FCI Employees on Struggle – Appeal for solidarity by FCI Unions

16 Saturday Jun 2018

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The attack on the working class and Public Sector Employees, in particular, are mounting day by day. The entire working class and peasantry are on struggle path. The indefinite strike of GDS Employees is the latest mass struggle. The Long Pending Demands of FCI Employees are not settled yet. The assurance given by the Administrative Department and FCI Management to Staff unions regarding the commencement of wage revision process is in the paper even after a lapse of 18 months.

Food Corporation of India operations are under serious threat of privatisation. Subsidy received every year by FCI was lower than claimed for from the GoI. On an average only 67 per cent of subsidy claimed was released by the GoI over the last five years because of which FCI had to borrow from other costlier means of finance .FCI Employees are delayed and denied their rightful wage revision w.e.f 1-1-2017 and pension w.e.f 1-1-2007 due to the stringent conditions imposed by the Finance Ministry & lackadaisical attitude of Government missionaries respectively. Compassionate appointments have become a mirage in FCI. Trade Union rights are denied. Punishment and victimization of employees become a hobby of the management. Periodical meetings of Current Recognised unions in FCI has become mere talking shops without any positive results. Legitimate demands are inordinately delayed and denied. In FCI some posts have died due to no recruitment.

It is in this background the All India Coordination of FCI & WH Unions has decided to fight back these retrograde policies by mobilizing the entire FCI employees by unleashing intensive campaign throughout the country culminating in a strike. To declare the campaign programme and the strike, an “All India Coordination of FCI & WH Unions” under the leadership of Dr. A Sampath MP and Dr Asim Bala Ex- MP will be held at Lucknow on 26th June 2018 Tuesday from 10 AM to 5 PM.

Eminent trade Union leaders will attend the Convention. Venue of the National Convention is Ravindralaya, Motilal Nehru Marg, Charbagh Lucknow(Uttar Pradesh). About 1000 delegates from all states will attend the Convention. (From FCI Union)

Kerala LDF Government Marches Ahead – Social Justice given priority

16 Saturday Jun 2018

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Pinarayi Government in Kerala has opened new roads for safeguarding social justice. SC/ST persons are appointed as priests in temples managed by the government. This is a great achievement for the dalits, which has been heartily welcomed by the progressive section of the society. At the same time, the economically poor section in the forward castes have been granted reservation in temple appointments. Welfare pension is granted to all above 60 years, which has been doubled this year from the last. Now it is Rs.1,100 and is expected to be increased next year.

Adivasis are allotted land in a time scheduled manner. Special appointment for adivasis in Police and Excise is ensured. 28,681 houses have been constructed for SC/ST and allotted.

Transgenders are brought to the mainstream through appointments in government services etc.

Rs. 2000 crore package approved for welfare of fishermen etc.

Yes, the LDF Government in Kerala is implementing welfare measures in a big way for socially backward people. More can be expected.

Gratuity for Contract Workers in BSNL – BSNL formed Committee

16 Saturday Jun 2018

Posted by in BSNLCCWF - Casual and Contract workers

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BSNLCCWF leaders met Sr. Ashotosh Gupta GM (Restructuring) BSNL on 15th June and demanded to take appropriate action for payment of gratuity to the Contract Labours. It was reported by the BSNL Management that complaints has been received from Labour commissioner in this regard and accordingly a committee has been formed to give proper guideline to the circles for gratuity payment by the contractors. Sr. GM (Restructuring), assured that the BSNL Management will not avoid any responsibility to make the payment of gratuity for the working period in BSNL only if Labour Commissioner will give such direction. He also assured that service union will also be consulted before taking any final decision. Com. Swapan Chakraborty, Dy. GS, BSNLEU, and com. Animesh Mitra, SG, BSNLCCWF, were in the delegation team for discussion. (Courtesy: website BSNLCCWF)

JUNE 15 – WORLD ELDER ABUSE AWARENESS DAY

15 Friday Jun 2018

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Every year as per the call of the United Nations, 15th June is observed as ‘ World Elder Abuse Awareness Day’ through out the world. This year also it is being observed at UN head Quarters and other places.

Elderly persons are increasing in every country and where health and social conditions are better, it is more. While in majority cases, they are looked after well or in an ordinary way, harassment also takes place in many cases. Elderly are vulnerable to abuse due to their age, infirmity, diseases, inability to react, family problems, financial matters etc. Social awareness is lacking.

Elderly people are expected treated with respect, compassion and love. This awareness has to be inculcated to the family members, friends, relatives and the society as a whole. ‘World Elder Abuse Awareness Day’ is being observed for this noble cause.

Kerala honours Sports Stars by offering government jobs.

15 Friday Jun 2018

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Kerala LDF government respects and honours sports persons. During its two year stint, the Pinarayi Government appointed 157 sports persons. This includes sportsmen dismissed by central government for trade union activities.

(Now it came to my memory about a foot ball star terminated from service for participating in the 1968 Central government employees strike – Telegraphman Shri M.Prasannan. Prasannan was a good player and was the captain of the Calicut Telephones Football team which was several times champion in the A Teams tournament at Calicut. Probably, the termination was a blessing in disguise. He was selected to the Indian Football team and played for famous Indian teams.)

BSNLCCWF – Observe Anti-Retrenchment Day on 28th June 2018

15 Friday Jun 2018

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BSNLCCWF calls upon the Casual Contract Labours to observe 28th June, as Anti Retrenchment Day.

It is reported that the retrenchment of Contract Workers is going on in BSNL at high speed in some circles during last few months. It happens due to instruction of Corporate Office to reduce 30% expenditure of repair maintenance and security guard. Management has taken a decision to reduce the staff strength of the security guards, and that’s why the Corporate Office is not allotting sufficient fund for the repair maintenance and security guards regularly. As a result the Contract Workers are not getting the wages in due time. The total episode was discussed in our last secretariat meeting held in Delhi on 29th May, 2018 and it has decided to observe “Anti Retrenchment Day” on 28th June through out the country by holding powerful demonstrationss at all level. We should raise our voice with the slogan “No retrenchment – ensure the payment of wages and Social Securities”. District and Circle secretaries are requested to make a good campaign on the issue. As a follow up action Dharna Programme will also be organised at SSA level before GM or DGM office on 10th July. We will review the total situation and then we may approach the Dy. CLC or RLC on the same subject in the month of August, 2018. (BSNLCCWF website)

Caste discrimination and Corruption – Two vices retarding progress and democracy

15 Friday Jun 2018

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Two of the most virulent vices retarding the progress of the country is caste and corruption. Both are against humanity itself.

While there are corruption all over the world, it is mainly limited at the high or highest level in most of the other countries. But in India, it is from top to the bottom. Common people have to face the  problem at each and every level which makes their daily life miserable. British authors mentioned that their officers who worked in India became corrupt after they were here.

Caste discrimination has dehumanised the Indian Society. Despite continued efforts by governments, political leaders, social workers, religious heads and others this curse continues to exist.

Sustained and determined efforts along with strict enforcement of laws against these two vices are necessary to eliminate them.

 

109th Birth Anniversary of Com. EMS Namboodiripad

14 Thursday Jun 2018

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13 June 2018 is the 109th Birth Anniversary of Comrade EMS Namboodiripad, former General Secretary, CPI(M), first Chief Minister of Kerala and one of the most respected ideologue of the Communists. His political life extending about eight decades were closely interlinked with the growth and progress of Kerala. A voracious reader, comrade EMS also wrote many books, articles, reviews, pamphlets etc. which have now been compiled and published in 100 volumes. It is a valued treasure.

He was closely connected with the P&T Trade union movement and attended many conferences of the union, including the All India Conference of the AITEE Union Class III held at Thiruvananthapuram in 1994, where I was elected as the General Secretary of the union.

His strictness for time and timely completion of any work is well known. This I have seen myself. Once I have the opportunity to travel with him from Calicut to Mangalore, where he was to address a meeting of NFPTE. He was continuously writing and by the  time we reached Mangalore, he put the same in a cover, wrote the address and told me to post it immediately so that it will reach Chintha next day itself.

An interesting incident also happened. While addressing the meeting  at Mangalore Head Post Office on  the day, he saw the photo of Babu Tarapada Mukherjee, pioneer of the P and T TU movement,  fixed on the wall and asked whose photo it is. When I mentioned that it was the photo of Babu Tarapada, Union leader, he smiled and commented: ‘ so, you have your union leaders’ photo in the Post Office also.’ I mentioned to him also that since there are no place in many Post Offices for holding meetings, we usually hold the same in the office,after office hours.

In his nearly seven decades of public life and revolutionary activities, E.M.S. Namboodiripad left an indelible imprint on the progressive and working class movement of the country. As a young man, he became active in the social reform movement against caste. He left college in 1931 to join the freedom struggle and was jailed in the satyagraha movement. From then on wards, he played an important role in the Congress movement and was one of the founders of the Congress Socialist Party in Kerala. In 1934 he became the all India joint secretary of the Congress Socialist Party. It is in this period that E.M.S. while leading the Congress Party as General Secretary of the Kerala Pradesh Congress Party became acquainted with Marxism. He was one of the five members who formed the founding group of the Communist Party in Kerala in 1936. E.M.S. Namboodiripad represented the coming together of the two streams, the anti-imperialist and the anti-feudal struggles, which laid the foundations for the development of a powerful communist movement in Kerala. He was one of the key proponents of Aikya Kerala which led to the formation of Kerala as a unified linguistic state.

E.M.S. Namboodiripad was first elected to the Madras Provincial Legislative Assembly in 1939. As an important leader of the fledgling Communist Party he donated the proceeds of his landed property to the Party. He went underground building the Party in crucial periods between 1939-42 and 1948-50. He was elected to the Central Committee of the Communist Party of India in 1941. He became a member of the Polit Bureau of the CPI in December 1950 and later its Secretariat. He became General Secretary of the united CPI in 1962.
In 1957, after the state of Kerala was formed in the first elections in 1957, the Communist Party won a majority and E.M.S. Namboodiripad became Chief Minister of the first elected Communist ministry in India. It was the EMS ministry which initiated the path breaking land reform legislation and other democratic measures, till the ministry was dismissed undemocratically in 1959. E.M.S. Namboodiripad became Chief Minister of Kerala again in 1967 heading a United Front ministry till 1969.
E.M.S. joined the leading group from the united Party who formed the CPI(M) and was elected to the Central Committee and the Polit Bureau of the Party at the Seventh Congress of the Party in 1964 and he continued to serve in these positions till his death.
E.M.S. Namboodiripad was elected the General Secretary of Central Committee of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) in 1977 and he led the Party in this capacity till the 14th Congress in 1992 when he stepped down due to ill-health. His leadership in rallying all the Left, democratic and secular forces was invaluable.
E.M.S. was a brilliant Marxist theoretician. He made outstanding contributions to the application of Marxism-Leninism to Indian society and in working out the strategy and tactics of the Indian revolution. His vast body of writings bear the mark of an original and creative mind which mastered the dialectics of Marxist theory. His writings on land relations, Kerala, society and politics and his writings on Marxist philosophy, literature and history — mark him out to be one of the most influential communist thinkers of the country and the world.
E.M.S. Namboodiripad was a rare example of a Communist leader who hailing from a traditional landlord family graduated to become the foremost leader of the proletarian revolutionary movement. He spent three years in jail and six years underground. His was a life of sacrifice and simplicity. He set an example which has inspired tens of thousands of communists all over the country. In Kerala he was a legend in his lifetime

We cherish his memory and our close association with him.Red Salute to Comrade EMS!

Air India – Instead of disinvestment / sale/ privatisation, upgrade and strengthen the National Carrier.

14 Thursday Jun 2018

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The Modi government is selling PSUs, one after another, to get some paltry amount as also to benefit the corporates to increase their assets and profits. It is almost as the PSUs are gifted
to private considering the total asset value of the PSU, its bank balance, huge area of land in prime cities etc. But the corporates want the prices to be reduced further more. The fact that no corporate was there for purchasing 76% shares of Air India, underlines this trick.

Instead of disinvestment, sale or privatisation, what is required is to modernise Air India, streamline the functions, take the employees and workers in to confidence and stop the favouritism to private airlines. It is nothing less than a national crime to sell, the pride of the nation, ‘the temples of modern India’ as the first Prime Minister called the PSUs, to the greedy corporates for increasing their profits. The huge bills due by the central government for using the AI by the Ministers, high level officers etc. should be paid immediately.

The political parties and trade unions have a responsibility to ensure that no more PSU is closed or sold or disinvested during the last one year period of the Modi government.