Items filtered by date: June 2016

CITU strongly denounces the anti labour measures in the so called special package for the textile and garment sector approved by the Union Cabinet without any consultations with the trade unions.

After announcing sweeping changes in the FDI norms, the government has come out with this ‘special package’ for the textile and garment sector. It is atrocious that the Finance Minister tries to woo investors by pointing out at the ‘rising wages in China’. It is clear that by this that he invites investors to utilise the cheap labour in our country with a veiled commitment to make that cheaper, so that they can reap more profits. It is even more appalling that these measures are claimed to ‘help in social transformation through women empowerment’ while what they would actually lead to enslavement of the workers in the garment sector. Can hypocrisy and deception go further ?

The government has put forward the bogus argument that the garment industry is ‘seasonal’, to find a plea to introduce the ‘fixed term employment’ and facilitate ‘hire and fire’ of workers as per the convenience of the employers. It is to be recalled that the erstwhile NDA government issued the notification on fixed term employment which was strongly opposed by the entire trade union movement and had to be rescinded during the UPA regime in 2004. CITU condemns the attempts of the BJP government to introduce fixed term employment once again. Increasing the overtime cap from existing 50 hrs in a quarter to 96 hours and simultaneously talking loud about employment generation is another deceptive and fraudulent manoeuvre sought to be perpetrated on the people and the workers.

As per this special package, Provident Fund would be made optional for the employees earning less than Rs 15000 per month, indicating the persistent attempts of the government to pave the way for demolishing this time tested social security scheme .

The package also provides other concessions to the employers like the government utilising people’s money in national exchequer to pay the employers’ share of PF contribution, flexibility of labour laws, duty draw back etc. It is nothing but part of the neoliberal design of the BJP led government that seeks to promote the interests of the big corporations and multinational companies by imposing burdens and attacking the rights of the workers.

CITU demands the government to immediately withdraw the anti worker measures in the ‘special package’. It calls upon all the workers to oppose these measures of imposing slavery on the workers through massive participation in the joint countrywide general strike on 2nd September 2016.

Issued by:
Tapan Sen
General Secretary

21st June 2016

CITU strongly denounces the sweeping changes made by the Modi led BJP government to ease FDI in nine key sectors including defence, aviation, pharmaceu tical and food processing.

The decision to ease norms to increase FDI in strategic and sensitive sectors like defence, aviation etc shows the subservience of the government to the interests of the big multinational corporations and international finance capital and its willingness to sacr.ifice the interests of our own country and its people. The PMO has proudly proclaimed that India has now become the most open economy in the world for FDI.

The argument that this would 'provide major impetus to employment and job creation' is totally spurious and false.

Experience in our country has shown that despite all the concessions and relaxations given to attract FDI and the hype that is generated, the amount of FDI that has come to the country is nominal. Most of the foreign money that has come into the country is only for purchasing equity in the existing companies; not to invest in any new production. It has not generated any new employment. Rather, the opening of our markets to the products of multinational companies to appease them has proved disastrous to our domestic industry resulting in the closure of many of our own industries, particularly in the small and medium scale sector, which provide the largest employment, as these industries are not in a position to compete with the big multinational corporations. Thus instead of any job creation what has resulted is loss of employment and deceleration in employment generation.

It is to be noted that the entire trade union movement has been demanding withdrawal of the government decision to increase FDI in insurance, defence and allowing FDI in railways and included it as part of its 12 point charter of demands. The joint trade union movement has given the call for a countrywide general strike on 2nd September 2016 preceded by massive Satyagraha on 9th August to press for these demands. The decision of the government not only shows its total apathy to the unanimous demands of the trade union movement but also its eagerness to satisfy the multinational corporate at the cost of our national interests.

CITU demands withdrawal of the decision to ease the FDI norms.

Issued by:
Tapan Sen
General Secretary

PressCommunique 14th June 2016

CITU SECRETARIAT MEETING ON 13-14 JUNE 2016 CALLS FOR
· Countrywide Massive Solidarity Mobilisation In support of the peoples’ struggle against barbarous attack by Trinamool Congress Goons
· Extensive campaign for the Countrywide General Strike on 2nd September 2016

The National Secretariat of Centre of Indian Trade Unions in its meeting held on 13-14 June 2016 at New Delhi has taken the following decisions:

1. CITU congratulates the working people of Kerala for ensuring resounding victory of the Left Democratic Front in the just concluded Assembly elections

2. CITU also expresses serious concern and severe indignation at the barbarous attacks being unleashed by the Trinamool Congress goons on the people, particularly supporters of Left forces, trade unions and other mass organizations with active patronage of the state administration. CITU also has been targeted for this attack, assault and intimidations. Hundreds of offices were captured, ransacked even burnt, members and sympathisers are being assaulted and threatened to leave the organisation. A demonstration of inhuman barbarism throughout the state is going on with direct state-patronage and the purpose is to eliminate and mime the Left opposition through a reign of terror. It has reached to such heinous height that the TMC goons while carrying on physical assault on the people did not spare a pregnant woman and her baby was killed in the womb itself. Our comrades in West Bengal have not given the walk-over to such barbaric assault on democratic and human rights of the people and have been bravely fighting such assaults through mobilising people in different parts of the state. While extending solidarity to the people of West Bengal in heroically resisting the barbaric onslaught on democratic rights, with the toiling peoples’ organisation at the forefront of that battle, CITU already called upon the state committees to organise solidarity protest against the attack on democratic rights and reign of terror in West Bengal.. CITU Secretariat now calls for widespread countrywide campaign against ongoing barbarous attack on the people of West Bengal by the TMC goons with Govt support to culminate in massive demonstration/mobilizations in all the states and industrial centres on 28th June 2016. 

3. CITU Secretariat has reviewed the preparatory campaign activities being undertaken in the states and industries for the call of countrywide General Strike on 2nd September 2016 against the anti-people and anti-worker policies of Narendra Modi Govt which is also aimed at imposing slavery on the working people in the country at the behest of corporate and big-business houses, both domestic and foreign. The call for General Strike was given jointly by almost all the central trade unions in the country from the National Convention of workers held on 30th March 2016 at New Delhi. The urgency for the countrywide strike action has become crucially important in view of the all round decline, disaster and gloom in the national economy as well as on the lives and livelihood of the common people brought about by two years’ rule by the BJP Govt at the centre. The media-hype sought to be created by the Modi Govt about the so called successes of its two years’ rule through its lie-campaign, must be given a fitting rebuff by the working people of the country through making the united call for countrywide General Strike on 2nd September 2016 a massive success. CITU Secretariat has called upon all the state committees, federations and unions to intensify the campaign for making the strike action aimed at reaching the widest sections of the workers and the people in association with other central trade unions.

4. The 15th All india Conference of CITU is going to take place on 26-30 November 2016 at Puri, Odisha in which around 2500 delegates from all over the country and across the industries and services are going to take part. The Conference will be preceded by the All India Convention of Working women to be held in Andhra Pradesh. The Secretariat discussed organizational details on the conference preparations including holding of the state level conferences in all the states.

(Tapan Sen )
General Secretary

4th June 2016

Few days back the Narendra Modi Government has amended the Public Sector Recruitment Rules retrospectively providing appointment of candidates from private sector in very senior management positions in CPSUs and also in the PESB (Public Sector Enterprise Selection Board). Obviously profit-making Blue chip PSUs are the target of the Modi Govt in this regard. The argument from the Government is that this will help CPSUs in getting ‘capable and efficient’ hands from private sector. An expectation is generated that such steps of the Modi Government shall help in achieving better performance in the CPSUs.

CITU totally rejects such ill-motivated move of the Govt to induct private sector agents into the management of highly efficient and profitable CPSUs with huge resource and asset base operating in core and strategic sector of the economy.

It is very important to note that experience and expertise developed in CPSUs have been captured by private sector through various means. Take for example the energy sector. The management of Private enterprises in Oil & NG, Coal & Power etc. are all crowded with senior executives and many former CEOs from CPSUs. Very important technical and commercial classified information are smuggled by private sector from CPSUs. Without such resources from CPSUs the private big business in the many such industries would not have easily attained such so much success. Let us not go into the unethical practices of the private sectors here.

CITU condemns the NDA Government for the atrocious action. It is an act as well as conspiracy of conspicuously undermining the excellent record of physical and financial performance of CPSUs and their contribution in economic reconstruction of post independent India. Thousands of crore of rupees is collected from CPSUs by the Government through various instrumentalities including measures of privatisation and dividend, taxes and duties etc. Now the present design is to sabotage those successful CPSUs from within as supplementary to its grand-plan of strategic sale of CPSUs announced in this year’s budget. Also the step in question is to push more exploitative, repressive and authoritarian management system of private sector in the CPSUs by the corporative captive Modi Government.

CITU demands withdrawal of the amendment and restoration of age old time tested practice. At the same time CITU calls upon the trade union movement and the public sector employees as a whole irrespective of rank and affiliations to raise the powerful voice against the brazenly anti-public sector step of the Government and mobilize employees to stop entry of private management in our CPSUs.
Issued by

(TAPAN SEN)
GENERAL SECRETARY