Homage to Comrade Sukomal Sen – CPI(M)

New Delhi, November 22: The Polit Bureau of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) expresses its deep grief at the passing away of Comrade Sukomal Sen, Chairman of the Central Control Commission and ex-officio member of the Central Committee. Sukomal Sen died after a long illness. He was aged 83.

Sukomal Sen joined the Party in 1952. He was the organizer and builder of the State Government Employees movement in the country. He served as the General Secretary of the All India State Government Employees Federation from 1982 to 2008. He was formerly Vice President of the Centre of Indian Trade Unions. He served as a member of the Rajya Sabha for two terms.

Sukomal Sen was a committed Marxist-Leninist and an outstanding trade union leader. He wrote the book, “Working Class of India: History of Emergence and Movement” which has become an authoritative account of the history of the working class movement.

The Polit Bureau pays homage to this dedicated Communist leader and conveys its heartfelt condolences to his wife and sons.

Com. Sukomal Sen passed away

With great sorrow and anguish it is reported that Com. Sukomal Sen, senior CPI(M) leader and veteran leader of All India State Government Employees Federation has passed away at about 10.00 AM today, 22nd November. He was ailing for some months  and was hospitalized yesterday morning. He was about 82. It was some months back that I went and met him at his residence in Kolkata. He was bedridden and ailing. Though there was slight improvement, the end came yesterday.

Heartfelt condolences to the bereaved family, comrades and friends.

Air India moves fast for disinvestment

Despite strong protests from the unions in Air India and the Central trade Unions, Air  India is moving fast for strategic disinvestment as per the decisions of the government. Private companies have been pressing the government to keep away Air India from the sky so that they can exploit the travellers without any limit and be the unquestioned kings of the sky.

Though some of the government spokesmen were telling that Air India disinvestment has not been decided, the Air India management is moving forward with the process. Five internal project teams have been constitutes as reported in Hindu dated 22-11-2017 to work towards ensuring that the timelines set by the government in the disinvestment matter is achieved.

It is necessary that the disnvestment move of the government is stopped.

 

TRAI for removing cap on spectrum

Each and every decision being taken by the Government and the TRAI is focussed on the need and requirement of the private telecom operators. This is once again proved on the decision taken by the TRAI to remove the cap on  the spectrum.

There is a cap on the spectrum at present, which is that no telecom operator can hold more than 50% of the total spectrum within a band. This condition was brought earlier, when BSNL was going high and the chance was that it may grab a majority of the same and the private companies will be in the lurch. By denying spectrum and mobile lines to the PSU, the private companies have gone far ahead.

The new development comes after the arrival of the Reliance Jio in the scene with deep pockets. If it has to grow fast as required, it may need a lot of spectrum. Secondly, Vodafone and Idea are going to be merged. Hence both these corporates require much spectrum. Hence the new directions that the cap on 50% holding of spectrum in any band is removed.

Once again it is clear that the government stands for the corporates and MNCs.

 

Aadhaar details in the public domain – Government silent

Now and then, the government of India declares that all should register  their Aadhaar cards with banks, mobiles and what not. Government also assured that it will be safe and secret.

But what is happening? Contrary to the assurances, all these Aadhaar details are in the public domain now. Over 200 government websites have made the Aadhaar details public as per paper reports.

As usual with the Modi Government, in this case also, the assurances are broken and violated. Nothing to be  surprised!

Cabinet Secretary gets Rs. 2.5 lakh monthly salary, President of India Rs.1.5 lakh only!

President of India is the head of the government and the Supreme Commander of the Army, Air Force and Navy. He/she is entitled to get not less than any Central government employee in the country.

But unfortunately, this is not  the present position. While the Cabinet Secretary, Chiefs of Army, Air Force and navy are being paid Rs. 2.5 lakh a month as per the recommendations of the VII Central Pay Commission, the salary of the President continues as only Rs. 1.5 lakh. This is a violation of the constitution and convention.

President of India has also become the victim of the delay of his own government!

Protest against closure of government presses

As part of the struggle against closure of 12 Government of India Presses, the workers organised a massive dharna in front of the Head Quarters of the Government of India Presses at New Delhi.

Crime reduced in Japan, but elderly people seek refuge in jails – a reality to escape isolation.

Though the crime rate is reducing in Japan, a lot of elderly people are seeking jail by committing small offences to escape isolation by going in to jail. A report from WFTU is given below:

“The number of elderly prisoners in Japan has quadrupled, even though crime reached record lows in 2016, according to data released yesterday show that elderly people looking for a “home” in prison. A total of 2,498 people over 65 were admitted to prison last year, a figure four times higher than those who were imprisoned in 1997, indicated in the White Paper on crime published by the Ministry of Justice Japan. Of that number, 70.2% were repeat offenders, which shows a complex reality in the Japanese country where older people seek in prison a “home” to escape social isolation and poverty.
Most older prisoners serving sentences in Japanese prisons lacked links with family, friends or neighbors before being hospitalized, according to a study conducted in prisons Nipponese by the lawyer of Keio University (Tokyo) Tatsuya Ota. Low public pensions is the average monthly compensation of 78,000 yen (609 euros) prevent these elderly acquire the services and commodities to survive and lead them to have to find part – time jobs or commit crimes.

However, crime in Japan reached a record low in 2016, when the number of crimes continued to fall until reaching just under a million, which is already the fourteenth consecutive year decline, driven partly by the drop in the number of thefts. These figures are the best that the country has achieved since the postwar period and reveal, according to the report, “significant improvements” in the crime rate.”

VII CPC – Betrayal by the Government

Com. M.Krishnan, SG Confederation of CG Employees and Workers has issued the following statement:

LATEST POSITION REGARDING MINIMUM PAY AND FITMENT FORMULA — GOVT INFORMED STAFFSIDE NATIONAL COUNCIL JCM THAT INCREASE IN MINIMUM PAY AND FITMENT FORMULA WILL NOT COME UNDER ANOMALY COMMITTEE ITEM.

During the last 2 – 3 months both print and electronic media are continuously reporting that increase in 7th CPC Minimum Pay and Fitment Factor is under serious consideration of the Govt. and National Anomaly Committee will give its recommendation to Govt. and orders for increased Minimum Pay and Fitment Formula will be given effect from April 2018. We are reproducing below a letter from Govt. dated 30.10.2017 addressed to Secretary, Staff Side , National Council JCM stating that the demand for increase in Minimum Pay and Fitment Formula will not come under the purview of National Anomaly Committee. Further Govt. has not yet constituted the HIGH LEVEL COMMITTEE for increasing Minimum Pay and Fitment Formula as assured by the Group of Ministers including Home Minister Sri Rajnath Singh, Finance Minister Shri Arun Jaitley on 30.06.2016. The so-called Senior Officers Committee has also not discussed this agenda even though staff Side has repeatedly demanded discussion and settlement as per the assurance given by Senior Cabinet Ministers. Now 17 months are over. 32 lakhs Central Govt. Employees and 33 lakhs Pensioners are being continuously betrayed by the NDA Govt.

OUNTRYWIDE PROTEST AGAINST PRICE RISE ON 13 DECEMBER 2017

The Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU) has called upon the working people throughout the country, its units and affiliated unions of the workers to register countrywide protest against the continuing price rise on 13 December 2017, in every industrial centre, city, town and rural areas by staging demonstrations.
Modi government’s policies are entirely responsible for this price rise, inflicting huge sufferings and miseries on the workers and other sections of toiling masses. In fact, prices are not just increasing; they are being made to increase through policy drive of the Govt to benefit middlemen, big traders, black-marketeers and speculators. This is also an integral part of their policy of “ease of doing business” which is synonymous to “ease of looting the people”.

Hence observe Protest Day on 13th December 2017 in a massive way.