31st May 2017

The Centre of Indian Trade Unions denounces the retrograde move of the BJP Govt at the centre to privatise the National Carrier-the Air India Ltd.

Following comments of the Finance Minister justifying privatization of Air India as published in the media, a few days back, the NITI AAYOG missed no time in recommending outright privatization of Air India with a clean slate, i.e., by writing off Rs 30000 crore debt burden.

This dubious exercise of selling out the National Carrier is being justified on the ground that Air India is loss making entity and privatization is needed to save public money. The decision has been taken at a point of time when Air India, after prolonged losses since 2008, has just started achieving operating profit of Rs 105 crore from the year 2015-16 and for 2016-17, estimated operating profit is going to be around Rs 300 crore. And, in reality the accumulated loss of Air India has been due to its huge debt burden; rather the burden of debt servicing is the main component of Air India’s accumulated loss and so far operational efficiency is concerned, Air India did indeed make a marked improvement by making operating profit since 2015-16 and by reducing accumulated loss since 2008, by 34.5% in the same year. And despite continuing loss, the Air India never defaulted payment of bank dues unlike the private corporate bosses of the present Govt at the centre.

The Air India which has been a profit making company till 2007 had been pushed to loss and debt- burdened by the bungling and disastrous experiments by successive Govts at the centre on the National Carrier Company’s organizational structure. For this, the Company management cannot be held responsible.

And now, after making substantial capital investment in Air India from national exchequer, infusion of Equity of Rs 24723.74 crore through budgetary support, procurement 23 new aircrafts with another 7 aircrafts being on the way of receipt, which through concerted effort of the Air India collective, has brought Air India to operating profit covering up Rs 2636.18 crore of operating loss previous year, the Govt of the day is actively processing handing over the National Carrier to private sector. And the offer for outright privatization of Air India is being made with a bonus to the prospective private buyer,--the writing off of Rs 30000 crore debt burden. Altogether, privatization of Air India is going to be bonanza of Rs 50,000 crore plus to the prospective private buyer, if the latest budgetary support and written off debt liability are taken together. Had the same magnanimity of writing off debt been offered to Air India, it could very well eliminate its huge accumulated losses substantially.

Therefore the privatization of Air India is not for saving public money but for frittering away national asset and exchequer for the benefit of private corporate and private airlines, both domestic and foreign. This is an exercise with a dubious intent, totally against the national interest. CITU condemns the move of the BJP Govt to privatise Air India and calls upon the trade union movement and working people to oppose and resist such move in order to defend the national interest.

Tapan Sen
General Secretary

26th May 2017

Modi Govt’s fourth year begins with further intensifying the attacks on the rights of the working people of the country.
It is highly condemnable that the Labour Department of the Central Govt. has proposed reduction of the employers contribution to the Employees Provident Fund from 12% to 10%.
While the Govt. claims that the rights of the workers will be safeguarded, this move on reducing EPF contribution of employers exposes the pro-corporate policies of the Govt and its only concern for “ease of doing business”.
Labour Department of the Govt. has proposed this as an Agenda for the meeting of Central Board of Trustees of EPFO.
CITU demands that the Govt. immediately withdraw this proposal.
CITU calls upon all the Trade Unions and workerS to unitedly protest against this pro-employer move of the Govt. of India.

Issued by
( TAPAN SEN )
General Secretary

The Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU) condemns the Modi Government’s decision to limit the maternity benefit under Matrutva Sahyog Yojana to one child.

Prime Minster Narendra Modi had announced on New Year 2017 eve that his government is going to provide Maternity benefit of Rs.6000 for all mothers. The announcement came as if he is going to do something new, whereas as per the National Food Security Act 2013, “every pregnant woman and lactating mother shall be entitled to — maternity benefit of not less than rupees six thousand, in such instalments as may be prescribed by the Central Government”. The ‘Indira Gandhi Matrutva Sahyog Yojna’ is being implemented since 2010 on a pilot basis.

But the Modi Government which made such a huge hype and spent thousands of crores on advertisements and corporate subsidies allocated only Rs.2700 crore in 2017 which will cover only 17% of the 2.6crore live childbirths per year in India. This was pointed out by the CITU at that time itself.

Now, the Cabinet decision as per PIB release on 17 May 2017 says “It has been decided to give the benefit of Rs.5000/- to Pregnant Women &Lactating Mothers in three installments for the birth of the first live child”. This means the government of India is cutting down the legal entitlement.

In a country where 97% of the female workers are in the unorganized sector, which accounts for 17% of all maternal deaths in the world, in which there are 120 maternal deaths every day, it is atrocious that the Government is curtailing this hard earned legal entitlement which itself is not sufficient. This is in line with the government policy of cutting down the budget allocations for ICDS, NHM etc, the schemes which are addressing the problems of maternal and child mortality.

CITU demands that the government extend the scheme to all women irrespective of the number of children as per the Food security Act. CITU also demands adequate financial allocation for the Cash Benefit Scheme, ICDS and NHM as well as for improving the health delivery system.

Issued by
Tapan Sen
General Secretary

On this May Day being observed in the centenary year of the Great October Revolution, CITU

Extends its revolutionary greetings to the working class and toiling people across the world and in our own country, India;

Expresses solidarity with the working class and people of all the continents in their fight against the exploitative international finance driven neoliberal capitalist order;

Greets the people in the socialist countries and extends solidarity with their struggles in defence of socialism;

Reaffirms its full confidence that imperialist conspiracies to undermine socialism and restore capitalism in these countries would be decisively defeated; that the defensive struggles of today will get heightened into struggles aiming at the emancipation of the working class and the toiling people from the exploitative capitalist system

Reasserts its commitment to socialism and its resolve to continue its struggle for a society free from exploitation by one human being by another

Reiterates its support and solidarity with the heroic struggle of the Palestinian on their just demands; condemns the continuing killing, torture and arrests of Palestinians by Israel; demands recognition of independent sovereign state of Palestine with 1967 borders and Jerusalem as its capital

Strongly denounces US imperialism led wars in different parts of the globe including in Afghanistan, Syria, Yemen, Libya, Iraq etc killing and maiming hundreds of thousands of unarmed people, most of them women and children, to establish US hegemony over the strategic natural resources and areas in the world; millions have been rendered homeless and destitute and forced to seek refuge elsewhere

Reaffirms its determination to fight imperialism and its aggressive interventions with all its might; reiterates its conviction that the fight against imperialism is an integral part of the class struggle against exploitation

Recalls the contributions of the World Federation of Trade Unions in leading the international working class struggles against imperialism; commits itself to effectively carry out the direction of the 17th Congress of WFTU and support all its efforts to defend the rights of the working class and attain its emancipation from all exploitation

On this May Day, CITU

Notes that the global economic crisis continues unabated; growth has not picked up; whatever growth is there, its gain is wholly expropriated by the capitalists; unemployment, particularly youth unemployment continues to be at alarming levels; inequalities are growing to dangerous levels ; 8 richest men in the world own the same wealth as half of the world’s population; the persistent attempts of the ruling classes to tide over the crisis, to protect and increase their profits, by attacking the working and living conditions of the toiling people and their the hard won rights, by promoting loot of national assets by the national and multinational corporations, have ultimately proved to be futile and counterproductive

Observes that the impact of the global crisis on the conditions of the common people and the poor is expressed in the political developments in different countries as Brexit, and the uncertainty of some other countries like Italy and Greece continuing in the European Union, the rise of right wing forces in countries like France, Austria, the Netherlands etc; attacks on emigrants’ and migrant workers’ livelihood and rights by various regimes in the West, the USA in particular with a racist overtone have increased

Emphasises that this systemic crisis exposes the total failure and inability of the capitalist system in the full and proper use of the precious human resources to improve the well being of humanity; the unfettered exploitation of natural resources without any concern about its impact on environment and livelihood of millions of people, large numbers of them indigenous and tribals, by the capitalist class indicates the incapability of the system for sustainable development

Points out that the benefits of the huge advances made in science and technology have remained inaccessible for the vast sections of people, particularly the poor because of the greed for profits which is the driving force of the capitalist system; millions of people across the world suffer from poverty, illiteracy, ill health, lack of housing and other basic necessities of life even in this 21st century; new technologies like robotics, artificial intelligence etc are utilised to replace millions of workers, not to lighten their burden, despite the huge increase in productivity, thus worsening the already alarming unemployment situation

Demands that the working hours be brought down to 35 hours per week, with four shifts a day to promote employment generation and as an immediate means to address the serious unemployment across the world, particularly among the youth

Observes that the increasing discontent and anger of the people against the impact of the pro corporate and pro rich neoliberal policies, against the widening income disparities have led to their growing participation in struggles to defend their working conditions and livelihoods; increasing sections of people – workers, peasants, youth, unemployed, women - are getting gradually disillusioned with the capitalist model of development even in the advanced capitalist countries; according to a recent survey by Harvard University 51% of young people between the ages of 18 and 29 in the US do not support capitalism; 33% supported socialism; as per another survey in the UK, 39% viewed capitalism unfavourably and only 33% viewed it favourably while 36% viewed socialism favourably and 32% viewed it negatively

Notes with utmost concern that right wing, retrograde, reactionary and racist forces are gaining ground in several countries including our own country India in the absence of a strong progressive and left alternative; disgruntled youth are being lured into terrorist activities; attempts are being made by these right wing forces to divert peoples’ anger into fratricidal fights against one another, to prevent it being channelised into united struggles against the discredited neoliberal regime and the capitalist system itself

Pledges to direct all its resources and energies to spread awareness among the working class about the real face of the exploitative capitalist system and the forces that seek to sustain it; reiterates its commitment to rouse the working class to the urgent need to uproot the capitalist system and to prepare it for the ultimate struggle to end all exploitation

On this May Day, CITU

Expresses deep concern and alarm at the rising authoritarian tendencies in our country, growing intolerance in society, the increasing attacks on all rational, scientific thought and dissenting voices by the communal forces and branding all opposition as ‘anti national’

Extends support to the surging struggles within the country against the attacks on democratic rights; condemns the attacks on students and universities expressing differing opinions or encouraging debate; supports the students, youth, Dalits and other sections of the people asserting their fundamental rights of freedom of expression

Salutes the working class and other toiling people of West Bengal for continuing to heroically resist the inhuman attacks of the TMC government and its goons on the democratic rights and livelihood of the people

Warns the people of our country, about the dangerous combination of neoliberal and venomous communal agendas being pursued and promoted by the BJP led Modi government at the centre aimed at creating slave like conditions for the workers to benefit the domestic and foreign corporates and big business on the one hand and weaken the struggles against the neoliberal policies by dividing people on the basis of religion, region, caste, etc and disrupt their unity, on the other

The Modi led government is extending bonanzas to the national and multinational corporations and big business houses through tax concessions and exemptions from labour laws and other laws of the land; it is rewarding the tax and bank loan defaulters; it is handing control over the nation’s wealth – our public sector, our lands, our mines, our seas, our hills and our forests, and most of all, our people to the profit greedy corporates, both domestic and foreign, for unbridled exploitation.

The vast majority of workers and the peasants, the creators of wealth are being pushed into slavery and penury; they are denuded of their lands, their jobs, their rights and their livelihoods. Mockery is being made of all labour laws, hard won rights of the working class, by converting them into Codes; claims of providing social security are being made while in reality existing statutory benefits like PF and ESI are being sought to be erased; expenditure on social welfare benefits like ICDS, MGNREGA, NHM, Midday meal programme etc are being drastically cut with the ultimate motive of dismantling them all; public sector is being dismantled; privatisation and rampant contractorisation deny the Dalits and adivasis their statutory right to reservation; agrarian crisis and peasant suicides continue unabated; despite all the hype of ‘Make in India’, ‘Start Up India’ and ‘Stand Up India’, employment generation has, in reality, slowed down and in many areas declining

There is a serious attack on the basic democratic rights of the people. Dissent is sought to be curtailed. Voices that question are being suppressed. The victories in the recent assembly elections have further emboldened the RSS and its various communal outfits of which have been going on rampage physically attacking people, particularly the Muslim minorities on the pretext of ‘cow protection’, ‘anti Romeo squads’ etc; those who hold views opposed to theirs, those who stand for progressive, rational and scientific thinking are being branded ‘anti national’.

It is the irony of our times that RSS, an organisation which had consciously kept itself aloof from the nation’s independence struggle, today seeks to appropriate to itself the right to certify patriotism and nationalism; it is ironical that BJP, the party heading a government that is selling off the public sector, which was instrumental in our country attaining the present stage of industrial development, practically putting the entire national economy and asset on sale to corporate looters, a government acting thoroughly against our national interests, questions the patriotism of those who oppose such anti national policies! It is also an irony that the present Modi led government, which is succumbing to imperialist manoeuvres, which is surrendering and compromising our independent foreign policy lays claim to be the sole proprietor of nationalist credentials! And it is the greatest mockery of our times that this BJP led government, which has become a junior partner of US imperialism in its strategy to establish its hegemony in Asia pacific region, by entering into Logistic Support Agreement with USA, in a shameless compromise of our national interests, claims to be the sole upholder of national pride.

On this May Day, CITU

Asserts that that majority and minority communalism and fundamentalism thrive on each other; both divide people, disrupt their unity, divert their attention from their real day to day issues, weaken their struggle to improve their lives; ultimately both help the exploiting classes; the communal acts of the Hindutva forces, in turn, increase the danger of minority fundamentalism and terrorism

Reiterates its conviction that the struggle for defending, widening and consolidating working class unity and unity of the people against the communal, jingoist and disruptive forces is integral to the united struggle against neoliberal economic policies and their political proponents

Stresses the need for unity of the workers, poor peasants and agricultural workers to unite to fight the neoliberal order and the capitalist system that subjects all of them to intense exploitation

Is conscious that this conviction places upon its shoulders the task of uniting all sections of toiling people in the struggle against neo liberalism, communalism and fundamentalism and the politics that promote these; the task of advancing the struggle to achieve a comprehensive change in the correlation of class forces in favour of a Left Democratic Alternative

Exhorts the working class of the country to take the lead in uniting all sections of toiling people - the peasants, agricultural workers, unemployed and youth; to take the struggle against the neoliberal agenda of the ruling classes to new heights; and to resist all attempts to disrupt their unity, whether in the name of religion, caste, region or gender

Assures the working class and the people that it will continue to be in the forefront in all the efforts to protect the unity of the workers and the people and in all the efforts to safeguard the interests of the country and the nation

On this May Day 2017, CITU appeals

To the working class of India

To widen and deepen its unity irrespective of the existence or non existence of unions and trade union affiliations; irrespective of religion, region, caste, language, gender etc; to strengthen united struggles against the anti worker, anti people and anti national neoliberal policies of the government

To strengthen bonds of solidarity across sectors and states and stand as one to resist and defeat the attacks on their rights, on their jobs, on their livelihoods and living conditions

To take the struggle against the neoliberal regime to new heights to inflict its decisive defeat by forging unity with all the other sections of toiling people, the peasants, agricultural workers, artisans and other rural workers

To identify the real enemy of the working class and all sections of toiling people – the capitalist system and the politics and forces that promote the system; and to prepare themselves for the struggle to change this exploitative system

To be aware of the attacks on the democratic rights of the people and thwart the authoritarian tendencies

To be vigilant against all attempts to divide and disrupt its unity and the unity of the people, in whatsoever garb or colour it is presented and to promptly intervene to thwart all such attempts

On this May Day 2016 CITU

Raises its banner in support of

International Solidarity of the Working Class
Unity Against all Exploitation and Oppression

Down With Capitalism and Imperialism
Down With Imperialist led Neoliberal Globalisation

Long Live Socialism
Workers of the World Unite

Dated: 12-04-2017
To
The Hon'ble Chief Minister,
Government of Haryana,
CHANDIGARH.

Respected sir,

Sub:- Haryana RoadwaysWorkers Strike - Request to intervene and Settle the demands - Raisethe suspensions - Reg.

All India RoadTransport Workers' Federation humbly request your kind Authority to please intervene and withdraw the proposal to invite Private bus Operators on hire KM scheme and to cancel the suspension orders issued on the leadership and workers forth with.

It is not out of place to mention that the very motto of the Private persons is to gain more and more profits. For which they will even violate all the rules etc. Further it is to submit that the RTCAct 1950 promulgated by the Parliament is to establish State RoadTransport Corporation with a aim to provide adequate, efficient, economic and well co-ordinated services to the public. Further in the year 1976 the STUswere incorporated in the 9th Schedule duly amending the Constitution of India.

It is to submit that according to the Statistical data of the Ministry of RoadTransport, the STUsrecorded lowest accident record. Further the experience of Delhi was that the KM scheme bus operators went on strike demanding revision of rate during the tenure of the agreement.

It is submitted that keeping in view all the above your good self is requested to with the proposal and extend support to increase the fleet strength of Hryana Roadways.This is neither in the interest of the workers nor the interest of Haryana Roadways. It is in the larger interest of the people of the State and the development of the state at large.

We hope you will intervene and settle the issue and lift the suspension orders.

Thanking you

Yours sincerely

(K.K. DIVAKARAN)
General Secretary

13th April 2017

The workers of Haryana Roadways Corporation irrespective of affiliations had been on strike since 10th April 2017 opposing award of 1600 permits to private operators to ply on 253 routes by the BJP Govt of Haryana. In these 253 routes mainly the Haryana Roadways buses have been plying. The game plan is to push the state-owned Haryana Roadways Corporation to unviability leading to its sickness paving way for total privatization of passenger transport system in the state.
The strike is being conducted by all the unions of Haryana Roadways workers and the strike is total even on the fourth day. Workers are determined to resist the ugly game plan of the BJP Govt of Haryana to completely privatise the passenger transport services in the state much to the detriment of the interests of people and Roadways workers which will only benefit the private operators and those in the Govt handling the contracts. The BJP-run State Govt unleashed severe repression on the workers and more than 150 union leaders have been put under suspension. Braving all repression, strike is continuing totally demonstrating total unity of the workers and common people in general came forward in supporting the strike action denouncing the nefarious conspiracy of the state govt for privatization of bus services.
The Centre of Indian Trade Unions congratulates the Haryana Roadways workers for their heroic strike struggle and extends all support to their struggle against privatization. Already CITU unions and other mass organizations in Haryana have been organizing solidarity programmes throughout the state. CITU calls upon the working class to stand by the continuing strike struggles by the Haryana Roadway workers against privatization and demands upon the State Govt of Haryana to refrain from their retrograde decision, withdraw all victimization and end the stalemate in consultation with the unions.

Issued by
Tapan Sen
General Secretary

The draconian M.V.Act (Amendment) Bill 2016 which is anti-people and anti-worker is placed in Lok Sabha for discussion.Itwas not in thebussiness list yesterday night. The Bill is going to be passed in a hurry without proper discussion. It aims to hand over the core road transport sector to big corporates rendering loss of job to lakhs of motor workers. This sector is in deep crises due to wrong policies of Modi Govt. All STUs will be closed. Private buses have to face stiff competetion and will be eliminated.Autos, taxi, truck workers livelyhood is in danger. Driving School,workshop and spare parts shops will be closed. The powers of State Govts.will be taken by Union Govt.In the light of facts it is requested to organise strong united protest actions nationwide on8.4.2017 by all motor transport workers.

Press Release by K.K. Divakaran, General Secretary, AIRTWF & National Secretary, CITU 

government of India to withdraw the benefits under the Building and Other Construction Workers (Regulation of Employment and Conditions of Service) Act, for the MGNREGA workers.

The government of India has directed all the state and UT governments to withdraw registration of MGNREGA workers under the Building and Other Construction Workers (RECS) Act vide Labour Ministry's Order dated 10th February 2017.

It is to be recalled that the decision to include MGNREGA workers who have completed 50 days of work, under the Building and Other Construction Workers Act, was taken in 2013 after the Supreme Court has directed the government in 2012 to issue appropriate directions for the effective implementation of the Act.

It is highly regrettable that instead of taking measures to ensure effective implementation of the Act and that the welfare benefits under the Act reach the workers, the government has denied the poor workers the benefits to which they were entitled. Less than 32% of construction workers were registered under the Act as in January 2016. The amount collected as cess was Rs 24277.38 crores while it has been estimated that Rs 70270 crores ought to have been collected. And out of this only a measly sum of Rs 5684.8 crores has been spent for the benefit of nearly 2.3 crores workers registered with the board.
Since the BJP led government has come to power at the centre in 2014, it has been attacking the MGNREGA. Adequate funds are not. being provided. The number of days of work provided under MGNREGA was less than 50 at the national level, making most of the MGNREGA workers ineligible even as per the earlier direction. In such a situation, instead of taking measures to improve their conditions, withdrawing even the existing benefit is deplorable.

CITU demands that government of India to immediately withdraw the concerned direction to the state and UT governments and continue registration of MGNREGA workers under the Building and Other Construction Workers' Act. CITU calls upon all the organisations of MGNREGA workers and the building and construction workers, irrespective of affiliations to join together to bring pressure on the government to withdraw the concerned direction to the state and UT government. It calls upon all its state committees to support the struggle of the MGNREGA workers against the withdrawal of their benefits.

Issued by
Tapan Sen
General Secretary

After a sustained struggle by the Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU), Central Govt. was forced to pass an Act i.e. “Building and Other Construction Workers (Regulation of Employment and Conditions of Service) Act and Building and other Construction Workers’ Welfare Cess Act in 1996, to regulate the employment and conditions of service and to provide for safety, health and welfare measures for crores of building and other construction workers in the country. The State Government were directed to constitute Building and other construction workers’ welfare Boards. Construction workers who have worked for 90 days in a year can be registered with the construction workers welfare board. These welfare boards will provide immediate assistance to a beneficiary, who is registered with the board, in case of accident, making payment of pension, giving financial assistance for marriage of son/daughter of the construction workers, scholarship to the two children of the registered construction workers. The implementation of various provisions of these Act specially those relating to registration of workers as beneficiaries, collection of cess and its utilization for welfare of Building and other construction workers is the responsibility of the State government and State Building and other construction workers Welfare Board.

It has been noticed that very low percentage of construction workers are registered on beneficiary with the different Welfare Boards. Similarly percentage utilization of funds for welfare of construction workers has also been very low in large number of states.

Hon’ble Supreme Court vide his order dated the February 2012 has issued specific directions asking the Central Government to issue appropriate directions under Section 60 of the Board Act 1996 as well as Cess Act, 1996 for effective implementation of the Act. Otherwise also, the Central Govt. has been empowered under section 60 of the Building and other Construction Workers (Regulation of Employment and Conditions as Service) Act, 1996 to issue directions to the states and boards for carrying in to execution any of the provisions of the Act.

Keeping in view, the low registration of construction workers with the Construction Workers Welfare Board, the Central Govt. has directed all the State Govts to launch special drive for registration of MNREGA workers, who have completed 50 days of work in a year, under BOCW (RECS) Act on the basis of simpler process like self-certification by the applicants or certification by Panchayats etc. After these directions lakhs of MNREGA workers were registered with different construction welfare boards and were given financial benefits.

In 2014, BJP Govt came to power in the centre. BJP Govt. first attacked the MNREGA scheme and said that it is useless and it is not creating assets and has became the class of corruption. But MNREGA has become an Act and BJP Govt. has not sufficient number of MP in both the houses of Parliament. They started weakening of MNREGA by not providing sufficient funds for this scheme. In many times they stopped money for material component like cement, sand etc. and some other time they did not release money for wages of the MNREGA workers.

Now at last on 10th February 2017 the BJP Govt. led by Narendra Modi has snatched the Social Welfare Scheme given by construction welfare board under BOCW Act. Ministry of Labour and Employment, Govt. of India on 10th February, 2017 in its letter has communicated as under – “ Directions were issued by the Ministry’s letter under reference regarding registration of MNREGA workers who have completed 50 days of work in a year under MNREGA under BOCW (RECS) Act on the basis of simpler process like self certification by the applicants or certification by Panchayat etc.”.

The issue of registration of MNREGA workers as beneficiary under the Building and other construction workers (RECS) Act, 1996 has been re-examined in the Ministry and it has been decided to withdraw these directions.”

Now after withdrawal of these directions by Narendra Modi Govt., lakhs of MNREGA workers, majority of them are women will not get scholarship for their children will not get medical aid, will not get money for marriage of their son or daughter, will not get money for repair of their house, will not get other monetary assistance/help from the welfare board. The CITU strongly condemn this barbaric decision of the BJP Govt. and appeal the Central Govt. to withdraw its notorious letter of 10th February 2017 and direct the State Govt. to register MNREGA workers as beneficiary and Board Act, 1996.