CONDEMN... POLICE BRUTAL ...ARRESTS
SUPPORT... LEFT MOVEMENT.... ON ELECTRICITY.........CRISIS

STAGE SET FOR A JOINT ACTION BY ALL C.G.EMPLOYEES DEMANDING 7th CPC

STAGE SET FOR A JOINT ACTION BY ALL C.G.EMPLOYEES DEMANDING 7th CPC

MOVEMENT LAUNCHED BY THE CONFEDERATION CULMINATING IN A STRIKE ON  12.12.12 PAVES WAY FOR A UNITED PLATFORM OF ALL C.G.EMPOLOYEES UNDER THE JOINT BANNER OF ALL INDIA RAILWAYMEN FEDERATION - ALL INDIA DEFENCE EMPLOYEES FEDERATION - & CONFEDERATION OF C.G.EMPLOYEES.

 

NATIONWIDE DEMONSTRATIONS BY THE ENTIRETY OF C.G.EMPLOYEES ON 29th APRIL DEMANDING CONSTITUTION OF 7th PAY COMMISSION IS CALLED UPON BY THE ABOVE ORGANISATIONS.

 

JOINT CALL ISSUED BY AIRF - AIDEF - CONFEDERATION IS PLACED IN OUR WEBSITE FOR WIDEST CIRCULATION AMONG THE EMPLOYEES TO PREPARE THEM FOR A MASSIVE DEMONSTRATION ON 29.04.2013.

 

 

Conf/26/2013 Dated: 24.3.2013

Dear Comrade,

                We invite your attention to the  efforts undertaken by us after the 12^th December, one day strike action to bring about a united action by the Railway, Defence and other Central Government employees on certain pressing demands.  In this connection you will recall that Com. S.K. Vyas, our President had been writing and following it up with telephonic conversations to bring about such a platform for action. We are happy to inform you that the AIRF and AIDEF has now agreed to bring about a joint platform of action to project two important demands of the CGEs. Viz. the setting up of the 7^th CPC and the withdrawal of the PFRDA Bill. 

                We send herewith the joint Circular letter issued by the three organizations on 23.3.2013 calling upon its units to organize a joint demonstration on 29^th April, 2013 in front of all offices throughout the country.  The affiliates and State Committees are requested to take initiative in organizing the programme with maximum participation of members of the three organizations at a mutually agreed Central place in all Cities/towns and other places.  All Units should be requested to send the telegram to the Prime Minister and a report of the extent of participation sent to the Confederation CHQ by 3^rd May, 2013.  We shall review the participation in the programme at our National Conference at Kolkata. 

                With greetings,

Yours fraternally,

K.K.N. Kutty

Secretary General.

COPY OF JOINT LETTER

ALL INDIA RAILWAYMEN FEDERATION

4, State Entry Road,New Delhi-110055.CONFEDERATION OF CENTRAL GOVERNMENT EMPLOYEES AND WORKERS.

Manishinath Bhawan. A2/95 Rajouri Gardn,

New Delhi. 110 027

ALL INDIA DEFENCE EMPLOYEES FEDERATION

S.M. Joshi Bhawan, Dr. B.R.Ambedkar Road, Kirkee, PUNE. 3

23^rd March.2013

Dear Comrades,

As  you are aware, the Government in reply to a question raised in the Parliament has stated that setting up of the 7^thCentral Pay Commission  for effecting wage revision of central Government employees is not presently under its consideration.  You will recall, that  a similar statement was made by the then Finance Minister, when the demand for setting up the 6^th CPC was raised by the employees.  The Joint movement of the Central Government employees, for which we created the platform of the Steering Committee of the organizations participating in the JCM under the leadership of Late Com. J.P. Chaubey, the then General Secretary of All India Railway men Federation could ensure that the Government rescind its stand then and set up the 6^th CPC.  The real value of wages determined by the 6^th CPC has now been eroded to the extent of above 100% due to the unprecedented inflation in the economy and spiraling rise in the prices of essential commodities.  While the Government permits wage negotiation and revision in the fully owned Public Sector Undertakings every five years, the denial to revise the wages of Central Government employees despite such large scale erosion in the real value of wages is absolutely unjustified.

The Government had been persisting with the enactment of the PRFDA Bill in the Parliament in almost all sessions ever since the UPA II Government took over.  Ironically they could elicit support from the main Opposition Party in the country for this ill advised enactment.  Lakhs of new workers who have joined in various organizations of the Government since2004 are worried of their future, which is forlorn and bleak, in the wake of the denial of an age old social security scheme of Pension.  We have been together opposing this move right from the day, the NDA Government introduced the bill in the Parliament in 2003.  However, our efforts, actions and objections have all been ignored with disdain by the Government. Though they could not muster enough support required to pass the bill in the Parliament, the Union Cabinet has recently taken the decision to allow 49% FDI in the pension fund.

We are to channelize our efforts through a wider platform of Unity. Efforts are on anvil to bring about such a platform.  In the meantime, we have decided to call upon all Units and Branches of AiRF, Confederation and AIDEF to organize Demonstration on 29^th April, 2013. in front of all offices and send the following telegram to the Prime Minister.

WITHDRAW PFRDA BILL AND SET UP THE 7^TH CPC

TO EFFECT WAGE REVISION OF CENTRAL

GOVERNMENT EMPLOYEES.

Name…………………………..

Secretary

Name of the Unit:……………………

Place:…………………..

With greetings,

Yours fraternally,

Sd/-                                                                       Sd/-                                                                                                       Sd/-

SHIVGOPAL MISRA                                         KKN. KUTTY.                                                                 C.   SRiKUMAR.

General Secretary, AIRF                                Secretary General. Confederation.      General Secretary.AIDEF.

1st ALL INDIA CONFERENCE OF AIPEU-GDS(NFPE) - CHENNAI

1st ALL INDIA CONFERENCE OF AIPEU-GDS(NFPE) - CHENNAI

The 1st All India Conference of ALL INDIA POSTAL EMPLOYEES UNION-GDS(NFPE) has been held on 21st & 22nd of March, 2013 in Dharma Prakash Kalyana Mandapam, Purushawakkam, Chennai-600 084.

The Conference was presided by Com.Bijoy Gopal Sur, President, AIPEU-GDS(NFPE). More than 1,000 GDS Comrades attended and represented from all 22 Circles in this 1st All India Conference of GDS NFPE.

The following office bearers were elected unanimously for the CHQ :

President                    : Com.Bijoy Gopal Sur (West Bengal)

Working President    : Com.JaiPrakash Singh (Uttar Pradesh)

                                     : Com.Smt. Asha Ben Joshi (Gujrat)

Vice President            : Com.Nirmal Ch. Singh (Orissa)

                                     :Com.Gana Acharya (Assam)

General Secretary   : Com.P.Pandurangarao (Andhra Pradesh)

Deputy Genl. Secy.    :Com.R.Dhanaraj (Tamil Nadu)

Asst. Genl. Secy.        : Com.B.R.Jagdeesh (Karnataka)

                                    : Com.K.C.Ramachandran (Tamil Nadu)

                                    :Com.Virendra Kumar Yadav (M.P)

Financial Secretary   :Com.V.Murukan (Kerala)

Asst. Fin. Secy.          :Com.Avtar Singh (Punjab)

Orgg. Genl. Secy.      :Com.Roshanlal Meena (Rajasthan)

                                 :Com.Chandranarayan Chaudhary (Bihar)

                               :Com.Virender Sharma (Himachal Pradesh)

Auditor : MS.Deepak Gour & Co., New Delhi-110 041

Special Invitess : 

Com.Bipin Majumdar (Assam)

Com.Akshay Kumar (Haryana)

Com.K.Muktar Ahmed (Andhra Pradesh)(RMS 'Z' division)

Com.M.Durai, (TamilNadu) (RMS 'T' division)

Circle Secretary, Maharashtra 

Circle Secretary, Chattisgarh

Circle Secretary, Jharkhand

Circle Secretary, Jammu & Kashmir

Circle Secretary, Uttarakhand

Circle Secretary, Delhi

Mahila Sub Committee:

Chairperson : Com.Supravapal (Agartala, Tripura State)

Convener      : Com.Yashmin Taj (Karnataka)

Members      :Com.D.Padmavathi, (Andhra Pradesh)

                      : Com.Saly George (Kerala)

                      : Com.B.Parvathi (Karnataka)

                      : Com.V.I.Lakshmi (Tamil Nadu)

                      : Com.Kaladevi Rajak (Madhya Pradesh)

 

                బహుదూరపు బాటసారి

కాలే కడుపుకి రుచి తెలీదు
మండే కట్టెకి వర్ణం లేదు
అర్ధించే చేతులకి తనపర భేదం లేదు
పీల్చే గాలికి కులం
తాగే నీరుకి మతం లేదు !
...See More

TWO DAY ALL INDIA STRIKE BY DIFFERENT TRADE UNIONS

 AND ASSOCIATIONS: GOVERNEMTN REPLY IN RAJYA SABHA.

STATEMENT REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PARTS (a) TO (c) OF RAJYA SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO. 235 FOR 13TH MARCH 2013 BY SHRI K.N. BALAGOPAL REGARDING “ALL INDIA STRIKE BY TRADE UNIONS”.

(a) & (b):  Yes, Sir. Government was aware of the two days all India Strike by different trade unions on February 20 and 21, 2013. A meeting was convened by Union Minister of Labour & Employment with the representatives of Central Trade Unions (CTUs) on 13th February, 2013 to discuss the charter of demands. The demands of CTUs were discussed at length. It was clarified to the Union representatives that their demands would be looked into by the Government and they were requested to withdraw strike. The Hon’ble Prime Minister also made an appeal to CTUs to withdraw their country-wide General Strike. Subsequently, a group of Senior Ministers of the Cabinet held a meeting with the representatives of the major CTUs on 18th February, 2013. The GoM assured the representatives of CTUs that Government is serious on the demands related to working class and taking all possible measures to redress them. They also appealed to the representatives of CTUs to reconsider their stand for going on strike. 

(c):  Government has taken various measures to address the concerns raised by the trade unions. Particular attention is drawn to the huge amount of food subsidy incurred by the Government to ensure availability of food grains to the poor at very concessional rate through the Public Distribution System. The Government’s efforts to pass the Food Security Bill in the Parliament will further increase the availability of subsidized food grains to the larger segments of the population. Ministry of Labour & Employment has prepared a National Employment Policy to ensure that the growth process is inclusive and equitable. The policy has been drafted with a view to mainstreaming employment into policy making for socio-economic development of the country. It will provide a proper framework towards achieving the goal of remunerative and decent employment for all women and men in the labour force. So far enforcement of labour laws in Central Sphere is concerned, there exists a well-defined and effective machinery. Similar arrangements are also available in the States. The Government has enacted Unorganised Workers’ Social Security Act, 2008. The Government of India has also set up National Social Security Fund (NSSF) with a corpus of Rs.1000 crore. National Social Security Board (NSSB) has also been constituted which is advising the Government from time to time on Social Security Schemes. Action is being taken to amend the Contract Labour (Regulation & Abolition) Act, 1970 wherein it is, inter-alia, proposed that in case where the contract labour perform the same or similar kind of work as the workmen directly appointed by the principal employer, the wage rates, holidays, social security provisions of contract labour shall be the same as are available to the directly appointed workmen on the roll of principal employer. Further, a Bill is being brought before the Parliament to amend the Minimum Wages Act, 1948 to provide a National Floor Level Minimum Wage

Full details of Rajya Sabha Q&A:

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

MINISTRY OF  LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT

RAJYA SABHA

STARRED QUESTION NO-235

ANSWERED ON-13.03.2013

All India strike by trade unions

235 . SHRI K.N. BALAGOPAL

(a)whether Government was aware about the two day all India strike by different trade unions and associations on February 20 and 21, 2013;
(b)if so, the details of the steps taken by Government to address their issues and avoid the strike; and
(c)whether Government is planning any measures to address the concerns raised by the trade unions?

ANSWER

(SHRI MALLIKARJUN KHARGE)

(a) to (c): A statement is laid on the Table of the House. **see above**

Source: Rajya Sabha Q&A

PHOTOS  29th AIC OF AIPEU Gr. C - THIRUVANANTHAPURAM (KERALA) FROM 10th TO 12th MARCH, 2013.

Addressing of  Delegates and CHQ office bearers

Souvenier Released by com.Sukomalsen and copy handedover to Com.R.L.Bhattacharya

Com.Sukomal Sen and com.P.Balakrishnan addrressing

Com.K.V.Sridharan felecitated and 
Rception committee General Secretary  Com.JacobThomas addrressing

CHQ OFFICE BEARERS OF AIPEU Gr. C

ELECTED UNANIMOUSLY:

President                                 Com. R.Sivannarayana (Andhra Pradesh) 

Working President                  (1) Com.Mangesh Parab (Maharashtra)

                                                  (2) Com.N.Gopalakrishnan (Tamilnadu)

Vice President                         (1) Com.R.C.Mishra (Odisha)

                                                  (2) Com.Smt. C.P.Sobhana (Kerala)

General Secretary                  Com.M.Krishnan (Kerala)

Dy. Genl. Secy                        (1) Com.N.Subramanian (Tamilnadu)

Asst.Genl.Secy                      (2) Com.R.N.Parashar (Uttar Pradesh)

                                                 (3) Com.G.Maity (West Bengal)

                                                 (4) Com.P.Veeramani (Tamilnadu)

Financial Secy.                       (1) Com.Balwinder singh (Delhi)

Asst. Fin. Secy                       (2) Com.H.P.Diwakar (Rajasthan)

Org. Genl. Secy                      (1) Com.S.A.Hameed (Chattisgarh)

                                                 (2) Com.U.K.Tiwari (Bihar)

                                                 (3) Com.L.P.Saikia (Assam)
 

AIPEU Gr.C (CHQ) WOMEN COMMITTEE
 

Chariperson : Com. Nandasen (West Bengal)

Convener : Com.C.P.Sobhana (Kerala)

Committee Members : 

Com.K.Pushpeswaridevi (Andhra Pradesh)

Com.Manimeghalai (Tamilnadu)

Com.Mausumi Majumder (Assom)

Com.P.Rema (Kerala)

Com.Manali (Maharashtra)

Com.Manju Srivashtava (Madhya Pradesh)

Com.Srimathi (Andhra Pradesh)

Com. Angel Sathiyanathan (Tamilnadu) 
 

NFPE conveys greetings and congratulations to the newly elected office bearers of AIPEU Group ‘C’ and the Mahila Committee Members.

Marking International Womens Day 1975, the feminist magazine Spare Rib reported: '4,000 women marched through London's East End.' Photograph: Red Women's Workshop

Today is the International Women's Day. First agreed at a socialist women's conference in Copenhagen in 1910, its aim was to campaign for the rights of working women. Today, the lives of women have changed beyond recognition compared with those of their grandmothers and great grandmothers. But the changes in work and personal life have been distorted by the needs of the market and have fallen far short of women's liberation.

The experience of work has been challenging and invigorating for a few, but for most women in the shops, offices, call centres and factories of 21st-century Britain it has been more likely to represent long hours, constant pressure, and growing attempts to squeeze more productivity and profit out of them. The big increase in the numbers of women working (more than 12 million today) has come from working mothers. But there has been no similar change in how the family and childcare have been organised.

So while mothers work outside the home, often full-time, they are also often expected to shoulder the needs of shopping, feeding and caring for their children. This is on top of sometimes long journeys to work, and of the demands of shift work for many. Whereas the old sexist dichotomy of the 50s was that women could either have looks or brains, now we are expected to have both, plus cooking skills at least to the level of Come Dine With Me, and an all-seeing eye to ensure that children behave at all times.

Women are expected to juggle all aspects of their lives and are blamed as individuals for any failing in their work or family life. The only people who can begin to succeed in doing this are those who can afford to pay others (usually women) to carry out some or all of these tasks. So an army of working-class women cook, clean, care for children, do ironing and washing, work in supermarkets, wait in restaurants, perform personal services, all to ensure the easier life of those women who "have it all". Often in the process they neglect their own families to do so.

The way in which women's working lives are portrayed reflects this. There is much talk of glass ceilings, but little about those women who are falling into the basement, struggling to work and maintain families on poverty wages. The life experiences of women (and men) are radically different, with a small minority sharing in the profits made by working-class men and women.

Alongside work has come increased sexualisation of society – now greeted with horror by respectable middle-class opinion, but much encouraged by advertising, the media and the profit motive itself, where porn and lap dancing are now big business. The other side of this sexualisation is the continuing high levels of rape, domestic violence and sexual abuse. We are still a very long way from women controlling their own lives and sexuality.

This International Women's Day we should recommit to a women's liberation which is connected to a wider movement for human emancipation and for working people to control the wealth they produce. That's why women and men have to fight for liberation. We won't win without a fight, because there are many vested interests who want to stop us. But more and more people are beginning to connect campaigning over climate change, war and inequality with fighting for women's liberation. That's why we are launching a manifesto for 21st-century feminism to begin to organize for real equality.

Hero and tireless Fighter of Latin America IS NO MORE

                                                                                           

                                                                                 Red salute to com "CHAVEZ''...

EDITORIAL POSTAL CRUSADER: MARCH-2013

STRIKE IS OVER, BUT THE STRUGGLE WILL CONTINUE.

WE ARE ON THE RIGHT PATH

          The two days historic strike that shook the country is over. About twelve crores workers participated in the strike. About ten lakhs Central Government employees including five lakhs postal and RMS employees joined the mass upsurge of the Indian working class. In many states the strike turned into total bundh and in other parts of the country also it affected all the sectors of industry and other service sectors. The total unity and commitment exhibited by the entire trade unions has no parallel in the history of our country.

          The Central Government tried to ignore or underestimate the strike in the initial stage. But the largest mobilistaion of the workers throughout the length and breadth of the country, compelled the Government to negotiate with the leaders at last minute. The first round discussion held with the cabinet Minister for labour, Sri Mallikarjun Kharge and second round discussion with the Group of Cabinet Ministers headed by Sri. A. K. Antony, Defence Minister, failed as the Government simply sought more time and was not ready to settle any of the demands raised by the unions and appealed the leaders to call off the strike. The Secretary, Department of Posts also made a similar appeal to call off the strike, even when the main demands raised by the Postal JCA (NFPE & FNPO) remained unsettled.

          In addition to the demands raised by the Central Trade Unions, the Confederation of Central Government Employees & Workers and the Postal JCA has raised the demands of constitution of seventh Central Pay Commission, merger of 50% DA with pay, removing the restriction on compassionate appointments, filing up of all vacant posts, Departmentalization of GDS and related issues, Revision of wages of casual labourers and regularization, scrapping of PFRDA bill, raising the bonus ceiling limit, grant of five promotions, OTA revision, abolition of posts, outsourcing, contractorisation, privatization, cadre restructuring etc. also in the strike notice served to the Government and the Department of Posts. Government was not ready to settle any of the above demands and hence the question of calling off the strike did not arise at all.

          In the Postal the strike was conducted under the banner of Joint council of action (JCA) comprising NFPE & FNPO. The Strike was near total in majority of the circles and about 60 to 80% in the remaining circles. The entire Postal and RMS services were paralysed for two days. Both Departmental employees and Gramin Dak Sevaks exhibited perfect unity in the strike. NFPE and its affiliated unions including GDS had already conducted a one day strike on 12^th December 2012. Naturally, there was apprehension about successfully organizing two days strike within a short span of two months. But the mass scale participation of the employees in the two days strike proved that workers are ready even for still higher form of action, if the Government is not ready to settle their genuine and legitimate demands.

          What next is the question before us and working class of our country. Even though the two days strike is over, we have no other go, except carrying forward the struggle with added vigour taking inspiration from the mass sanction and determination of the workers at large. There is no short cut. As correctly pointed out by Late Com. K. G. Bose who revolutionized the P&T Trade union movement- “the organized trade union movement has drawn lessons that all illusions about the Government policies should be given up and has come to the conclusion that it is not a question of appealing to the sense of injustices of the Government, but the relative strength of the organized movement and the forces combating it, which will decide their future”.

          The Government and the ruling class will try their best to implement their policies by retaining the power and their supremacy over the people of the country and working class. But history has taught us that they cannot continue their anti-people, anti-worker policies forever. A day will come and the balance of power will definitely change in favour of the toiling masses of this country and the ruling class and their neoliberal policies will be thrown to the dustbin of history and an alternative force with alternative policies shall emerge defeating the policies of the present day ruling class. The alternative policy will never be the imperialist globalization polices. It will be a policy which will lead us to the path of socialism. That day shall come, no sooner than later. Such a change is not easy. We have to suffer and be ready for bigger sacrifices. NFPE is committed to this task.

          The power-that-be should not be under the illusions that the working class will not go for another strike in the near future. They should clearly understand that-“the fire that is burning with flames and the fire that is burning beneath the ashes, are both fire”. The fire beneath the ashes may burst out at any time again as a wild fire. The growing anger, protest and discontentment among the common people and workers may burst out at any time. No Government on earth can withstand such a mass upsurge of the common people and the toiling masses. Government should take note of the writings on the wall. Brutal killing of the workers, severe victimizations and using the force to suppress the protest, may not succeed.

          Comrades, the path before us is not full of roses, but full of obstacles and of sufferings. But we are sure that at the end of the tunnel, there will be light. If winter comes, can they prevent the onset of the spring? Let us move forward unitedly with the working class of our country and let us loudly proclaim without any hesitation that – 

“We are on the right path”