is dividing the working class in to separate compartments.
This system should go. All the workers should be united.

MEETING WITH CABINET SECRETARY

Empowered Committee of Secretaries headed by Cabinet Secretary has held first round of discussion with JCM National Council  Standing Committee members on strike Charter of demands on 1^st March 2016. Staff Side explained the justification of each and every demand  and conveyed the large scale resentment among the Central Government Employees to the Cabinet Secretary . Cabinet Secretary has not made any commitment on any demand. He informed that this is only a preliminary interaction with the Staff Side. 

Com. M. Raghavaiyya Leader Staff Side, Com. Shiva Gopal Mishra Secretary Staff Side and other Standing Committee members attended. Confederation was represented by Coms. KKN Kutty , M. Krishnan & M.S. Raja . Meeting commenced at 0645 P.M. & ended at 0845 P.M. (Confederation News)

The Budget presented by Finance Minister has put tax burden for final withdrawal of EPF. Tax for workers and tax waival and exemption for corporates. This is NDA government.

D-7, Telegraph Place, New Delhi – 110001 was the Quarters allotted to BSNL Employees Union since its formation. Earlier it was allotted to T.III Union and its GS Com. P.S.Raman Kutty stayed there. It is in the Gole Market area directly opposite  to the Sucheta Kripalani Hospital.

Since 2003, I had been staying there till 12th January 2016, on which day I shifted to the Quarters allotted to BSNLEU at T-18 C, Atul Grove Road, New Delhi -110001. The shift became necessary as the Telegraph Place was sold to the Jharkhand government by the Central government. The quarters in the Telegraph Place are being demolished and a  ‘Jharkhand Bhawan’ will be constructed there. The Bhoomi Puja attended by the Governor and Chief Minister of Jharkhand was held on 19th January 2016.

It was at  D-7 that the meetings of the Joint Action Committee/Joint Forum, United Forum etc. used to meet while I was the Convener of those committees. BSNLEU was first registered at this address. And also AIBDPA. AIBDPA, NCCPA meetings also used to be held here. The office of the RMS Union Class III was in D-2, Telegraph Place which is in the same complex, has now been shifted to Postal Quarters Kalibari. Com.N.J.Iyer, B.K.Banerjee and C.C.Pillai(1994- 2010) General Secretaries of R.III Union,who were  also office bearers of NFPE and Confederation of CG employees functioned from there. Com.Giriraj Singh, President, NFPE and GS R III also functioned from  D-2 till the present shift.

NFPTE and all the All India Unions affiliated to it were accommodated in the ‘P and T House’, 9 Pusa Road, New Delhi since its inception in 1954. Later  the offices were shifted to Dada Ghosh Bhawan in the 1960s, when the owner of 9,Pusa Road wanted the building vacated. However, R.III Union continued in the out house of 9, Pusa Road for some more time.

Later NFTE and some of its affiliates were allotted quarters by DOT at Gole Market. T.III got another quarters (D-7) in Gole market. Quarters granted to NFTE was demolished and another quarter was allotted at Kali Mandir Marg for NFTE, which now has been shifted near Corporate office.

Change is  a constant factor. There is nothing which is not changing. In the same way, the NFPTE, NFTE, E.III/T.III – all had shifted offices several times. That is part of history. However, shifting from D-7, Telegraph Place reminds me about the past, its activities. It is also not sure how many days I will stay at the new place, since the allotment is only temporary.

The History of the P and T TU movement is full of struggles, crises and advances. These offices/quarters also have their part in the same.

Although the EPFO has recommended 8.95% interest, the government is trying to fix at 8.8% as interim. This is not acceptable.The Central Trade Unions had demanded 9.5% interest which should be granted. Any how, there can not be any reduction from 8.95%.

In the strike ballot taken, 95% of Railways workers have voted in favour of Indefinite Strike against the retrograde recommendations of the VII Central Pay Commission. This was disclosed by Com. Shiv Gopal Mishra, Secretary General AIRF and Convener, National Joint Action Committee of Staff Side. The strike ballot was taken on 11-12 February 2016. The strike notice will be served on 11th March and strike will start on 11th April 2016.

The Trade Union International ( Public Services) has called upon all the Public Sector Units organisations in the world to organise  International Protest Day against Privatisation of Public Sector units on 4th April 2016.
BSNL is one of the PSUs being brutally being  attacked. It is necessary that all PSU organisations observe the programme.

The Central Executive Committee meeting of BSNLEU has started today, 19 February 2016, at Ahmednagar presided over by Com. Balbir Singh, President. The CEC was inaugurated by Dr. Karad, General Secretary, CITU, Maharashtra.
Earlier, the National flag was hoisted by President Com. Balbir Singh and union’s red flag by Com.P.Abhimanyu, General Secretary, BSNLEU. All the comrades paid homage at the Martyrs’ column. The session is continuing.