New CPMG To Telangana Circle

Brig. B. Chandrashekhar (lPoS-1987) CPMG, UP Circle (downgraded) Posted as CPMG, Telangana Circle Against vacant post (newly created). clik to view orders

Quiz on Various Charges in Post Office Saving Bank for IPO Exam

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Q 1 . Issue of Duplicate passbook (in the shape of Postage stamps). . 

1. Rs.5 
2. Rs.10 
3. Rs.15 
4. None of these 


 

0 Out of 0 correct.

Debate on paternity leave: Making haste slowly?

Santosh Desai in City City Bang Bang | India | TOI

The paternity leave debate sparked off by Maneka Gandhi’s statement that for most men that it would be a ‘holiday’ raises complex questions. The commentary that Gandhi’s statement has attracted has been largely negative, and she herself has subsequently softened her position, underlining the need for a more ‘sophisticated’ bill.

Gandhi’s views on the question of paternity leave have variously been called ‘cynical’, ‘flippant’ and ‘appalling’ just to name a few descriptors. Many different kinds of reasons have been cited for these characterisations. A position like Gandhi’s is seen to potentially reinforce gender stereotypes (it is the woman’s job to look after the children, men should focus on ‘work’). It does not recognize that some change is already underway and that not all men conform to an archetype of an earlier time. It accentuates the difference between men and women in the workplace and further disincentivises employers from hiring women, particularly when read along with the new Maternity Bill, which increases maternity leave from 12 to 26 weeks. Conceptually, it shies away from using legislation to bring about desired social change; if such an argument were to be accepted, no discontinuous legislation whether to do racial equality, inheritance laws, or caste discrimination would have passed muster.

And yet, one would be deluding oneself if one failed to recognize that the minister is painting a largely realistic picture of the situation as it stands in the country today. While it is certainly true that more men today are willing to share the responsibility of bringing up children, the larger picture is that in aggregate terms, this sharing tends to be both very limited in quantity and quite patchy in quality. If that were not the case, the overall gender picture in India would have been much healthier. As the minister argues, if indeed men feel the need to participate more actively in the task of child rearing, there should be some evidence of such a need.

That paternity leave would turn into a holiday for men is an argument that could have been overlooked, given the larger statement such an action would make about shared responsibility, but for the reality is that in many cases, having the husband at home could actually increase the woman’s burden. Even in instances where the men intend to be of help, the larger cultural ecosystem has created a pattern of expectations whereby the woman could still end up looking after her husband in addition to the newborn.

There are questions that need to be answered. Can an action that is progressive but distant in terms of current behavior be used to modify behavior or does it become mere tokenism or worse, further deepen the problem it is trying to solve? Should legislation be a kind of ‘statement’ of an idealized intent and define how things should be or is it the setting of enforceable boundaries within which cultures must find their own answers?

The relationship between existing social norms and the forces of change has always been a tense one. A vital element that is missing from the mix today is the internal impulse within traditional systems for reform. Over the ages, societies have found ways of changing, by harnessing radical elements from within that challenge the dominance of the status quo. Today, what we see is a more marked – change is almost always being pushed for by the institutions that are exclusively invested in change, and the role of traditional cultural institutions have become largely that of resisting this change reflexively. This has resulted in greater polarization between the two forces, and often this means that the eventual beneficiaries of the process of change are excluded from this conversation by people on both sides who presume to speak for them.

In this case, however, the fact is that mainstream social and workplace norms have simply not kept pace with the times. Women are now a critical part of the organized workforce, and the support of large families that shared the responsibilities of bringing up children is increasingly a thing of the past. And while the attitude of men has been slow to change, it is important to find ways to accelerate this process. Unless new norms are put in place, we are in danger of creating an untenable system where children end up paying the price and women feel increasingly torn between the multiple roles that they need to play. Society has to find ways to make child rearing viable, and if it cannot do so on its own, then it needs to be helped along.

What adds to the problem is that most employers have done little to acknowledge the new reality and help find new solutions. Notable exceptions aside, they have tended to follow the law and do only as much as they are compelled to. It is striking that in the US, the engine for management practices worldwide, maternity benefits are paltry, with the federal law not granting even a day’s paid leave for the mother-to-be. The picture in Europe is significantly better, aided again by more progressive legislation.

In this case, it is clear that change is necessary and that legislation must lead it. Neither the traditional social organizations nor employers in the workplace are likely to take the lead; the law will have to step in. But the reason for this legislation cannot just be that it makes the right statement about gender equality; it must improve the lives of the people it is meant for. Which is why discussion and debate are important, for only when this conversation moves beyond a limited few that grounds can be laid for the more sustainable change. This is not procrastination, but a necessary period of adjustment and calibration. Without acknowledging the reality that new ideas must work through, there is a real danger of pushing through change that stays on paper. Or worse, damages the cause of the very people that it is trying to help.

DISCLAIMER : Views expressed above are the author's own.

Source:-The Times of India

RBI employees to join Sep 2 industrial strike

Kolkata, Aug 29 (PTI) Reserve Bank of India workers and employees have decided to join the September 2 nationwide day-long strike called by central trade unions.



All India Reserve Bank Employees' Association (AIRBEA) and All India Reserve Bank Workers' Federation in a joint statement said: "Reserve Bank employees all over the country will participate in September 2 industrial strike in support of the demands of the country's working class."


On March 30, central trade unions including INTUC, AITUC, HMS, CITU, AIUTUC, among others, had given a call for a day-long nationwide strike on September 2 to protest against the Modi government's "unilateral labour reforms and anti-worker policies".


Nearly 5 lakh other bank union workers and officers are set to join the strike.


AIRBEA general secretary Samir Ghosh said the strike will be a total success as RBI officers are in moral support for the cause and are likely to abstain from work.


Ghosh also highlighted several demands and concerns of RBI as a reason for joining the strike.


"Many important works of RBI have been outsourced or eliminated like public debt management. RBI's powers to decide country's monetary policy, which was its exclusive preserve since inception is being abrogated by the mechanism of a Monetary Policy Committee where government will hold sway," he said.


In the name of recapitalisation of banks suffering from huge bad debt to corporates, government plans to drain out RBI Reserve Fund of Rs 2 lakh crore overriding RBI objections and crippling RBI financially, he claimed.

Bank employees to join All India General strike on September 2

STRIKE CALLED TO PROTEST AGAINST THE CENTRE'S ANTI-PEOPLE ECONOMIC POLICIES AND ANTI-WORKER LABOUR REFORMS, SAYS UNIONS

AROUND FIVE LAKH BANK EMPLOYEES AND OFFICERS IN BANKS WILL JOIN THE ALL INDIA GENERAL STRIKE ON SEPTEMBER 2, 2016 TO PROTEST AGAINST THE CENTRAL GOVERNMENT'S ANTI-PEOPLE ECONOMIC POLICIES AND ANTI-WORKER LABOUR REFORMS.
Employees and officers working in various public sector banks, private banks, foreign banks, regional rural banks and co-operative banks will join the strike.


C H Venkatachalam, general secretary, All India Bank Employees' Association (AIBEA) at the National Trade Union Convention organised by the Central Trade Unions, a call for National General Strike on September 2, 2016 was given against various policies and proposals of the Government.




As far as banking sector is concerned, the government is continuing its attempt to push through their reforms agenda aimed at privatisation of banks, consolidation and merger of Banks, etc.

RBI has announced 'on tap' bank licensing policy to allow more and more private banks. Licenses have been given to big corporate houses to start 'Small Banks' and 'Payment Banks'. More and more private capital and FDI are being encouraged.

Associate Banks and other Public sector banks are sought to be merged on the plea that they are small and hence not viable. But Corporates are being given license to start Small Banks, said Venkatachalam.

Banks are sought to closed in the name of mergers and consolidation. Efficient and well-performing Associate Banks are sought to be closed and merged with SBI.

Bad loans have increased alarmingly to the extent of Rs 13 lakh crore. Instead of taking tough measures to book the culprits and recover the money, more and more concessions are being given to the defaulters.

"In the name of 'cleaning Balance Sheets', all these huge bad loans are sought to be taken out of public glare to silently write them off. On an average about Rs. 50,000 crore of bad loans are being written off per year," said Venkatachalam.

He alleged, Centre is amending laws giving unfettered rights to corporate to hire and fire workers and stripping the workers of their trade union rights.
Source : http://www.business-standard.com/

Workers Strike Back; 2nd September Strike Demands Explained

On 2 September 2016, crores of workers across the country will go on strike demanding an end to the all-round attack launched by the government against their lives, livelihood and dignity. Representing the interests of the big capitalists, both domestic and foreign, the Modi government has been trying to fool the working people with false promises even as it supports and actively imposes a policy that is snatching away jobs, looting family budgets, disarming workers of their rights and opening the doors to harsher exploitation. Last year’s all India strike saw an incredible 15 crore workers go on strike. This strike on 2 September is bound to surpass that, telling the government and the ruling class that it is not going to back down. Here is a brief explainer of the workers’ demands:


 Urgent measures for containing price-rise through universalisation of public distribution system and banning speculative trade in commodity market


Prices of several essential commodities have steadily risen for the past two years. In some cases, like pulses, the rise has been as high as over 100%. Then, there are periodic spikes in some commodities like onions or potatoes. Net result is that working people’s family budgets have been devastated and they are having to cut down on nutritious food just to survive. Already, over 56% of women in the country and a similar share of children are anemic. The food security act passed in 2013 is yet to be rolled out fully. The Act is itself limited, providing affordable food grains to just two thirds of the country, and not having provision for increasing population. It does not cover many essential commodities. If more commodities, like pulses and oil are included and its coverage is increased to all the people, it will provide much needed food to malnourished families. This will also finish off hoarding and speculative trading which drives up prices. But the government is refusing to pay attention to hungry people across the country and continues to provide concessions to big traders and food companies.


 Containing unemployment through concrete measures for employment generation


According to government estimates, about 1.2 crore Indians join the labour force every year in India. There are already over 10 crore people unemployed and crores more who are called ‘employed’ but are forced to work in very low paying jobs – a hidden kind of unemployment. Women’s employment has hit rock bottom with just 27% women over 15 years of age working – one of the lowest in the world. The situation is explosive but the government is groping about, unable or unwilling to address the tide of joblessness. Its fancy schemes like ‘Make in India’ or ‘Skill India’ or industrial corridors are just pies in the sky, giving profits to industrialists but nothing for the workers. On top of this, govt. policies of privatization and contractualisation are creating more unemployment. Those who have jobs today face an uncertain future while the youth, among whom 25% are unemployed, are hopeless and angry.


 Minimum wages of not less than Rs 18,000 per month with provisions of indexation


Minimum wage rates fixed by state governments are cruelly low in shameless violation of well-settled principles and Supreme Court orders. According to calculations done by experts, for a worker’s family having three members, the minimum amount required for their food, shelter, clothing etc. is about Rs.20,000. This takes into account the principle set down by the Indian Labour Conference of 1957 and those laid down by the Supreme Court in 1992. Last year, the central government had suggested Rs.6098 as minimum wage, without any basis. Their real consideration was and still remains only one – profits of employers should not suffer, so keep the wages as low as possible. The trade union movement has adjusted its demand to Rs.18,000 instead of Rs.20,000 in order to make it more feasible. But the government is refusing to listen. With the way prices are rising, and with the public distribution system not meeting the needs inflation robs working people relentlessly. Hence a minimum wage linked to prices is of utmost importance to crores of workers across the country.


 Stoppage of contractorisation in permanent perennial work and payment of same wage and benefits for contract workers as regular workers for same and similar work


One of the surest ways for industrialists to depress wages, deny various benefits to workers and prevent them for organizing is the contract system that has spread across all sectors. Even in public sector enterprises 22% of the employees/workers are on contract. In private enterprises the situation is worse. Although clear laws exist that workers doing perennial nature of work should not be on contract and that contract workers need to be given the same pay and benefits as regular workers, employers have taken advantage of the govt.’s complicity and court’s indifference to flout these laws. As a result contract workers are to be found working at less wages and for more hours. This also destroys the unity of workers and weakens their striking power. All kinds of contractual labour needs to be ended and a united fight by regular and contract workers for regularization of contract workers has to be launched.


 Strict enforcement of all basic labour laws without any exception or exemption and stringent punitive measures for violation of labour laws.
 Against Labour Law Amendments


Labour laws provide some protection to workers and ensure that they can survive under conditions of harsh exploitation. Laws on minimum wages, working hours, job security, medical support, provident fund, maternity benefits, etc. were won by struggles of workers decades ago. But it has always been a dream of capitalists to do away with these laws so that they can suck the last drop of profit from the workers’ labour. Modi government appears to have promised them to make this dream a reality. In many BJP ruled states wholesale changes have been made in labour laws so that employers can hire and fire workers at will and allow changes in service conditions. And, the central govt. is ready with new laws that will dilute existing ones. Already the labour laws enforcement mechanism had been destroyed by previous governments leaving the workers at the mercy of ruthless and greedy industrialists. Now this is being further ground down. Unless the workers step up and fight for their legal rights, they will even snatch away the right to form trade unions. , 80-90% of workers never get wages equal to them.


 Universal social security cover for all workers
 Assured enhanced pension not less than Rs.3,000 p.m. for the entire working population


Social security means ensuring that workers and their families get financial support for illness and for times when they are unable to work after a certain age. This is not some charity or goodwill gesture on the part of employers. It is a right of workers who spend their lives laboring away so that the employers’ earn their profits. But the government, far from acknowledging this universal right is conspiring to dismantle even the existing laws which cover only a fraction of India’s workforce. While refusing to extend ESI and EPF coverage to lakhs of workers in the unorganized sector, it has recently made several attempts to impose ceilings, use accumulated PF monies for investing in volatile stock market speculation, prevent workers from withdrawing from PF etc. It is also committed to converting the whole concept of social security into a profit making enterprise by trying to impose an insurance model (worker pays premium to private company) with no contribution from govt. Its proposal for such a macabre scheme for anganwadi workers/helpers with a premium as high as Rs.250 was defeated recently.


 Removal of all ceilings on payment and eligibility of bonus, provident fund; increase the quantum of gratuity.


Bonus is a small share of the profit that an employer makes from the labour of the workers. Suppose an industrialist makes 40% profit in one year. So, why should the share of workers’ bonus be limited to say 8.33% only? If there is no limit to profit there should not be any limit to the bonus share that a worker gets. Again, this is not some charity being asked for from the employers. It is a just and rightful share that the workers are asking. In fact bonus is actually considered a ‘deferred wage’ by the courts. This means that it is like wages except that it is being paid once at the end of the year. A similar logic applies to gratuity which is a rightful recognition of the years of service put in by the worker during which the employer had surely earned huge profits from the workers’ labour. So, when the worker retires or quits after many laboring years, should he or she not get a share of the wealth created by labour? The government of course is enslaved by the capitalist class and so it is callous to this logic. It only searches for ways to cut down on labour costs by depressing wages, cutting down on various entitlements like bonus and gratuity and snatching away social security rights.


 Compulsory registration of trade unions within a period of 45 days from the date of submitting application; and immediate ratification of ILO Conventions C 87 and C 98


The only way governments listen to workers is when they fight back the attacks. And, the only way workers can effectively fight back is when they are organized around a fighting banner. The government and the capitalist class knows this very well. That is why they are trying their utmost to dismantle the workers’ right to organize and fight. Already many changes had been made by previous governments in the Trade Unions Act which make it difficult for workers to register their trade unions or get recognition from managements. The present government, with its naked hostility to the working class is planning to further restrict this right. This attack is not confined to the government alone. The judiciary and bureaucracy, as well as dominant media and intellectual apologists for the bourgeoisie continue to abuse workers if they so much as stir one finger to get justice. Against this all round attack, workers have to strike back forcefully and retrieve their rights.


 Stoppage of disinvestment in Central/State PSUs
 Against FDI in Railways, Insurance and Defence


The public sector employs over workers in India. It controls many crucial and strategic sectors of the economy, providing a bulwark against private loot. But since the adoption of neo-liberal policies in the country there has been a systematic attempt to privatize the public sector and invite foreign capital in some parts of industry. The purpose of this vile conspiracy is to use national assets to fill the coffers of domestic and foreign companies. The present government is going about this greedily and with haste. It has set a target of raising Rs.56,000 crore from the sale of such profit making PSUs as BHEL, IOC, ONGC, HPCL, BPCL and few others. What will be the result of this? Firstly, the sale is being done at very low prices to ensure that private capitalists gain and the country loses. For example SAIL’s value is estimated at about Rs.5 lakh crore. But by pegging its share value at Rs.200, it could be sold for just Rs.82,600 crore! That’s less than one-fifth the price. But there is a more important aspect. Privatisation, especially if foreign ownership means that the country’s resources will be used for private profit not for the people’s good. Also, it will mean an open attack on the employed workers who will either get thrown out or converted to contract labour. Inviting foreign direct investment in such key sectors as defence and railways means that the country’s backbone will be handed over to foreign interests, who will no longer care for either the country’s sovereignty or for its workers.


Source : http://cpim.org/views/workers-strike-back-2nd-september-strike-demands-explained

ONE MORE STRIKE DEMAND SETTLED

Bonus ceiling raised to Rs.7000/- from Rs.3500/-  with effect from 01.04.2014 – orders issued.

Earlier Gratuity order for NPS pensioners and Cadre Restructuring issued.

Intensify campaign & make the 2^nd September 2016 strike a thundering success.

Government Understands the language of struggle and strike only.

M. Krishnan

Secretary General

Confederation

Bonus Order

2nd September 2016 - Nationwide One day Strike - Make it grand success

MAKE INTENSIVE PREPARATIONS AND CAMPAIGN TO MOBILISE ENTIRE POSTAL WORKERS TO MAKE THE 2ND SEPTEMBER, 2016 ONE DAY STRIKE A HISTORIC SUCCESS.

WORKING CLASS UNITY ZINDABAD              INQUILAB ZINDABAD

2^nd SEPTEMBER -2016  ONE DAY  ALL INDIA GENERAL STRIKE ON CALL OF ALL CENTRAL TRADE UNIONS & INDEPENDENT FEDERATIONS INCLUDING  CONFEDERATION OF CENTRAL GOVERNMENT EMPLOYEES  AND WORKERS AND NATIONAL FEDERATION OF POSTAL EMPLOYEES.

2016 September 2^nd General Strike 12 Point Charter of Demands of Joint Platform of Central Trade Unions submitted to government

PART – A

      1.     Urgent measures for containing price rise through universalization of public   distribution system and banning speculative trade in commodity market.

      2.     Containing unemployment through concrete measures for employment generation.

      3.     Strict enforcement of all basic labour laws without any exception or exemption and stringent punitive measures for violation of labour laws.

      4.     Universal social security cover for all workers.

      5.     Minimum wage of not less than 18000/- per month with provisions of indexation (for unskilled worker).

      6.     Assured enhanced pension not less than 3000 p.m for the entire working population (including unorganized sector workers).

      7.     Stoppage of disinvestment in Central/state public sector undertakings.

      8.     Stoppage of contractorisation in permanent/perennial work and payment of same wage and benefits for contract workers as that of regular workers for the same and similar work.

      9.     Removal of all ceilings on payment and eligibility of bonus, provident fund and increase in quantum of gratuity.

      10.Compulsory registration of trade unions within a period of 45 days from the date of submitting application and immediate ratification of ILO conventions C-87 & C-98.

      11.No FDI in Railways, Defence and other strategic sectors.

      12.No unilateral amendment to labour laws.

PART – B:  (CGE & POSTAL DEMANDS)

      1.   Avoid delay in implementing the assurances given by Group of Ministers to NJCA on 30^thJune 2016, especially increase in minimum pay a fitment formula. Implement the assurance in a time bound manner.

      2.     Settle issues raised by the NJCA, regarding modifications of the 7^th CPC recommendations, submitted to Cabinet Secretary on 10^th December 2015.

      3.     Scrap PFRDA Act and New Pension System (NPS) and grant Pension/Family Pension to all Central Government employees under CCS (Pension) Rules 1972.

      4.     No privatization, outsourcing, contractorisation of Government functions.

      5.     (i) Treat Gramin Dak Sevaks as Civil Servants and extend all benefits on pay, pension and allownaces of departmental employees.

(ii) Regularise casual, contract, contingent and daily rated workers and grant equal pay and other benefits.

      6.     Fill up all vacant posts by special recruitment. Lift ban on creation of new posts.

      7.     Remove ceiling on compassionate appointments.

      8.     Extend benefit of Bonus Act amendment 2015 on enhancement of payment ceiling to the Adhoc bonus/PLB of Central Govt. employees with effect from the financial years 2014-15. Ensure payment of revised bonus before Pooja holidays.

      9.     Revive JCM functioning at all levels.

10.   Implement Cadre restructuring in left out categories of Postal Department. i.e RMS,MMS,PA CO, SBCO & Postal Accounts etc..

11.  Settle the problems related CBS, CIS & stop harassment and Trade Union victimization.

MAKE THE STRIKE A HISTORIC SUCCESS IN DEPARTMENT OF POSTS.

                                                         (R.N. Parashar) Secretary General, NFPE                            

EDITORIAL POSTAL CRUSADER SEPTEMBER-2016

Working Class Resistance in 25 Years of

Neo-Liberal Reforms

            THE working class is a prime target of attack under the neo-liberal regime in the country.From the initial days of the policy pronouncements in 1991, ruling class and policy makers have been targeting the working people and their hard earned rights.

            Even while discussing about more investments, industrialisation, creation of employment opportunities, those in the authority could only identify rigidity and multiplicity of labour laws along with the `mushrooming’ of trade unions as hurdles. Along with this were the slogans of `flexibility’ and `downsizing’ which were presented as the way out of the crisis engulfing the country.

            The experience of the Indian working class, during the last 25 years, confirms the apprehensions expressed by the trade unions in the country, though at that time they were not a united voice.  Only those of the Left spectrum had an understanding  of the catastrophe that would happen if these policies were implemented.

            The efforts for implementation of the `reforms’ had begun in 1991 itself.  The labour laws in the country, product of the long drawn battles of the working people, were targeted.  This included the right to form a union of the workers’ choice.  The Trade Union Act in the country was enacted in 1926.  It is also a fact that despite this legislation being enacted during the British regime, the republic of India could not even to-day guarantee the right to collective bargaining for the workers, by making  it mandatory at the  national level for the employers  to recognise a trade union.

            The implementation of the ‘reforms’, as far as the labour laws were concerned had various components like non-implementation of existing laws; dismantling of the enforcement machinery of the government and new amendments to the existing laws against  the interests of workers. But, the resistance movements including the massive strikes and also the overall political situation in the country and the coalition governments at the centre with the major party not having majority of its own were hurdles to these efforts.

            While the attacks on the democratic and trade union rights have been continuing for the last 25 years, major amendments could not be passed. The right to form unions was denied almost fully in the new Industries in various parts of the country.  Not only the multinational companies, but the Indian corporates who had to recognise this right in their establishments earlier, started emulating the MNCs.

            In this situation, the employers could easily get rid of the job security of workers.  Casualisation and contractorisation of regular jobs became the rule.  Extreme cases of not having a single regular worker in factories which went on production schedules for years came to light when workers came out to form unions to fight the exploitation.

            The result of this was that more than 60 percent of the work force in the organised sector is denied even statutory minimum wages and social security benefits like ESI and EPF.  More than 50 percent of workers in the public sector and around 70 percent in private sector are contract workers.  These workers under different nomenclature are employed in permanent, perennial and continuous jobs in total violation of Contract Labour (Regulation and Abolition) Act and other labour laws.  12 hours work has become the order of the day in many establishments.

            Another aspect of this is that the share of wages in industrial sector has been continuously declining from around 30 percent in 1982-83 to 12.9 percent in 2012-13.  This has been falling further while the share of profits increased from around 20 percent to 50 percent during the above said period.

The situation from 1991 continued upto 2013 in the same trajectory, though under different regimes.  The situation has changed for the worse with the NDA government under Narendra Modi coming to power after the general elections in 2014. The Modi government is moving aggressively, creating a devastating impact on the lives and livelihood of the working people of the country.

            With the employment opportunities receding, the exploitation has increased manifold.  Working people in all the sectors – organised, unorganised, public, private – are facing a critical situation.  Along with them are those working in the governmental schemes categorised as volunteers who are paid only an honorarium, and who number more than ten millions.

            A series of amendments have been proposed by the government of India during the last 26 months.  While the government has announced its decision to convert 44 Labour laws into five labour codes, removing all the rights and protection clauses for labour, the drafts of Wage Code Bill and Industrial Relation Code are ready to be introduced in parliament.  The Factories Amendments Bill is already in parliament and the government has rejected all the recommendations of the standing committee and is going ahead with more retrograde amendments.  Simultaneously a new Bill – Small Factories Bill – is being readied.  The net result of these two Bills related to factories is that more than 75 percent of the factory workers will go out of coverage of the Factories Act and also 14 other basic labour laws including Minimum Wages Act, Maternity Act, ESI and EPF Acts.

            In total, in the name of ending inspection raj the enforcement machinery has been dismantled, the basic right to form a union of workers choice is being denied and all the existing labour laws are being amended to deprive workers even the minimum guarantee, which existed earlier. The net result is that of increasing the exploitation of workers and converting them literally to bonded labour.

            Not only the central government, but many of the state governments, especially those under the BJP have gone ahead and amended the labour laws, mainly on the lines of the central government's proposals. In fact, with the Rajasthan government taking the lead in enacting the anti-worker amendments, the Prime Ministers Office had written to all the state governments to follow the Rajasthan government.

            The working people in the country have been organising resistance against these policies from 1991 itself.  Despite large-scale victimisation, threats of outright dismissals, physical attacks by police and goondas for making efforts to form unions, there have been powerful fight backs in almost all the major industrial centres in the country.  These have happened even without formal unions being formed and sometimes resulting even in violence at work places. There have been strikes and struggles mainly related to these basic policy related issues at unit, sectoral and state levels, in addition to the country wide general strikes.

            It is to the credit of the organised trade union movement in the country, that the Central Trade Unions and National Federations have been on a joint platform to struggle against these neo-liberal policies.  The charter of demands included not only the work related issues, but demands of all sections of people.  Though from 1991 it was the Left unions – Central Trade Unions and also National Federations – which went on campaigns and struggles, total unity of Central Trade Unions and National Federations could be achieved from September 2009.  A common charter of demands, which was developed into a 10 point charter and later to a 12 point charter were submitted to the government of India.  None of the governments at the Centre took up these demands for serious consideration.

            From 1991, there were 16 countrywide general strikes of 17 days in total.  In the sixteenth general strike on September 2, 2015 the BMS withdrew at the last minute, saying that the government should be given time to implement their assurances. All others went ahead with the strike in which 15 crores of workers and employees had participated.  It is to be noted that 40 percent of those who had participated in the strike were not members of any union.  This could be achieved because of the widespread anger among the workers, especially among sections like road transport workers and workers in the industrial clusters in many states.

After the strike on September 2, 2015, the Modi government has speeded up the `reforms’ in many sectors.  The latest was to announce the `fixed term employment’, which the Vajpayee government had introduced and the Left parties and TUs had forced the UPA government to drop. Fixed term employment will result in the end of job security of workers, resulting in a situation of hire and fire with a legal sanction.

            It is in such a situation that the Central Trade Unions and National Federations are preparing for the seventeenth country wide strike in the 25th year of neo-liberalism, on September 2, 2016.

            It is a fact that the trade unions still have a long way to go in reaching out to all sections of working people.  But the local, sectoral and national level struggles in India against neo-liberal policies are an important component of the world wide struggle of the working people against the offensive of the capitalist class.

A K Padmanabhan

  President, CITU

GENERAL PROVIDENT FUND (GPF) INTEREST RATES

GENERAL PROVIDENT FUND (GPF) INTEREST RATES (CONSOLIDATED)