28/09/2018

Central Trade Unions call for
Nationwide General Strike on 8th and 9th January 2019

National Convention of Workers decides to go for Nationwide General Strike on 8-9 January 2019 against the anti-people, anti-worker, anti-national policies of the BJP-led NDA Government.

The National Convention of Workers held today, the 28th September 2018, in Mavlankar Hall, New Delhi, decided to go for two days’ Nationwide General Strike on 8-9 January 2019 against the anti-people, anti-worker, anti-national policies of the BJP-led NDA Government.

The convention was jointly called by the ten Central Trade Unions (INTUC, AITUC, HMS, CITU, AIUTUC,TUCC, AICCTU, SEWA, LPF, UTUC), in association with all independent National Federations of Workers and Employees, of both Industrial and Service sectors, Central Government and State Government employees, including Railways, Defense, Health, Education, Water, Post, Scheme Workers etc; in the public sector undertaking such as Banks, Insurance, Telecom, Oil, Coal, Public Transport etc, Factories, and from the unorganised sectors-Construction, Beedi, Street vendors, Domestic Workers, Migrant Workers, Scheme workers, Home based workers, rickshaw, auto-rickshaw and taxi drivers, agricultural workers etc., expresses serious concern over the deteriorating situation in the national economy due to the pro- corporate, anti-national and anti-people policies pursued by the Central Government and some of the States ruled by the BJP, grievously impacting the livelihood of the working people across the country.

The Presidium of the Convention consisted of Ashok Singh, Ramendra Kumar, S. N. Pathak, K. Hemlata, R. K. Sharma, Probir Banerjee, Lata, Santosh Rai and Shatrujeet Singh. Dr. Sanjeeva Reddy (INTUC), Amarjeet Kaur (AITUC), Harbhajan Singh Sidhu (HMS), Tapan Sen (CITU), Satyavan (AIUTUC), G.R.Shivshankar (TUCC), Manali Shah (SEWA), Rajeev Dimri (AICCTU), Sanmugham (LPF), Ashok Ghosh (UTUC) addressed the Convention. Shivgopal Mishra( AIFR) and Guman Singh (NFIR) also addressed the convention.

The Convention noted with utter dismay that the Government has been continuing to arrogantly ignore the 12 point Charter of Demands on minimum wage, universal social security, workers’ status and including pay and facilities for the scheme workers, against privatization of public and government sector including financial sectors and mass scale contractorisation, ratification of ILO Convention 87, 98 etc. being jointly pursued by the entire trade union movement of the country. The ILO Convention 177 on Home Work and 189 on Domestic Work are also yet not ratified.

The Convention expressed its grave concern on scraping of hard-won 44 Central Labour Laws and replacing them with 4 employer-friendly Labour Codes and introduction of Fixed Term Employment through executive order. The Convention also expressed its anguish over New Pension Scheme and demand restoration of the old Pension Scheme. The Convention expresses solidarity with the fighting farmers and the Transport Workers of Rajasthan who are on an indefinite strike since 16th September, 2018.

This National Convention of Workers recorded its strong denunciation against the communal and divisive machinations on the society being carried on with the active patronage of the Government machinery. The BJP Governments are using draconian UAPA, NSA as well as the agencies of CBI, NIA, IT to harass and suppress any dissenting opinions. The peace loving secular people in the country are facing a stark situation of terror and insecurity all around. Working Class will raise its strong voice of protest.

In order to serve the interests of the multinational companies with Indian corporate, the present Government is pursuing blatantly anti-people, anti-workers and anti-national policies at the cost of severely damaging the national economy and destroying its indigenous productive and manufacturing capabilities. Such a regime must be defeated squarely to force the pro-people changes in policies on all fronts. This united platform of the working class resolves to heighten its struggle to that end.

The National Convention of workers adopted the following programmes:

1. State level, district level and industry/sector level joint conventions to be held during October/November 2018
2. Joint Industry-level gate meetings, rallies etc. during November and December,2018
3. Submission of strike notice jointly with demonstrations during 17-22 December, 2018
4. Two days countrywide General Strike on 8th and 9th January 2019.

The National Convention called upon working people across the sectors and throughout the country irrespective of affiliations, independent unions, federations, associations to make the above programmes a total success.

(Declaration attached)

Source: http://confederationhq.blogspot.com/

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The meeting of the Central Trade Unions held on 22nd February 2018 at INTUC Office New Delhi expressed indignation and strongly condemned the Government of the day for their intensified attack on the lives and livelihood of the people and seriously compromising the national interest.

Attack on working class centering around dismantling labour laws designed to completely casualise employment conditions through various routes like amending Contract Labour Act, introducing Fixed Term Employment etc has assumed aggressive height. Further it is noted that the Government is out to erase the public sector from the industrial map of the country. Specific cases of attack on privatization of railways, opening coal mining to private and foreign companies without any restriction whatsoever, mass scale privatization as well as destruction of defence production network through widespread outsourcing, thereby dismantling the almost half of the ordinance factories are some of the examples of the gross anti-people and anti-national actions of the Govt. Accumulation of huge non-performing assets of the public sector banks arising out of pilferage of bank-funds by deliberately defaulting private corporate coupled with recent explosion of frauds with bank fund engineered by the same corporate class is also a reflection of the anti-national act of the Govt indulging and patronizing the same big-business class.

The Central Trade Unions reiterated their utter condemnation against the Union Budget 2018-19 which is basically anti-worker and anti-people in character and engineered a deception on the mass of the people through loud populist slogans without actually making any resource allocation.

The Central Trade Unions denounced the Govt of India’s surreptitious move in postponing the 47th session of Indian Labour Conference, thereby reducing tripartism to a mockery.

CTUOs noted with satisfaction the surging struggles by the working people in different sectors throughout the country, both organised and unorganized.

The workers and federations of coal and transport have been preparing for united industrywide actions to be undertaken shortly. All the Federations of Defence Production workers have jointly decided to go in for nationwide strike on 15th March 2018. Many more sectoral actions are in the offing.

The CTUOs while reiterating their resolve to intensify preparation for indefinite strike in the days to come, calls upon all their constituents and working people in general irrespective of affiliations to jointly observe

ALL INDIA PROTEST DAY ON 15TH MARCH 2018
· In solidarity with the striking Defence Production workers against anti-national privatization move
· Against the Anti-people Deceptive Union Budget 2018-19.

The CTUOs will meet shortly after 15th March 2018 to decide their next course of united countrywide action.

INTUC – AITUC – HMS – CITU
AIUTUC – TUCC – SEWA – AICCTU – UTUC – LPF

Source: Confederation

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Pre Budget Consultation – Trade unions view point on issues to be considered for framing budget for the year 2018-19

The Finance Minister held Pre Budget 2018 discussion with the representatives of central trade unions on 5th December 2018. Representatives of all the central trade unions attended the meeting. CITU was represented by its president Hemalata.

The meeting, as every year, appeared to be not more than a ritual. The ‘consultative meeting’ with the 12 trade unions that were called, lasted for around 1 hour. The trade union representatives were requested to give their opinions in 3-4 minutes. The trade unions were asked to express their concerns and suggestions related to the union budget within this time frame.

Ten central trade unions jointly presented their views in a note to the Finance Minister. In her intervention Hemalata reiterated that pre budget consultation with trade unions should not be treated as a mere ritual; the views of the trade unions representing the workers who produce the wealth should be given due place in the budget proposals. She also demanded that the Group of Ministers constituted under the chairmanship of the Finance Minister in 2015 to discuss the demands raised by the trade unions should continue discussions with them and resolve their demands. Instead of focussing on improving ‘ease of doing business’ to benefit the corporates, the government should focus on improving India’s position in ‘Global hunger index’ and closing down the ‘gender gap’ This should be done by increasing allocations for social sector including health and education, to the ICDS, National Health Mission, Midday Meal Programme etc that serve the poor, particularly women and children. ILC recommendations on recognising ‘scheme workers’ as ‘workers’, paying minimum wages to them etc should be implemented.

She also emphasised the point that the government should increase spending on social sectors like education and health and mobilise resources for this by taxing the rich who can pay. It should focus on employment generation increasing public expenditure on infrastructure. All vacant posts in various government departments including railways etc should be filled up by fresh recruitment. MGNREGA should be implemented in all rural areas and extended to urban areas.

INTUC       AITUC     HMS          CITU         AIUTUC

TUCC           SEWA          AICCTU      UTUC      LPF

Dated 05.12.2017

The Hon’ble Minister of Finance
Government of India
North Block,
New Delhi, 110 001

Sub: Trade unions view point on issues to be considered for framing budget for the year 2018-19

Sir,

To start with, we urge you to take the views presented jointly by the trade unions and incorporate them in the budget proposals so that this meeting would be meaningful. We request you not to convert this meeting into a mere a ritual.

Please recall that the Group of Ministers headed by you had an inconclusive discussion with the trade unions on the 12 point charter of demands of the working people of the country, in August 2015. The GoM did not resume the discussions despite requests from the central trade unions. The discussion the Labour Minister held with the central trade unions on 7th November 2017 did not yield any results.

Hence, we feel compelled to reiterate our demands again and present our views as follows:

Increase budgetary allocations for social sector: The government should increase allocations on social sector and basic essential services like health, education, food security etc in the Union Budget. The necessary financial resources should be raised internally by taxing the rich who have the capacity to pay.

Effective measures against deliberate tax and loan repayment defaults:

Effective and firm measures should be taken against deliberate tax default by the big business and corporate lobby to curtail the huge accumulation of unpaid taxes, which have been continuously increasing. Further, wilful default should be made a criminal offence, the list of wilful defaulters should be made public and stringent measures such as fast track Debt Recovery Tribunals should be implemented.

Minimum wage: Minimum wage fixed on the basis of the recommendations of the 15th Indian Labour Conference and the Supreme Court judgment in Raptakos & Brett case and linked to Consumer Price Index, should be guaranteed to all workers. The 7th Pay Commission has worked this to be Rs 18000 per month, which the government has accepted. Hence, the minimum wage should not be less than Rs 18000 per month, which has been the common demand of all the central trade unions. Need based minimum wage should be considered as an essential part of social security.

Resolve demands of the Government employees regarding 7th Pay Commission: All the pending demands of the Government employees in centre and states in regard to 7th pay commission be resolved within time frame including arrears of allowances with effect from 01.01.2016. The autonomous bodies be included into for all the benefits of the 7th pay commission.

Price rise: The prices of essential commodities, particularly of food items have been spiralling making it impossible for the workers and other toiling people to meet their basic daily needs. Speculative forward trading and hoarding are major factors contributing to the price rise. The government should ban speculative forward trading in essential commodities, take strong measures to curtail hoarding and strengthen Public Distribution System, making it universal. Stop the system of cash transfer to beneficiaries’ accounts in lieu of PDS

Stop disinvestment and strategic sale of public sector units: The public sector has to be strengthened and expanded. Budgetary support should be provided for the revival of potentially viable sick public sector units. Strategic sale of the profit making PSUs, which is being resorted to at present should be stopped. The amendments to the Motor Vehicle Act, which pave the way for privatisation of the state – owned public transport system should be withdrawn.

Employment generation: Employment generation has nosedived in the recent period. Massive public investment in infrastructure, social sectors and agriculture would generate employment. The union budget should give priority and allocate the necessary funds for this. All vacant sanctioned posts in the different government departments, PSUs and autonomous institutions should be filled up through fresh recruitment. The ban on creation of new posts should be lifted. The practice of surrendering/ abolition of posts should be done away with.

Prevent dumping: The increasing import of industrial commodities including capital goods should be contained and regulated to prevent dumping. Protect and promote domestic industries. This will also help in preventing job losses

Extend MGNREGA: Expenditure on MGNREGA should be increased to cover all rural areas. Ensure immediate payment of wages to workers employed under MGNREGA. It should be amended to include the urban areas as well. The unanimous recommendation of 43rd ILC to extend the scheme to urban areas, guarantee employment for a minimum of 200 days with statutory minimum wage, should be implemented.

Contract and casual workers: No contract/casual workers should be deployed on jobs of perennial nature. The contract and casual workers doing the same and similar work as the permanent workers should be paid the same wages and benefits as paid to regular workers as directed by Hon’ble Supreme Court of India in 2016.

FDI: The CTUs have been repeatedly demanding that FDI should not be allowed in crucial sectors like defence production, railways, financial sector, retail trade etc. But the government has persisted with this policy. Corporates with large NPAs are allowed to invest in sensitive sectors like defence. We reiterate the demands that FDI should not be allowed in the crucial sectors.

Defence: Privatisation of the defence sector should be stopped. The order outsourcing of the 143 items of the total 273 produced by the public sector ordinance factories should be withdrawn.
Scheme workers: Regularise the workforce employed in the various schemes of government of India including the ICDS, NHM, Midday Meal Programme, National Child Labour Project, Sarva Siksha Abhiyan etc. Till this is done, at least immediately implement the recommendation of the 45th ILC that these scheme workers should be recognised as ‘workers’, they should be paid minimum wages and provided social security benefits including pension. Increase budgetary allocations to these schemes and stop privatisation of these schemes in any form.
Domestic workers: The government should ratify the ILO Convention 189 and enact a central law and create support system for domestic workers.

Unorganised workers: Create a National Fund for Unorganised Workers to provide social security for all unorganised workers including contract, casual, migrant workers etc. Direct all state governments to frame rules under the Street Vendors (Protection of Livelihood and Regulation of Street Vending) Act and allocate funds for developing street vending as livelihood model. Management of cess under the Building and Other Construction Workers’ Welfare Board, Beedi Workers Welfare Board etc. should be made the responsibility of Ministry of Finance, which should ensure its proper collection, stoppage of evasion and utilisation.

Labour law reforms: Stop labour law amendments that curtail the basic and trade union rights of workers and provide unhindered ‘hire and fire’ facilities to the employers. The Code on Wages Bill, at present before the Standing Committee on Labour and on the draft Code on Industrial Relations Bill should be finalised on the basis of the opinions of the central trade unions expressed unanimously. No labour law amendment should be undertaken without the consent of the trade unions and workers who are the main stakeholders and the most affected.

EPF: The threshold limit for EPF scheme should be brought down to 10. Government and employers’ contribution should be increased to provide a minimum pension of Rs 3000 per month and make it sustainable. Stop investing EPF funds in share market. The Supreme Court has given a judgment and order for higher payment of pension under EPS – 95. This option should be made available for all workers covered under the said scheme.

Pension for all: Pension should be construed as deferred wage and all workers who are not covered by any pension scheme should be ensured a pension not less than Rs 3,000/- per month.
New Pension scheme: NPS should be withdrawn. All central and state government employees recruited on or after 1.1.2004 should be covered under the Old Pension Scheme.

Gratuity: Gratuity under the Payment of Gratuity Act should be raised to Rs 20 lakhs and 30 days wages instead of 15 days per completed year of service.

ADHAR: Government should not rush making ADHAR linking compulsory

Closed and sick factories: Ensure that workers of closed factories get their dues within a fixed time limit. Sudden winding up of the BIFR has left many stakeholders without a remedy. Rules for carrying out the provisions of the Sick Industrial Companies (Special Provisions) Repeal Act, 2003, should be framed immediately to facilitate them.

Income tax exemption: The ceiling for income tax for salaried persons and pensioners should be raised to Rs 5 lakh per year. Income Tax ceiling for senior citizens should be raised to Rs.8 lakhs. All perks and fringe benefits like housing, medical and educations facilities and running allowances in railways should be exempted from income tax net totally.

Political funding: Recently the government removed the limit on the amount companies can donate to political parties and the need to name the political party receiving the funds. This is far from the transparency promised in public life. The earlier regime should be restored.

Railways: Adequate financial resources should be allotted to the railways to ensure more effective, accessible and affordable transport to the common people, particularly the poor. The capabilities of public sector production units should be utilised fully, further developed and strengthened. No measure should be taken to privatise the railways. The measures to hand over the railway stations across the country to private players should be immediately stopped. Any property of railways should not be handed over to private sector through lease or sale. The decision to allow 100% FDI in railways should be withdrawn. The pending expansion, track renewal, signals up gradation projects should be completed at the earliest. Adequate financial resources should be allocated to improve safety systems and ensure safe rail travel for the people. All the vacancies in the railways should be filled up. The long pending demands of the railway employees like enhancement of ceiling in respect of running allowance for tax exemption, housing scheme etc should be addressed positively.
To conclude:

We reiterate our strong opposition to the anti worker measures being undertaken by the government on the pretext of improving the ‘ease of doing business’, to benefit the employers, particularly the big corporates, domestic and foreign.

We once again urge upon the government to take concrete measures to resolve the 12 point charter of demands of the working people, being repeatedly raised by the central trade unions, as well as the pressing issues listed above.

We regret that none of the suggestions of the central trade unions, made in the earlier pre budget meetings were incorporated in the previous budgets. We hope that this would not be repeated yet again and the points raised by us will be given positive consideration while framing budget 2018-19.

With regards,
Yours sincerely

INTUC         AITUC       HMS          CITU          AIUTUC

TUCC                SEWA          AICCTU             UTUC              LPF

Source: Confederation

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The Ministry of Labour and Employment has taken steps for drafting the Labour Code on Industrial Relations, by simplifying, amalgamating and rationalizing the relevant provisions of the following three Labour Laws:-

(i) The Industrial Disputes Act, 1947,

(ii) The Trade Unions Act, 1926,

(iii) The Industrial Employment (Standing Orders) Act, 1946.

The Government carried out the process of Tripartite Consultation for drafting the Labour Code on Industrial Relations, where the representatives from Central Trade Unions, Employers’ Association and Central Ministries/State Governments participated and gave their suggestions. Two such meetings for the tripartite consultation on this Labour Code were held on 06.05.2015 and 06.10.2015.

During consultation stage, the draft of the Labour Code on Industrial Relations has also been shared with experts of International Labour Organisation (ILO) who have provided their suggestions on the provisions of the draft code. The provisions of the draft code are under consideration.

This information given by Shri Bandaru Dattatreya, the Minister of State (IC) for Ministry Labour and Employment, in reply to a question in Lok Sabha today.

Source: PIB News

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According to the press release of the Confederation of Central Government Employees, more than 8.5 lakh employees participated in the strike to protest against the Central Government’s attitude.

Implement the labour laws without any exceptions or changes; provide social security to non-regulated employment sectors; withdraw the new pension scheme; control the prices of essential commodities; No ban on creation of new posts; include 100% dearness allowance to basic pay; at least five promotions during the entire service period and removal of all ceilings on bonus – these are some of the demands presented by the Central Government workers unions during the strike in which more than 8.5 lakh workers had participated.

wage revision has been denied to Central Government employees for the past five years. Despite the fact that dearness allowance has exceeded 100%, it has not yet been added to the basic pay. Instead of creating new jobs, contract employees are being brought in. Denial of the statutory defined benefit pension to the fresh appointees and above all the closure of the negotiating forum JCM since 2010.

10 workers unions had participated in the strike. The Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh (BMS), which enjoys the support of the BJP, did not participate in the strike. Virjesh Upadhyay, the general secretary of BMS, said, “Majority of the bank employees will not participate in the strike called for by the Central Government workers unions. Electricity, oil and gas distribution will not be affected. Employees of the national thermal power association and the national hydroelectricity power association, and the powergrid will not be participating in the strike.”

The Confederation news report said that despite the fact that BMS did not participate in the strike, it was a resounding success with the participation of 8.5 lakh employees. There was near-complete participation of Central Government employees in eight states. In the other states, there was 80% participation.

The Confederation has also thanked all the employees who had participated in the strike. It has also thanked all the leaders and members, on behalf of the Confederation’s secretary.

Source: CGEN

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