Visit the Past (19) – Strike in Telegraph Workshop Calcutta in July 1937

17 Wednesday Aug 2016

Posted by in Telecom, VISIT THE PAST

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Since  formation of unions in P&T, struggles were organised. Sometimes, the workers have gone on strike action all of a sudden  against gross injustice. It is such a strike that had happened in the Telegraph Work Shop, Calcutta in July 1937.

The strike started in the galvanising section of the workshop by about 100 workers demanding increase in wages for the night shift and also for working on Sundays. Next day, more than 1000 workers of the workshop went on strike in  support of the galvanising workers who are on strike.

A report published in the “Statesman” of 14th July 1937, in this connection is quoted below:

“About 1,000 workmen of the Government Telegraph Workshops, Alipore comprising blacksmith, fitters and laskars, went on strike yesterday morning. These men, it is understood, have not formulated any demand, but have “downed tool” in sympathy with 86 men of the galvanising department, who struck work on Saturday last for an increase in wages, mainly, a day and a half wages for night shift and double wages for Sunday work.”

Two important things are to be noticed. The workers in one section went on strike on their own demands and the other workers in the same workshop went on solidarity strike. Yes the P&T workers have a great tradition of comradeship.

Rs. 5.4 lakh crore NPA (Bad loan) of PSU Banks!

16 Tuesday Aug 2016

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The PSU Banks in the country are having  NPA or the bad loans not returned of Rs. 5,39,995 crore as in 2016. For the last 15 years, the NPAs have been increasing every year. These are loans of crores of rupees given to big corporates, business barons and so on. Neither the government nor the PSU Banks are taking any serious action to recover these loans. These are companies who are having sufficient funds to repay. This is a conspiracy between the management of the banks, corporates and ruling political parties.

There is a need to expose all of them. The Banks should publish the list of these corporates. They should be shamed. Government should take serious action against all those involved. It is the people’s savings that have been swindled.

Disinvestment / Privatisation, an attack on SC/ST Workers.

16 Tuesday Aug 2016

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Privatisation/ Disivestment is an attack on the job security of workers, especially that of SC/ST. After privatisation, mass scale retrenchment takes places  to reduce staff. The first to be retrenched are women and SC/ST employees. The plea of management is that there is no reservation in private.

Govt.is defeating its own reservation policy by privatisation. Fight and defeat anti- worker policy!

Warm Greetings to the National Conference of Confederation at Chennai

16 Tuesday Aug 2016

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Greetings sent to the National Conference of Confederation  at Chennai is posted below:

To

Com.M.Krishnan

Secretary General, Confederation of CG Employees and Workers,

New Delhi

Dear Comrade

I am very glad to know that the 25 0National Conference of the Confederation of CG Employees & Workers is being held at Chennai from 16 to 18th August 2016. It is  most appreciable that the same is being conducted on the 60 Anniversary of the formation of the Confederation  which was held on 16 August 1956.

Confederation during its 60 years of existence has been the motivating force and voice of the lakhs of Central Government Employees. It organized the historical five days strike of 1960, One Day Token Strike of 1968, 1974 Bonus Strike along with Railways and Defence and many historical struggles during this period. It’s first President was Com.Nath Pai, M.P., well known trade union leader and Secretary General Com. S.Madhusudan. Com. Dada Ghosh, then Secretary General NFPTE, played a vital role in its formation. Veteran leaders like Coms. E.X.Joseph, O.P.Gupta, S.K.Vyas and  K.K.N.Kutty have been its former Secretary Generals with another veteran Com.M.Krishnan, its present General Secretary. The disruption of the Confederation during the 1970s could be overcome within years and unity was restored and cemented. Under the leadership of Com.S.K.Vyas, it rose to greater heights.

The National Conference of Confederation is being held at a time when the working class, including the Central Government employees,are facing attacks one after another. Trade union rights are being restricted. Hard won demands are taken away. The VII CPC has not only not done justice to the employees, but has given most retrograde recommendations against which the CG employees are on struggle.

The Central Trade Unions have given call for a Nation Wide Strike on 2nd September 2016 on the demands of the common people and the working class which is expected to be participated by about 20 crores of workers including the CG Employees. I am sure the National Conference will discuss and take appropriate decisions in all these matters, which will inspire the lakhs of Central Government employees.

I, as a humble worker, who has been a participant in all the struggles and activities organized by the Confederation during these long years, wish the National Conference all success in its deliberations! My Warm Greetings to all the office-bearers and delegates participating in the Conference.

Yours comradely,

V.A.N.Namboodiri, Patron NCCPA,

New Delhi, 15 August 2016

 

BSNL should be Corruption- Free, Exploitation-Free

16 Tuesday Aug 2016

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Recently an RTI report has stated that there are more than 3,000 vigilance cases pending in the Department of Telecom, of which mostly are connected with BSNL. There are various reports reaching us about the exploitation of the contract labours, by denying minimum wage, not implementing social security measures like EPF, ESI etc. and also by making them work much more than 8 hours in a day.

Both the corruption and exploitation are unethical and in violation of the laws of the land. A glorious PSU like BSNL can not afford to continue with these black spots tarnishing its image. It is also adversely affecting the motivation of the staff.

It is high time, that the DOT, BSNL Management, the unions and the workers unitedly initiate all out efforts to put an end to these contagious diseases and make BSNL healthy and wealthy.

A Corruption-Free, Exploitation-Free BSNL will be an asset to the Nation!

ITI should be converted to Defence PSU.

16 Tuesday Aug 2016

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With reference to the report on granting of Defence PSU status to the Indian Telephone Industries (ITI), the recommendation of the Parliamentary Standing Committee of Telecom is appropriate and timely. ITI, one of the first PSUs in the country, has contributed tremendously to the growth of the telecom sector. For years together it was the major manufacturer of telephone instruments and other equipments for the Department of Telecom. ITI has been completely ignored after the introduction of the New economic Policy and orders were diverted to private companies. ITI has been intentionally made a loss making PSU to favour the private companies.

ITI is fully capable of attending to the orders of the Defence Department, which it has ably attended earlier. Hence, the government should accept the recommendations of the Parliamentary panel in this respect and confer the status of Defence PSU to ITI and manufacture Defence equipments.

Visit the Past (18) – No Lift for subordinates in Calcutta CTO

15 Monday Aug 2016

Posted by in P&T TU Movement, Uncategorized, VISIT THE PAST

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In the Calcutta CTO heritage building with five floors, you can see lifts on both sides of the building inside. One is a usual lift as in other buildings. On the other side, the lift is of the old type, with iron bars etc. The latter was erected long back during the old British days. Though lift was provided, only the officers were allowed to use the same. The subordinate staff like telegraphists and clerks were not allowed the same. They had to climb the long steps to go upstairs.

The Indian Telegraph Association (ITA) and the All India Telegraphist Union (AITU) both took up the issue with the Chief Superintendent f Telegraphs, but no favourable decision was taken. At last after years of pressure only, the sub-ordinate staff were allowed to use the same.

Another interesting matter. There were separate Coffee House for the Anglo-Indians and the Indians. However, the Telegraphists used to take coffee in the Instrument Room (IR) to save time and to put more messages to clear the heavy traffic.

Visit the Past (17)- Who are the Inferior Servants?

15 Monday Aug 2016

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There were many cadres in the P and T Department with so many designations. They were classified as superior servants and Inferior servants.

Who are the Inferior servants?

They are packers, porters, messengers other than task-work messengers, chowkidars, watchmen, gatemen, hamals, durwans, office-peons, farashes, mail peons,  van peons, boat-men, dandies, manjhis, tindals, lascars, cable-guards, attendents, battery-men, line-coolies, telephone coolies, wire-coolies, press-men, distributors, inkers, cleaners in telephone exchanges, firemen, liftmen, weighmen, lampmen, khalasies, coolies, engine coolies and other whole-time employees of various classes. In rare cases, they were also called menials by the British rulers.

What was their payscales? : Group A: Rs. 16 – 1/5 – 18 (Rupees Anna Paisa) Group B: Rs. 15- 1/5 – 17  Group C: 14 – 1/5 – 16.

What was he Pay Scale of Boy Peons? Group A: Rs.12 – 1/2- 15 Group B: Rs.10 – 1/2 – 15 Group C: Rs. 8 – 1/2 – 11

The pay scale order was issued on 11th March 1935. The Group A, B and C stands for the city the official is working as the A Class, B Class, C Class city now:

The Line Inspector was getting Rs. Rs. 90- 5 – 115, while the telegraphists were getting Rs.  Rs. 45-3-60-4-120. For clerks, maximum was less than telegraphists.

One can also see that the designations were so many with each servant, whether superior or inferior given the designation on the basis of the work he is doing. That is how in the P&T, hundreds of designations came.

Visit the Past (16) – Female and Male Telephone Operators

15 Monday Aug 2016

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A question was raised in the Legislative Assembly of India by Shri Sardar Sant Singh MLA vide Question No.33 of 5.2.1935, regarding the number of telephone Operators in the country and why females were being preferred lately. The questioner was the President of the All India Telegraph Union. In reply, Sir Frank Noyce, Government Member, gave the following reply:

  1. Out of the total 600 Telephone Operators in the country, 51 are females. Out of the females, 1 is Portuguese Indian, 2 are Indian and 48 are Anglo-Indians.
  2. Females are being preferred in recruitment, because they have clear voices and more pleasant manners. They are  more disciplined. They are also preferred because they will resign on marriage and the new appointee need be paid less salary, because they are new.

Gradually, the big exchanges were feminised and only women Telephone Operators were recruited for such exchanges. Not only in the metros like Delhi, Bombay, Calcutta and Madras, in other major exchanges also feminisation started. The number of operators were also increased due to the large scale expansion of the telephones.

No Separate Railway Budget in future?

15 Monday Aug 2016

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It seems that there will be no separate Railway Budget in future. Railways Minister Suresh Prabhu has written to Finance Minister Arun Jaitely requesting that the General Budget should include Railways also and there is no need for a separate budget.

Is it an indication of the corporatisation/privatisation of the Railways? Let us wait and see.