AIBDPA All India Conference at Kannur on 6-7 February 2013

22 Saturday Dec 2012

Posted by in AIBDPA - BSNL DOT Pensioners

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Only about one and half months are left for the holding of the AIBDPA AIC to be held at Kannur(Kerala). Kannur comradees are making all arrangements for the comfortable stay and accommodation for holding th conference. The Conference will be inaugurated by Com.Basudeb Acharia, veteran trade union leader and leader of the CPI(M) in Lok Sabha.All India leaders of BSNLEU and other service organisations will be greeting the conference.
About 500 delegates are expected to attend from all parts of the country. The AIC will discuss and take important decisions with regard to the demands of the BSNL-DOT pensioners as also on the issues of the workers in general.

AIBDPA Chattisgarh Circle Conference

22 Saturday Dec 2012

Posted by in AIBDPA - BSNL DOT Pensioners

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The Circle Conference of All India BSNL DOT Pensioners Association (AIBDPA), Chhattisgarh Conference is being held today, 22nd December at Raipur. I reached here yesterday. The local comrades are making all arrangements for the successful holding of the conference. The organisational issues were discussed with Coms. Shrivastava, Circle President, Atmapoojya, Circle Secretary, AIBDPA and with Com. S.C. Bhattacharya, Circle Secretary and All India treasurer of BSNLEU.
A seminar will be held in the morning and the delegates session will be held in the after noon. It is also proposed to have a meeting of the casual and contract workers also to discuss their pressing issues.

March to Parliament – Prelude to the 20-21 February Strike

21 Friday Dec 2012

Posted by in TU News - India

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MORE than fifty thousand workers and employees participated in the March to Parliament by the central trade unions—BMS, INTUC, AITUC, HMS, CITU, AIUTUC, AICCTU, UTUC, TUCC, LPF, SEWA and federations of employees on December 20. The march was the culmination of the two days countrywide jail bharo agitation on December 18-19, 2012 in which lakhs have courted arrest, all over the country. The unprecedented participation and the enthusiasm of the participants showed the anger of the workers against the anti-worker policies of the government. Even though the march included only people from the nearby states, the participation was more than expected.

A K Padmanabhan, president, represented the Centre of Indian trade Unions (CITU) in the presidium, which consisted of one representative each from all the central trade unions. The speakers were, B N Rai (BMS), Ashok Singh (INTUC), Gurudas Dasgupta (AITUC), R A Mittal (HMS), Tapan Sen (CITU), Satyawan (AIUTUC), Swapan Mukherjee(AICCTU), Ashok Singh (UTUC), S P Tiwari (TUCC), Shanmugham(LPF).

The meeting reiterated the decision for the two days countrywide general strike on February 20-21, 2013.

The meeting moved a resolution condemning the recent heinous rape and assault on a 23 year old girl in Delhi and against the increasing violence against women in the country, especially the capital city and the failure of the administration to provide security to its citizens.

The meeting also adopted a resolution in support of the struggle of the Maruti Workers Union, Manesar, Gurgaon, demanding the reinstatement of all workers who were terminated illegally and withdrawal of the false cases against the workers.

Apart from the central trade unions, all unions of employees of central and state government, banks, insurance, defense, telecom etc also participated in the programme.

DEMANDS

The five point demand charter formulated jointly by the central trade unions and federations is: 1) concrete measures to contain price rise, 2) concrete measures for employment generation, 3) strict enforcement of labour laws, 4) universal social security cover for organised and unorganised workers and creation of National Social Security Fund and 5) stoppage of disinvestment in central and state PSUs/undertakings.

Other immediate demands are: no contractisation of work of permanent/perennial nature and payment of wages and benefits to the contract workers at the same rate as available to the regular workers of the industry or establishment ; amendment of the Minimum Wages Act to ensure universal coverage irrespective of the schedules and fixation of statutory minimum wage at not less than Rs 10,000, linked with the consumer price index; removal of all ceilings on payment and eligibility of bonus, provident fund; increase in the quantum of gratuity; assured pension for all and compulsory registration of trade unions within a period of 45 days and immediate ratification of the ILO Conventions 87 and 98.9 PD DATED 23-12-2012

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Women’s Organisations March to Rashtrapathi Bhawan for justice

21 Friday Dec 2012

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Hundreds of young men and women gathered near Parliament House, at Rail Bhawan, to protest against the brutal rape of the young girl still battling for her life at Safdarjang Hospital. Carrying placards, “My Body My Right” the protestors shouted “We Want Justice”, “Home Minister Istifa Do” as they marched up Raisina Hill to Rashtrapati Bhawan. They were all wearing black badges, head and arm bands to register their protest.

The anger was palpable as the students led the demonstration making it clear that they would no longer tolerate the apathy of the government, the complicity of the police force and the inaction of the authorities that had made Delhi so completely unsafe for women. The demonstrators stopped at Rashtrapati Bhawan, halting briefly at both the Home Ministers office and the Prime Ministers Office to raise their demand for action.

The police, and the Government must send out a strong message of zero tolerance on cases of violence against women. The protests will continue until our demands are met.

WE DEMAND:
1. Take immediate steps to enact the Sexual Assault Bill.
2. Increase patrolling and deployment of police, including police women in public places so that such incidents can be prevented, and women’s safety assured;
3. Improve infrastructure to make cities safer for women.
4. Fast track courts to deal with rape cases, hearings to be held on a day to day basis, so that sentence can be delivered within a period of 6 months. Police investigation to be conducted in a time bound manner.
5. Standardized investigation procedures be circulated to all police stations, along with the principle of accountability to take action against police personnel who do not implement them properly;
6. Increased sensitization, effective investigation and accountability of the police in dealing with heinous crimes against women.
7. Immediate relief, legal and medical assistance, and long term rehabilitation measures to be provided to survivors of rape, without delays and hassles.

Signed by:
All India Democratic Women’s Association, Centre for Policy Analysis, National Federation of Indian Women, Guild of Service, Joint Women’s Programme, Young Women’s Christian Association, Swastik Mahila Samiti, Centre for Women’s Development Studies, Muslim Women’s Forum and Jagori.

End this discrimination – grant five increments to DR TTAs also

21 Friday Dec 2012

Posted by in BSNL - Better Service to the Nation

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BSNLEU, the recognised union has been demanding all along that 30% fitment should be granted to those newly recruited persons after 01-01-2007 also, but the BSNL management completely refused. Since the newly recruited JTOs, who are in a similar position have been granted five increments, the union demanded that at least that should be granted to the DR TTAs also. Again the management refused. Now the newly recruited JAOs are also granted five increments as in the case of JTOs. What about the DR TTAs? Despite our continued demands, the management is keeping silence.
End this utter discrimination and immediately grant 5 increments to the DR TTAs also.

CBI files charge against Bharti Airtel for irregularities

21 Friday Dec 2012

Posted by in 2G Scam Corruption

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The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has filed charges against India’s top mobile phone carrier, Bharti Airtel, as part of a broader case involving alleged irregularities in airwave allocations.

Two Vodafone-owned companies—Hutchison Max and Sterling Cellular—and former Telecom Secretary CBI Shyamal Ghosh have also been accused of criminal conspiracy and face charges under the Prevention of Corruption Act. Mr Ghosh has been charged with misusing his office to confer additional spectrum in sweetheart deals to telecom giants. The CBI says the country lost nearly Rs. 846 crore as a result.

The charge sheet filed in a Delhi court today does not mention any executives.

A Bharti spokesman said he had no immediate comment, while a Vodafone India spokesman declined to comment.

Bharti has previously said it had complied with all rules. Bharti shares were down 2.2 per cent as of 1.56 p.m., underperforming the 0.8 per cent decline in the broader Nifty.

The CBI probe concerns alleged irregularities in allotting mobile spectrum in 2002 during the NDA government led by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). At the time, Pramod Mahajan, now deceased, was Telecom Minister.

The investigation follows a scandal over airwave allocations in 2008 by then Telecom Minister A Raja, who was jailed for allegedly accepting kickbacks in return for assigning under-priced licenses to mobile phone operators for second-generation or 2G airwaves. The 2G scam, as it’s referred to, shook Dr Manmohan Singh’s government after the national auditor said it was worth Rs. 1.76 lakh crore.

While monitoring the investigations into the 2G scam, the Supreme Court had asked the CBI to investigate any possible irregularities in the granting of mobile permits from 2001 to 2007, before the Congress-led UPA coalition came to power. (Report from Ganashakti)

Strike by Bank Workers on 20th December 2012

20 Thursday Dec 2012

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In protest against passing of the Banking (Amendment) BIll, which is against the interests of the people and the future of the PSU Banks and also workers, the Ban employees went on a full strike on 20th December 2012. The strike, as usual, was complete success.
My Hearty Congratulation to the Bank Workers and their organisations!

Regularisation of casual workers

20 Thursday Dec 2012

Posted by in BSNLCCWF - Casual and Contract workers

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Today I had a long discussion with the GM(Estt) regarding the regularisation of the casual workers in BSNL. Although there was an agreement with the Federations at the time of corporatisation that all left-out casual labours will be regularised, about 3348 casual labours are yet to be regularised. Out of this 2270 are in W.Bengal alone. On the plea of the judgement in Umadevi Vs. state of Karnataka, the BSNL Management is refusing the regularisation of these left-out casual labours. I pointed out that government departments like Income Tax, Customs,Central Excise etc. have regularised their casual labour with reference to the same judgement.PSUs like LIC has regularised their workers and demanded that BSNL casual labours also should be regularised immediately.
The BSNL management can not wash its hand on the plea of the SC judgement. They have to find out ways and means of regularising these left-out casual labours who are working for about 20 years with low wages and in difficult circumstances. The union will continue the struggle for regularisation.

Lakhs of workers March to Parliament on 20 December

20 Thursday Dec 2012

Posted by in TU News - India

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Lakhs of workers coming from all parts of the country marched to Parliament through the streests of Delhi protesting against the anti-worker policies of the government and demanding the right to organise, settlement of issues of unorganised workers like minimum wage and social security measures, opposing disinvestment and privatisation of PSUs, against price-rise etc. The Parliament March was organised by the 11 Central Trade Unions including INTUC, BMS, CITU, AITUC, HMS, UTUC etc. which was also participated by the National Federations and All India Unions of Central/State government employees, Banks, Insurance, BSNL, coal, steel, teachers, womens organisations etc. The Parliament street was overcrowded by the workers who were carrying the colourful flags and banners of their unions. The March was stopped before the Parliament Police Station where a huge rally was held. A big stage was erected with the banner of the Parliament March and the names of the 11 Central Trade Unions. The rally was presided by a Presidium consisting of the Presidents of the 11 central Trade Unions including Com. A.K.Padmanabhn (CITU) and Com. Amarjit Kaur (AITUC). The General Secretaries of the Central trade Unions addressed the rally within the stipulated time of 10 minutes each. Com. Tapan Sen GS CITU, Gurudas Dasgupta, GS, AITUC and other leaders of central TUs addressed.
The Central leaders congratulated the participants and hailed the unity of the workers. The leaders called upon the workers to make the 20-21 February 2013 two days strike a big success.
A good number of workers participated from BSNLEU including from the nearby states like Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan etc. Coms. V.A.N.Namboodiri, President, Animesh Mitra, Dy. General Secretary, Saibal Sen Gupta, AGS, Balbir Singh, Circle Secretary Punjab and other leaders were present.

Parliament march to-day, 20th December

20 Thursday Dec 2012

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The Parliament March called by Central trade Unions against the anti-people, anti-workers policies and on major demands of the workers including the un-organised sector will be held today, 2oth December 2012. Thousands of workers from all over India have already reached Delhi to participate. It will be a great demonstration of the workers to compel the government to concede their demands.