The 5 lakh coal workers will go on a three days strike from 8th August 2011 demanding five years wage revision which is due from July 2011. Their last wage revision was from July 2006.
The National Convention of Coal workers held at Ranchi on 28th June under the auspices of the coal workers unions affiliated to INTUC, CITU, AITUC, BMS and HMS has taken the decision to go on strike.
The National Convention also condemned the disinvestment of 26% shares in Coal India Limited, which is completely against the interest of the company and its workers.
The coal workers struggle will start similar struggles in other sectors also for a five years wage agreement. It is to be noted that the BSNL wage agreement does not mention the period since the Union wanted 5 years and the management wanted 10 years. Now after the five year period is over after 2012 the BSNL Unions can also demand for a new five year agreement.

If any body has thought that the issue of the high level drama in Parliament showing crores of rupees received for voting in favour of the government in the confidence motion is over, they are mistaken. The Government was silent and naturally the CBI was prolonging the case. But the sharp remarks of the Supreme Court has made the CBI move.
The disclosure coming through the statement of one Sohail Hindustani, the intermediary, that he has been contacted by Samajwadi Party Leader Amar Singh and some Congressmen close to PM and Sonia Gandhi in this connection are really disturbing. The UPA Government is really in a mess.
If the accusations are proved, where is the credibility of the Government? Is it that any wrong can be done to continue in Government?

There is no stopping of the soaring price of gold. It has reached an all time record. Yesterday the price for a soverign was Rs. 17,630.
There seems to be two main reasons for the soaring prices. One, the price of the gold never comes down and hence it is a good investment. Second the tendency of Indians to accumulate gold as also make jewellery for the women to wear. And for the past few years the practice of males, young and old wearing heavy gold chains has come to stay.
Unless the present trend of aggressively accumulating is not changed, the price of gold is will go higher and higher.

An All India Convention against the Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority (PFRDA) Bill presented in the Lok Sabha will be held at New Delhi on 22nd July 2011 under the auspices of the Confederation of Central Government Employees and Workers, All India Defence Employees Federations, All India Railwaymens Federation, All India State Government Employees Federation, BSNL Employees Union and the Pensioners organisations. The bill proposes to change the defined pension system in to contributed pension system as also to put the pension corpus in mutual funds etc. which will be at the mercy of the varying market forces resulting in loss of pension itself.
The PFRDA Bill could not be passed at the time of the UPA I government due to the strong opposition of the Left Parties which were supporting the government at that time. Even in the last session of the Lok Sabha, the PFRDA bill could be presented only with the support of the main opposition BJP.
The working class will have to wage a serious battle against this anti-worker move of the government. It is in this context that the All India Convention’s importance lies.

The DGB Trade Confederation of Trade Unions in Germany has suggested that a short lunchtime nap will improve health as also will give more energy to work.
This is not a new idea. In some countries official lunch time nap is already allowed. It is reported that even in some of the European countries this was allowed earlier but stopped later. It is reported that even now in Greece some firms are allowing noon-time siesta.
It is not a bad idea after all.

The democratic movement all over the world observed “Nelson Mandela International Day” in honour of one of the greatest living legend whose 93rd birthday falls on 18th July 2011.
The history of South Africa for the last seven -eight decades is the historic struggle of Nelson Mandela and his comrades who fought against the British colonialism and the most heinous practice of apartheid. Nelson Mandela was in Robben Island prison for 26 years denied of even the basis conveniences along with a number of leaders of the South African Congress.
The struggle for independence for South Africa has a different line from that of India. India continued the struggle on the basis of the non-violence line enunciated by Gandhiji. Gandhiji had started the same in South Africa when he was settled there as an Advocate. It continued till 1964. The attack on the agitators were so cruel and inhuman so that the SAC did not have any other way but to adopt armed struggle against the colonial rulers. The SAC formed the military wing, and started armed struggle. The British suppressed the same with all their military might. It was at that time that Nelson Mandela, the leader of SAC and others were put in inhuman prison in Robben Island. The struggle went on for decades. The entire world denounced the cruelty of the British. At last British Government was compelled to grant freedom and South Africa became an independent nation. Nelson Mandela was elected as the first President.
During my visit to Johannesburg to attend the Trade Union International conference I had the chance to meet the South African comrades and discuss about their struggle and the present situation. Nelson Mandela, even after he has retired from public life is considered as the force behind the nation and is almost worshipped. He gave the nation its dignity and a position among the world nations.
Comrade Nelson Mandela, I wish many more happy birthdays to you!
“You can have all the wealth, all the riches in the world, but it would not mean anything without dignity, which is the most important thing in the world. Apartheid robbed our people of dignity and our biggest achievement is that, after 300 years of suppression, we have won dignity for the people.”
– Ahmad Kathrada, leader of SAC and co-prisoner of Nelson Mandela in Robben Island.

The CBI has once again questioned former Minister A.Raja and former DOT Secretary Sidharth Behura in connection with the 2G scam. Both are in Tihar jail for the last few months in connection with the scam.
The enquiry is going on but what are the results so far?

Video Over Internet Protocol (VVOIP) services by BSNL was launched on 18th July by Sam Pitroda, Advisor to Prime Minister on Public Information, Infrastructure and Innovations at a function organised in Delhi. BSNL subscribers will now be able to make audio and video calls on any landline , mobile or IP phones world wide.
Let us hope this will augment some more revenue to BSNL in addition to giving the services to the people.

The Government is proposing to sanction a revival package of Rs. 1,732 crore to Air India. Out of these Rs. 532 crore is the arrears/dues the government has to pay to Air India which has accumulated in years. Air India has got loans of about Rs. 20,415 crore which has to be paid in this financial year.
It was mainly due to the pro-private policies of the government and mismanagement that this sad situation has come. The wrong and pro-private decisions taken by the former aviation minister Prabhul Patel had made the situation worse.
The workers and their unions in the Air India have got a big responsibility in compelling the management and government to take suitable decisions to revive and strengthen the PSU, which is a great national asset.

The present UPA II government headed by Dr. Manmohan Singh and the Congress party with Sonia Gandhi as chairperson are in a mad rush to disinvest and privatise almost all the public sector units as part of their neo-liberal policies. Department of Disinvestment is working 365/24 hours with this ‘urgent mission’.
But things were different decades back and especially immediately after India got independence. New PSUs were constituted for the growth of infrastructure and manufacturing units. And many private companies in the insurance, banks, oil etc. were converted in to PSUs. That is how in 1969, on 19th July, 14 private banks were nationalised by Prime Minister Indira Gandhi.They are Indian Bank, Bank of India, Canara Bank, Punjab National Bank, United Bank, Syndicate Bank, Corporation Bank, Punjab and Sind Bank, Union Bank of India etc.
Now the Government is trying to merge, privatise or weaken these banks in order to help the Multi-National Banks. There is a move by the big business to start their own banks also so that they can cheat the people as they did earlier.
But the Bank workers are ready to face the challenge and fight back.
My Greetings to all the bank workers on this day of Nationalisation!