Merger of SBI and Affiliated Banks – 10% Staff will be reduced

27 Monday Mar 2017

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The merger of the 5 affiliated banks – State Bank of Travancore, State Bank of Mysore, State Bank of Hyderabad, State Bank of Bikaner and Jaipur and State Bank of Patiala as also the Bharatiya Mahila Bank with State bank of India (SBI) will result in reduction / retrenchment of about 10% of total staff. This was stated by none other than Rajnish Kumar, Managing Director SBI.

Despite strong protest from the Bank Unions, the merger will be effected from 1st April 2017. Many of the the merged SBI Branches will be closed and the staff relocated. According to the SBI top executive, there will a total staff of about 2,77,000 workers post-merger ( SBI – 2,07,000 plus Merged Banks – 70,000). Within two years about 10% of this staff will have to be reduced according to him.

The closure of branches and reduction of staff will mean less service to the public and more incentive to the growth of private banks. In the name of merger, the neo-liberal pro-corporate agenda of the government is being implemented. What happened with the merger of Air India and Indian Airlines is not forgotten by the public. The new entity became loss making as also a lot of problems arose.

 

‘The First Indian War of Independence – 1857-1859’

26 Sunday Mar 2017

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This is the caption of the book which is published incorporating the many articles written by Karl Marx during the period of 1857-59 assessing the various developments in connection with uprising of 1857-59, which the British rulers called ‘Sepoy Mutiny’. It was not a  mere mutiny by the Sepoys, but was part of the great struggle of the people against the British rule.

It is surprising how such detailed information about the movement of the army, the recapture of Delhi and Lucknow by the British, the resistance put by the Indian Sepoys and rulers and above all the review of the entire situation has been explained by Marx, sitting far away from India.

Karl Marx was in full sympathy with the First War of Independence. His articles have been referred in many of the various books / articles published in 1957-58 in connection with the centenary of the great uprising.

A.P.Circle Conference started

25 Saturday Mar 2017

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The Fifth Circle Conference of BSNLEU got started at Khammam today, 25th March 2017. This is the biggest telecom Circle in India, both in number of employees as also in number of BSNL Employees Union. However the circle union will be bifurcated in to A.P. and Telangana circles in this conference, since BSNL has already bifurcated the same.

Com.Mohan Reddy, Circle President, BSNLEU presided in the open session.Com.V.A.N.Namboodiri Founder General Secretary inaugurated.Coms. Sai Babu, GS CITU Telangana state, P.Abhimanyu GS BSNLEU, P.Asokababu, VP BSNLEU,J.Sampath Rao Circle Secretary and other leaders addressed.

More than 700 comrades are attending. The Conference will continue tomorrow.

Hunger Strike by Casual Contract workers in Kerala

23 Thursday Mar 2017

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Demanding implementation of the agreement reached last year between the Circle BSNL Management and the CCLU Kerala as also demanding Bonus etc. casual and contract workers organised one day Hunger Strike as per the call of the Circle Unions. Hundreds of workers participated all over the circle.

Hunger Strike was organised with massive participation before the PGM Office in Kozhikode. The programme was inaugurated by Com. P.K.Mukundan, Dist. Secretary CITU Kozhikode. I also addressed and spoke about the demands of the workers and the present position and congratulated for their participation. Comrades M.Vijayakumar, Org. Secretary BSNLEU, K.V.Jayarajan, District President, CCLU, V.Bhagyalakshmi, Convener, Mahila Committee, Asokan, District Secretary CCLU and other leaders addressed.

The Kerala BSNL Management should immediately implement the agreement made with the Union.

 

Red Salute to Martyrs Bhagat Singh, Sukhdev and Rajguru!

23 Thursday Mar 2017

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Today, 23rd March 2017, is the 86th anniversary of the martyrdom of the great revolutionaries Shahid Bhagat Singh, Sukhdev and Rajguru, who were hanged on 23rd March 1931, by the British imperialists. They  sacrificed their priceless lives at the altar of freedom of the country. It is to be remembered that Bhagat Singh was only 23 years when his life was taken away by the brutal British Government.

It is about seven decades since we got political independence. But the secular socialist democratic nation envisaged by martyrs like Bhagat Singh is yet to be achieved. Instead, the present BJP government aggressively is implementing policies which destroy social harmony and create intolerance.

On this day, when we pay homage to the sacred memory of Bhagat Singh and other martyrs, let us pledge to continue our struggle for protecting the secular fabric of the nation!

 

Support Maruti Workers Struggle for Justice – CITU

22 Wednesday Mar 2017

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Press Statement issued by CITU

The Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU) expresses its deep distress and anguish at the sentence of life to 13 workers and of 5 years jail to another four workers of Maruti Suzuki in connection with the violence in the Manesar plant of Maruti in 2012.

The violence in 2012 in which a general manager of the factory was killed was the handiwork of hired musclemen of Maruti Suzuki management meant to create the ground for crushing the unions. Despite no way being responsible for the incident, the workers have been convicted on the basis of concocted evidence manufactured by the state administration, police and employer nexus in a shameless abuse of power. More than 500 workers were thrown out of their jobs and over 200 workers were thrown into jail for up to four and half years. 117 of them had to be acquitted.

However the heinous designs of the Haryana state administration capitalist league to crush the trade union movement in the Gurgaon industrial area could not be achieved fully. Over one lakh workers in the area boycotted lunch on 16th March in spontaneous expression of protest. The workers of Maruti and its ancillaries/ subsidiaries in Gurgaon/ Manesar went on total strike for one hour strike in the evening shift of 18th March. Workers’ unions in Gurgaon industrial area are planning united actions in solidarity with the victimised workers including filing of appeal against the conviction.

CITU denounces the ugly game of the state and capital nexus with the same vehemence with which it denounced the violence of 2012 and congratulates the workers for their immediate and united response. CITU asserts that the trade union movement will not accept and cannot be cowed down with such nefarious acts by the government employer nexus.

CITU expresses its solidarity with the struggle of the Maruti workers and the initiative of the industrial workers unions of Gurgaon in support of the Maruti workers. It calls upon all its state committees, all its affiliated unions and the entire trade union movement irrespective of affiliations to come forward in solidarity with the Maruti workers struggle for justice including the legal battle.

Issued by:
K. Hemalata
President

101 Billionaires in India – 4th in the World

22 Wednesday Mar 2017

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According to Forbes list of richest people in the world India has moved to 4th place with 101 billionaires among the total of 2043 world over.

United States of America tops the list with 565, China second with 319, followed by Germany 114.

2043 richest people in world have combined net worth of $ 8.67 trillion, a record 18% increase over last year.

Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates tops a record 4th time with $ 86 billion.

Mukesh Ambani has retained the top position in India with $ 23.2 billion.

Thanks to the neo-liberal policies which makes the rich, richest and the poor, poorest. !  

 

Back to Home – Rejoining with Comrades and Colleagues

22 Wednesday Mar 2017

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The few weeks after my return to Kozhikode from Delhi have been full of interesting rejoining meetings and contacts with old friends, comrades and colleagues. After 25 years  out of Calicut, many ties have been broken but they are being repaired one after another.

Two meetings at Ernakulam, the CEC meetings both BSNLEU and AIBDPA, have been exceptionally warm. I was given the honour to inaugurate both of them. All of the leaders were my co-workers for decades and the meetings were occasions of exchanges of many ideas and views. Once again I have reached back home.

 

Comrade AKG, Captain of the Toiling Masses

22 Wednesday Mar 2017

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Today, 22nd March 2017, is the 40th Death Anniversary of Com. A.K.Gopalan, M.P. PB Member, CPI(M) and one of the greatest working class leaders. His life was a continuous struggles and agitations in defence of the toiling masses. Both the British imperialists and the Congress rulers put him is jail several times for leading working class struggles. He was still in jail on 15th August 1947, when India was declared Independent and he celebrated it by hoisting the National Flag in jail.  Com.AKG, who fought against the Internal Emergency promulgated by Smt. Indira Gandhi died one day after the Congress was utterly defeated in the elections but he did not know it as he was unconscious and passed away on 22nd.

Com.AKG was a close friend of the P&T workers. He was the guide and philosopher and came rushing to the rescue of the workers whenever they were in trouble. His historic speech in Parliament against the victimisation of the CG employees in the 1960 strike compelled the Nehru government  to retract from its hard line on strikers.

He was close to each and every comrade, whether leader or ordinary worker. I remember many such instances of contact with him. I am keeping as precious treasure, the personal letters received from him.

On his 40th death anniversary on this day, I pay my respectful homage to the great working class leader Com. A.K.Gopalan!

RED SALUTE TO COMRADE A.K.GOPALAN!

Warm Greetings on BSNLEU Day!

22 Wednesday Mar 2017

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Today, 22nd March 2017 is the 16th Birth Anniversary of BSNL Employees Union (BSNLEU), which was formed at Visakhapatnam on 22nd March 2001 in the presence of thousands of telecom workers and as also in the august presence of Com. E.Balanandan, President, CITU and one of great working class leaders of India. The day is also the death anniversary of Com.A.K.Gopalan, M.P., the legend leader of the toiling masses.

The past sixteen years witnessed the growth of this organisation with the vast majority of BSNL workers making it their own. Due to its continuous struggles and achievements, it took the front position among the trade unions.

There are big challenges before BSNLEU when it is celebrating its 17th birth day. The threat of closure, privatisation is looming before it. Despite anti-PSU policy of the government, the PSU has started improving its financial position, but much more efforts are required for  better service.  The Forum, All Unions – Associations should be strengthened by including the BSNLCCWF which is implementing all the decisions of the Forum and is part of the BSNL workforce.

As the Founder General Secretary of BSNLEU, I feel proud with all other leaders and workers that BSNLEU has stood the test of time and has been the inspiration and protector of the BSNL workers.

BSNLEU Zindabad! Workers Unity Zindabad!

UNITY FOR STRUGGLE! STRUGGLE FOR UNITY! UNITY AND STRUGGLE FOR PROGRESS!