Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU) expresses serious concern at the recent developments and actions by the Apex Court following the complaint by a former woman employee of the Supreme Court against the Chief Justice of India.

CITU feels that the procedures required as per the POSH (Sexual Harassment At Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act, 2013 have not been followed in letter and spirit in the case.

First of all, the highest forum of judiciary does not have an ICC (Internal Complaints Committee) as mandated by the Act. The procedure for dealing with a case of sexual harassment, particularly when it concerns someone in a high public position, needs to be credible and transparent. It is regrettable that this did not happen in this case.

The ‘In house Committee’ set up by the Apex court was not in accordance with the law. It did not have an independent outside representative of any NGO.  This was pointed out by several women’s organisations, legal rights groups, and lawyers’ forums. The request of the complainant to allow her lawyer or a support person to be present was also turned down. Even after her withdrawal from the proceedings alleging unfair and intimidating behaviour, the committee went ahead and gave its finding that there was ‘no substance’ in the complaint. Surprisingly, the complainant was not even given a copy of the report of the “In-House Committee” which exonerated the CJI while the CJI was sent a copy.

CITU affirms that it is necessary that the Supreme Court uphold the principles of transparency, ethics and values to ensure delivery of justice to the weakest sections in our democracy, as envisaged by our constitution, and to prevent erosion of the judiciary’s credibility. The Supreme Court of India must uphold the guidelines of the Vishakha judgment and the POSH Act on sexual harassment at workplace even in the case of a Supreme Court Judge.  

CITU demands that appropriate laws and guidelines must be enacted against sexual harassment to include all workplaces including judiciary and legislature and all persons in its purview to ensure justice to all victims.

Issued by: 
A R Sindhu
Secretary

Centre of Indian Trade Union expresses its deep sorrow at the shocking demise of Comrade N Venkateswarlu (Kiran), General Secretary of Telengana United Electricity Employees Union and Office Bearer of EEFI. He breathed his last on early hours of 7^th May 2019 in a hospital in Hyderabad after fighting cancer for the last one year.

Comrade N Venkateswarlu known as Kiran joined Kothagudem Thermal Power Station (KTPS) in 1990 as a boulder breaker in Coal plant. Soon he joined CITU Affiliated UEEU. He became one of the Office bearers of TSUEEU in 1998 and later became the General Secretary in 2008. He was one of the key leaders of the contract labour regularisation struggle in 2006 as well in 2016. He concurrently became a leader of Electricity workers as well a highly skilled workers of APSEB. He was elected as National Office Bearer of EEFI from 7th conference and re-elected in 8th conference. He was a member of CITU National General Council. His struggling spirit was laudable and it made him natural leader of the workers.

His untimely death is a big loss to the CITU especially CITU Telengana and EEFI.

CITU Secretariat expresses its deepest condolences to all his comrades and family members.

Issued by
A R Sindhu
For CITU Secretariat 

Shri Chandra Kishore Mishra,
The Secretary to Govt of India
 Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change,
Indira Paryavaran Bhavan, Ali Ganj, Jorbagh Road,
New Delhi, Delhi 110003

Re:      Total Ban on new Red Clay Brick Kiln; & Forcibly converting the existing Red Clay Brick Kiln to Coal Ash Brick Kiln
Ref:     G.S.R. 157(E) dated 25^th February, 2019

Dear Sir, 

On the above referred subject, on behalf my organisation – The Centre of Indian Trade Unions, I draw your urgent attention to the following: 

1. I raise serious objection on your issuing this notification just on the eve of 17^thLok Sabha election (Election) and asking public opinion during the ongoing election process. Accepting this being an important issue of public interest, not being a routine one, and, hence, soliciting public opinion; the present outgoing Union Government has no right to take any action on this during the ongoing process of Election and till the next Government takes over.   I, therefore, with abundant caution, requesting you to not take any further Executive action on this notification.

2. By endorsing a copy of this letter to the Election Commission of India (ECI), I am also requesting the ECI to issue notice to you in this regard.

3. I suspect that this notification was issued, just before the Election, to favour the coal and lignite based private power companies, mainly the Adani Power Limited of Adanis and the Reliance Power Limited of Ambanis; vitiating the entire Election process.

4. The above referred intended notification of putting a total ban on new Red Clay Kiln and converting the existing ones to Coal Ash Brick Kilns within 300 KMs radius of all Coal and Lignite based Power Plants; will lead to jobloss of lakhs of unorganised sector brick kiln workers and will have devastating effect on the economy, after the ill effect of demonetisation and GST.

5. Unfortunately, your ministry, in its hurry, has ignored the question of job-losses of such huge number of most under-privileged  brick kiln workers due to Government’s notification and, hence,  neither has taken the Department of Labour and Employment of the Government nor the recognised Central Trade Unions, including the one that I represent, on board for consultation before issuing such notification.

6. The intended notification proposes implementation of such vital issues of Ban on Red Clay brick Kiln and conversion of the existing ones to Coal Ash Brick Kilns through Executive order just by amending two decades old S.O. 763(E) dated 14^thSeptember, 1999; bypassing the Parliament and necessary amendment in Environment (Protection) Act, 1986.

7. The notification also makes the State Governments and the District Magistrates, under them, directly responsible for implementation of such decisions. Yet, the matter was never even discussed with the State Governments giving a direct blow in Centre-State relations.

Under the above circumstances, I once again urge you not to please operationalise the above referred intended notification.
With regards,
Yours sincerely
(Tapan Sen)
General Secretary

The Centre of Indian Trade Unions expresses its solidarity to call given by All India Kisan Sabha (AIKS) to boycott of Lays and other potato products of PepsiCo till the vindictive cases against potato farmers of Gujarat are withdrawn.

The PepsiCo filed a case in Ahmedabad High Court against some small potato farmers of Gujarat alleging cultivation of a particular variety of potato which the MNC considers prejudicial to their interest and lodged a claim of Rs 1.05 crore to be paid by those concerned farmers for such cultivation. The case by PepsiCo is an arrogant violation of Protection of Plant Varieties and Farmers Rights Act 2001 which clearly mention the right of the farmers to "save, use, sow, re-sow, exchange, share or sell his farm produce including seed of a variety" so long as he does not sell branded seed, as argued by AIKS.

The AIKS has already asserted in its statement dated 25th April 2019 that “AlKS along with other peasant organisations has already approached Protection of Plant Varieties and Farmers’ Rights Authority (PPV&FRA) asking for urgent intervention. This is a test case of the corporate exploitation of farmers under the WTO regime. Previous central governments led by both Congress(I) and BJP are responsible for completely surrendering the rights of the peasantry and the nation in favour of corporates. Both the parties must clarify their stand in this case.”

The Centre of Indian Trade Unions while joining wholeheartedly the farmers’ organizations including AIKS in denouncing the vindictive action of the Multinational Corporations like PepsiCo in abrogating the farmers’ right to produce and choose to produce in an independent country in patent abuse of the so called WTO rules and the shameful lukewarm and indulgent attitude of the Modi Govt towards the MNCs exploiting the Indian Farmers, calls upon the working class to firmly stand by farmers demands in solidarity.

CITU upholds the AIKS call to people for boycotting the “Lay” potato chips and other potato products of PepsiCo in this matter and calls upon the working class and their trade unions to actively organize such boycott throughout the country in coordination and collaboration with AIKS activists till the central govt intervenes and compels the PepsiCo to withdraw the case against the potato farmers of Gujarat.   

Issued by
( Tapan Sen )
General Secretary

On this May Day, the Day of International Solidarity of the Working Class, CITU

Extends warm fraternal greetings to all working people across the world

Stands in solidarity with their struggles to defend their hard won rights from the dogged onslaught of neoliberalism, particularly in the aftermath of the systemic global crisis of capitalism, which continues even after more than a decade.

On this May Day, CITU

Condemns in strongest terms the imperialist led interventions, sabotage activities, attacks and wars in Venezuela, Syria, Palestine, Iraq, Yemen, Afghanistan and other countries; Extends its solidarity to the people and all progressive forces in these countries fighting US imperialist machinations; Deplores Israeli attempts, with open connivance of US imperialism to annexe Palestine territories; demands recognition of independent sovereign state of Palestine with 1967 borders and East Jerusalem as its capital.

Reiterates firmly that fight against imperialism is an integral part of the class struggle to defeat the exploitative capitalist system and usher in exploitation free socialist system, to which CITU is firmly committed

Stands with the people in socialist countries defending socialism and their right to independently and freely choose the social system of their choice without any external interference or aggression;

In particular, reaffirms its solidarity with the struggle of socialist Cuba against US imperialist machinations and demands withdrawal of illegitimate sanctions imposed on them.

Raises its serious alarm at the rise in the Right wing, Regressive, Reactionary, Racist, Neo-fascist-and Terrorist forces in different parts of the world, being promoted by international finance and the corporate class to divide people and disrupt united struggles against neoliberalism; Stands in rock solidarity with all peoples across the world fighting these forces which offer no alternative to neoliberalism but utilise people’s discontent to divert it into fratricidal fights to serve their corporate masters; Calls upon the working class and the toiling people across the world to identify and isolate these enemies of the people and protect people’s unity with all their might

Congratulates the workers across the world, including in developed countries who have been increasingly joining struggles against the so called ‘austerity policies’, to protect their rights, wages and working and living conditions; Heartily congratulates the working class of India for the magnificent two days’ strike, the 18^th countrywide general strike since the advent of neoliberal policies in the country, on 8-9 January 2019; extends its gratitude to the peasants, agricultural workers and all sections of progressive people who have extended their solidarity to the strike; many other sections of workers including in defence-production, telecom etc who went on three days’ strike; extends solidarity to the struggling workers in many units of multinational corporations like Daikin, Toyoda, Yamaha, Pricol, etc in various parts of the country

Responding to the united call of CITU, AIKS and AIAWU; countrywide campaign; and following the 9 August united action of Jail Bharo; lakhs of workers, peasants and agricultural workers, men and women, poured in the national capital, New Delhi, from all parts of the country, from almost all states and union territories; despite rains, floods and huge sufferings; by all available transports; to join the historic Mazdoor Kisan Sangharsh Rally in front of the Parliament; and to submit a workers, peasants, agricultural workers, unemployed youths and the people’s 15 point charter of demands for basic needs and rights; and also to give a clear message to Modi government of the gathering storm of people’s anger which will rest only after uprooting this government of aggressive neoliberal policies with divisive agenda; and to carry future struggle for a New India for the People of India.

Estimated around 20 crores of workers in all sectors and in all states and union territories in the country joined the 2 days nationwide workers general strike on 8-9 January, 2019 in response to the joint call of 10 central trade unions – CITU, INTUC, AITUC, HMS, AIUTUC, AICCTU, TUCC, UTUC, SEWA and LPF; and of almost all independent national federations of all sectors of employees. Only exception was RSS-affiliated BMS, which deserted the trade unions’ joint platform just on the eve of first general strike on 2 September 2015 after BJP assumed power at the Centre. However, their workers in large number joined 8-9 January strike in several sectors in different parts of the country. 

The Centre of Indian Trade Unions is deeply shocked and grieved at the demise of comrade Bamapada Mukherjee, the legendary leader and one of the architects of the working class movement and also the Left movement in Asansol-Durgapur industrial belt since early fifties. He breathed his last today on 13^th April 2019. He was 98.

The demise of comrade Bamapada Mukherjee, Bamapada-da, as he was being popularly called by one and all, signals the end of an era—the generation of pioneering leadership who contributed immensely in founding the movement and militant organization of emerging modern working class centering round coal, steel, aluminum and other industries in the entire industrial belt, braving brutal atrocities of the employers as well as state administrations and through the martyrdom of several comrades in that process of building organizations and movement.

Starting his life as a steel worker himself under the-then private ownership, he played frontline role in developing organization and movement of both coal and steel workers and also contributed immensely in building all India federations of coal and steel workers.

He had been the driving spirit of the united struggle against privatization of IISCO, Burnpur/Kulti, and the struggle could be carried forward despite numerous hurdles and finally succeeded.

The passing away of com Bamapada Mukherjee, whose entire life had been an eternal source of inspiration for the united struggle of the working class, is a great loss to our movement and for all of us.

The CITU submits its respectful salute to the memory and contribution of com Bamapada Mukherjee , one of the stalwarts of working class movement and conveys heartfelt condolences to the comrades and his family members.

Com Bamapada Mukherjee Red Salute.

Tapan Sen
General Secretary