Tag Archives: CITU

50th Foundation of CITU on 30th May 2020 – Human Chain in One lakh places will be organised

26 Tuesday May 2020

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30th May 2020 is the 50th foundation anniversary of Centre of Indian Trade Unions, the most militant trade union in the country. CITU was formed in the Kolkata Conference held on 28-30 May 1970. Com.B.T.Ranadive was elected as President and Com. P.Ramamurthy as General Secretary. Com. E.Balanandan was Vice-President and Com.M.K.Pandhe, Secretary.  More than 10 lakh workers participated in the rally held Brigade Ground Kolkata  in connection with the foundation Conference. This conference took the decision that it was completely difficult to continue in the All India Trade Union Congress (AITUC) since it has failed to follow the militant and correct path of trade union and has gone to the revisionist line as also all democratic traditions were broken to destroy any reasonable criticism.

AITUC was the first Central Trade Union in the country formed on 31st October 1920. It continued as the sole CTU in the country till INTUC was formed by the Congress just before India got Independence. Now there are mainly 12 CTUs in the country. Out of this, except BMS, all the other CTUs are in coordination to fight against the anti-worker policy of the central government. Since 1991 the trade unions have been organising sustained struggles  against the neo-liberal policies started by the Narasimha Rao Government. Independent Federations of Central – state government employees, PSUs etc. also have been joining the strikes. The first united country wide strike against neo-liberalisation policy was organised on 29th November 1991. Since then many strikes have taken place against the anti-worker policy of the central government, more and more unions joining the same.

CITU has become one of the most militant and worker oriented trade union in the country. It is affiliated to the World Federation of Trade Unions (WFTU). WFTU has now intervened in the anti-worker decisions of the central and some state governments in increasing the working hours misutilising the Covid period.

It is in this context that the 50th Foundation Day of CITU is approaching. The CITU HQ has called upon its units all over the country to organise Human Chain on the day, of course by keeping social distance as per the Covid 19 existing instructions.

UNITY AND STRUGGLE FOR PROGRESS!

 

Central TUs observe Hunger Strike at Rajghat, against anti-worker measures of Central Govt.

20 Wednesday May 2020

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CITU Call:

“The joint platform of Central Trade Unions  has decided to observe  nationwide protest day against the anti worker and anti people onslaughts of the government on 22nd May 2020. The national level leaders of the trade unions would organize day long hunger strike at Gandhi Samadhi, Rajghat,  Delhi.  Simultaneous  protest actions would be jointly organized in all the states. There will be lakhs of petitions from the unions and members to the Govt. then onwards. The demands include, immediate relief to stranded workers for safe reaching to their homes, food to be made available to all, universal coverage of Ration distribution, ensure wages to all of the lock down period, cash transfer to all unorganized labour force(registered or unregistered or self employed), withdraw DA freeze to central government employees & CPSEs and DR freeze to pensioners, stop surrendering of live sanctioned posts.”

 

Agitation against privatisation of HLL Life Care Limited

24 Saturday Jun 2017

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The decision of the central government to privatise the HLL Life Care Limited, the PSU manufacturing contraceptives etc. stationed at Thiruvananthapuram, is strongly opposed by the 20,000 workforce as well as the trade unions in the city. Stated in the 1970s, the Hindustan Latex Limited 9 the former name of HLL Lifecare Limited), the company has grown in a big way with continuously posting year after year.
19 acres of prime land was allotted by the government for the HLL at the nominal rate of Rs.2? and the Tamilnadu and Karnataka Governments also have contributed. There is anger and frustration among the workers and the local people, since a good percentage of the workers belong to the area itself. Realising the anger, the HLL management has now proposed to the government 49% stake sale.

Neither there is any need for stake sale nor privatisation. CITU, along with the union in HLL have strongly protested privatisation. The company is running well, it is profitable and it is supporting the local people.The government should withdraw its proposal for privatisation/stake sale and allow the PSU to function as before.

Revolutionary Greetings on CITU Day!

30 Tuesday May 2017

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Com.B.T.Ranadive, first President of CITU

Today, 30th May 2017, is the 47th Foundation Day Anniversary of Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU), the militant organisation of the workers in India. It was formed on 30th May 1970 under the leadership of Coms. B.T.Ranadive and P.Ramamurti, the first President and General Secretary of CITU.

During the last five decades, CITU had organised several struggles, gave solidarity and support to many more. It was always in the forefront of united struggles of the central trade unions. In all the 17 united all India strikes organised against the anti-worker neo-liberal policies of the Congress and BJP governments, it took a pivotal role. CITU was the one union which participated in all these strikes. CITU is affiliated to WFTU.

CITU gave a new direction to the working class struggles. It gave all support to the struggles of the CG Employees as also BSNL workers. The advice and guidance of Coms. E.Balanandan, M.K.Pandhe, Chittabrata Mazumdar, Mohammed Amin, A.K.Padmanabhan, Tapan Sen, Hemalatha and other CITU leaders encouraged and inspired the BSNL employees in their forward march.

Revolutionary Greetings to CITU, its leaders and workers on the Foundation Day Anniversary  of CITU!

Haryana Roadway Workers’ Strike – Support by CITU

14 Friday Apr 2017

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CITU EXTENDS SUPPORT TO STRIKING
HARYANA ROADWAYS WORKERS AGAINST PRIVATISATION OF ROUTES

2017-04-13

New Delhi, April 13: The workers of Haryana Roadways Corporation irrespective of affiliations had been on strike since 10th April 2017 opposing award of 1600 permits to  private operators to ply on 253 routes by the BJP Government of Haryana. In these 253 routes mainly the Haryana Roadways buses have been plying.  The game plan is to push the state-owned Haryana Roadways Corporation to unviability leading to its sickness paving way for total privatization of passenger transport system in the state.
The strike is being conducted by all the unions of Haryana Roadways workers and the strike is total even on the fourth day. Workers are determined to resist the ugly game plan of the BJP Govt of Haryana to completely privatise the passenger transport services in the state much to the detriment of the interests of people and Roadways workers which will only benefit the private operators and those in the Government handling the contracts. The BJP-run State Government unleashed severe repression on the workers and more than 150 union leaders have been put under suspension. Braving all repression, strike is continuing totally demonstrating total unity of the workers and common people in general came forward in supporting the strike action denouncing the nefarious conspiracy of the state government for privatization of bus services.

The Centre of Indian Trade Unions congratulates the Haryana Roadways workers for their heroic strike struggle  and extends all support to their struggle against privatization. Already CITU unions and other mass organizations in Haryana have been organizing solidarity programmes throughout the state. CITU calls upon the working class to stand by the continuing strike struggles by the Haryana Roadway workers against privatization and demands upon the State Government of Haryana to refrain from their retrograde decision, withdraw all victimization and end the stalemate in consultation with the unions.

CITU condemns central government decision to withdraw benefits to workers.

07 Friday Apr 2017

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New Delhi, April 4: Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU) strongly condemns the decision of the government of India to withdraw the benefits under the Building and Other Construction Workers (Regulation of Employment and Conditions of Service) Act, for the MGNREGA workers.

The government of India has directed all the state and UT governments to withdraw registration of MGNREGA workers under the Building and Other Construction Workers (RECS) Act vide Labour Ministry’s Order dated 10th February 2017.

It is to be recalled that the decision to include MGNREGA workers who have completed 50 days of work, under the Building and Other Construction Workers Act, was taken in 2013 after the Supreme Court has directed the government in 2012 to issue appropriate directions for the effective implementation of the Act.

It is highly regrettable that instead of taking measures to ensure effective implementation of the Act and that the welfare benefits under the Act reach the workers, the government has denied the poor workers the benefits to which they were entitled. Less than 32% of construction workers were registered under the Act as in January 2016. The amount collected as cess was Rs 24277.38 crores while it has been estimated that Rs 70270 crores ought to have been collected. And out of this only a measly sum of Rs 5684.8 crores has been spent for the benefit of nearly 2.3 crores workers registered with the board.

Since the BJP led government has come to power at the centre in 2014, it has been attacking the MGNREGA. Adequate funds are not being provided. The number of days of work provided under MGNREGA was less than 50 at the national level, making most of the MGNREGA workers ineligible even as per the earlier direction. In such a situation, instead of taking measures to improve their conditions, withdrawing even the existing benefit is deplorable.

CITU demands that government of India to immediately withdraw the concerned direction to the state and UT governments and continue registration of MGNREGA workers under the Building and Other Construction Workers’ Act.

CITU calls upon all the organisations of MGNREGA workers and the building and construction workers, irrespective of affiliations to join together to bring pressure on the government to withdraw the concerned direction to the state and UT government. It calls upon all its state committee to support the struggle of the MGNREGA workers against the withdrawal of their benefits’

2nd September Strike – Government statement a mockery, CITU.

30 Tuesday Aug 2016

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CIYU Hasissued the following statement on the Press Release issued by the Government:

30th August 2016
The Group of Ministers headed by the Union Finance Minister Shri Arun Jaitley, and comprising Labour Minister, Petroleum Minister and Power Minister held a Press Conference today on 30th August 2016 to tell the nation that the Govt had accepted major demands of the trade unions and hence they should not go in for strike on 2nd September 2016. CITU considers the statement of the Govt nothing but a mockery meted out to workers.

The Statement of the Finance Minister that the Govt has accepted the recommendation of the Minimum Wage Advisory Committee is totally untrue. The Minimum Wage Advisory Committee met on 30th August 2016 at 3 pm and ended inconclusive while all the workers’ representatives reiterated their demand of Rs 18000/-. Such mis-statement by Govt is a deliberate ploy to mislead and confuse the workers before the strike.

Govt’s offer of a floor level minimum wage of Rs 350/- per day, i.e., Rs 9100/- per month (26 days) is cruel joke by the Govt making a posture of accepting the demands of workers. Trade unions reject such a mockery in the name of offer with the contempt it deserves.

Releasing previous year’s bonus for the central govt employees is not something about Govt’s magnanimity. Govt did so to implement the enhanced ceiling as per the Payment of Bonus Act for them, which they should have done much earlier. Now they have released in order to deceptively pose that the Govt has been considering so many things. So far as the court cases on implementation of Payment of Bonus Act is concerned, it is the responsibility of the central govt to defend and implement the Act passed by Parliament, for which they cannot claim any special credit. But this NDA Govt should better note that it is the BJP Govt in Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan etc have withheld implementation of the Bonus Act for the year 2014-15 on their own citing the High Court Orders in Kerala and Karnataka which were not binding on them. That makes the real intention clear.

Govt also stated that they will issue advisory to state governments to ensure registration of trade unions within 45 days. Advisory is not having binding impact. What is required is to make statutory arrangement. But in their proposals on labour reforms, Govt has already put so many conditions that would make registering trade union virtually impossible.

On being asked in the press conference about the right to minimum wages for the central Govt Scheme workers like Anganwadi, Mid-day-meal, ASHA etc , The Finance Minister brushed the questioner aside saying that scheme workers are all volunteers and not workers. He must recall that the 46th Indian Labour Conference held during NDA regime has unanimously reiterated the recommendation of the previous ILC that the Scheme workers should be recognized as workers with right to minimum wages and attendant benefits.

The Minister further stated that the scheme workers will be covered by the Social Security benefits for which a committee will be constituted. Almost same statement was uttered by him one year before on 26-27 August 2015, prior to previous general strike. Nothing has been done yet. Rather ESIC has offered extremely partial ESI benefit to Anganwadi and mid-day-meal workers on payment of Rs 250/- per month which amounts to 8.33% of the paltry earning of the anganwadi workers, 16% of the anganwadi helpers and 25% of the mid-day-meal workers; whereas the workers covered by ESIC Act are to contribute 1.75% of their wage for full ESI benefit. Such proposal is dubiously designed to deny them the social security benefit and this deceptive game is going on.

In reality, Govt’s announcement in the press conference on the charter of demands of the workers is nothing but a hoax and must be rejected outright. This is game to confuse and mislead people just on the eve of strike. Such deceptive and dubious ploy of the Govt must be combated through making the 2nd September 2016 a massive success.

CITU opposes strategic sale of PSUs

15 Wednesday Jun 2016

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CITU Condemns Retrograde Move to Sell Out
Public Sector Companies With Huge Asset

New Delhi, June 15: The Centre of Indian Trade Unions condemns the retrograde move by the Govt of India to fast track selling out the Central Public Sector Enterprises with its huge asset base to private hands. With this dubious intent, the NITI Ayog has been made to submit a list of CPSEs to Prime Minister’s office recommending fast track sale of those companies on various pretext.

It is a matter of alarm that in order to facilitate sale-out of the CPSEs, the NITI Ayog has been made to recommend further capital investment from national exchequer in some of those CPSEs like Air India, FACT , Chennai Petroleum, Madras Fertilisers etc, not just to revamp their operational efficiency, but to make them saleable to private hands.

The history of such strategic sale of around nine CPSEs, like IPCL, BALCO etc during the previous NDA regime reveals that each of those CPSEs with their huge asset-base were sold at prices less than one fourth of their real asset value at then market prices, that too, virtually to a single bidder, as observed by CAG at that material time. The Narendra Modi Govt at present has become more desperate in selling out huge national assets in the chosen CPSEs to its private corporate constituency, both domestic and foreign, at a throw away price, much to the detriment of national interest. Two years’ BJP regime could not create nor facilitate any new establishments for productive employment generation in any significant scale except making loud noises through media-hype and creating statistical illusions on GDP growth; on the other hand the Govt is desperately moving ahead for mega-sale of huge national assets through sale of CPSEs.

The NITI Ayog while making such disastrous recommendations along with the list of CPSEs for sale, went to the extent of arguing that “non-priority sector CPSE, once revived, could always be considered for strategic disinvestment”. Could devility go further ? Can Airlines, petroleum companies, fertilizer producing units be construed as “non-priority sector” in our country by any stretch of imagination ? But a Govt in a hurry to establish its corporate loyalty and also so called “reforms-credential” can certainly go to such devilish extent, totally unconcerned of national interest.

Such retrograde move of frittering away national assets in country’s CPSEs must be combated and resisted by the working class movement of the country. The united platform of country’s trade union movement comprising almost all the trade unions and federations of the country has already decided to go in for countrywide general strike on 2nd September 2016 demanding, inter alia, the withdrawal of such disastrous move of sale-out of national assets and CPSEs, in order to defend the working people as well as to defend the national economy.

The CITU while calling upon the working people and trade unions in the country irrespective of affiliations to prepare for staging the countrywide General Strike on 2nd September 2016 in a massive way, also calls for organizing united protest in workplaces and industrial centres against such retrograde move of privatization by the BJP Govt.

Greetings on the 46th Birth Anniversary of CITU

29 Sunday May 2016

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Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU), one of the biggest Central trade unions in India, is celebrating its 46th birth anniversary on 30th May 2016.

CITU was formed on 30th May 1970. Its first President was Com.B.T.Ranadive and General Secretary  Com. P.Ramamurthy, veteran leaders of the Indian Trade union movement. It has got many unions affiliated to it. CITU is an affiliate of WFTU.

Our Revolutionary Greetings to CITU, its leaders and workers!

CITU Condemns Govt. move to disinvest strategic profitable PSUs

05 Friday Feb 2016

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Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU) has strongly condemned the move of the NDA government to disinvest the globally competitive engineering giant BHEL, the profitable oil PSUs like ONGC, HPCL, BPCL,  the Defence sector PSUs like BEML, HAL etc which are already shortlisted for the strategic sale. This is tantamount to putting the country on sale, reflecting the desperate economic condition in the country, despite the high sounding claims of the government.

The CITU called upon the workers to be ready for a serious struggle against disinvestment and strategic sale of the PSUs. It has called upon its unions to organise protest at each work place and also through sending fax/ emails to Union Finance Minister and the Prime Minister demanding ‘Stop disinvestment in PSUs; No to strategic sale’.