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CABINET DECISION FOR CLOSURE OF HMT WATCH UNITS.

 

The Heavy Industry and Public Enterprises Ministry, which is the administrative ministry for the central PSUs, may move a Cabinet Note shortly for winding up of the loss making HMT watch units, which are HMT watches, HMT bearings and HMT Chinar watches. These are in loss for the last few years, mainly due to the non-support of the government following neo-liberal policies, which favour private companies. HMT Watches was an iconic company with a very high market share in the sector manufacturing excellent accurate watches.

The other loss making companies which are going to be wound up are: Hindustan Cables, Tungabhadra Steel and Hindustan Photo Films.

The government is on a plan to wind up many PSUs, on the plea of loss.

 

NO DISINVESTMENT OF BSNL & AIR INDIA- GOVERNMENT ASSURES IN LOK SABHA.

 

 Minister of State of Finance, Shri Jayant Sinha informed Lok Sabha on 24th April 2015 that there will be no disinvestment of BSNL and Air India at present. He also stated that the employees in both PSUs are strongly opposing disinvestment.

Our opposition against disinvestment is noted by the government. Any move to disinvest BSNL will be against the assurances given by the government to the Joint Forum of BSNL Unions. But however, the workers have to be ready for strong struggle, if any move starts for disinvestment.

A BRIEF REPORT ON SOUTH AFRICAN PUBLIC SERVICE WORKERS MARCH TO TRASURY BY WFTU.

 

 
24 Apr 2015
 

The seven COSATU-affiliated Public Service Unions (NEHAWU, SAMA, POPCRU, SADTU, DENOSA, SASAWU and PAWUSA) organized on 23 April 2015, a massive march in Pretoria to offices of the Departments of Finance and Public Service and Administration to protest the employer’s failure to meet their core demands which include, amongst others: a 10% salary adjustment and a R 1,500 housing allowance.

DEPARTMENT OF PENSION & PENSIONERS’ WELFARE STRESSES FOR AADHAR BASED BIOMETRIC VERIFICATION SYSTEM.

Aadhaar-based biometric verification system – Jeevan Pramaan : Message from DPPW

Government of India
Ministry of Personnel, P.G. & Pensions
Department of Pension & Pensioners’ Welfare

Message

In November, 2014, the Prime Minister has launched an Aadhaar-based biometric verification system “Jeevan Pramaan” to enable pensioners to submit a digital Life Certificate on-line. This is an important step in realizing the vision of Digital India. This facility has been provided in addition to the other existing methods of submitting Life Certificate.

2. “Jeevan Pramaan” aims at sparing the pensioners and family pensioners the trouble of visiting bank or any other pension disbursing agency for submission of Life Certificates. It is possible to submit the Life Certificate from personal computers and laptops or by visiting a conveniently located Common Service Centre. Further, banks will ensure authenticity of pension and other payments by linking Aadhaar number with bank accounts and PPO numbers.

3. All the pensioners/family pensioners are, therefore, advised to get themselves and their family members registered for Aadhaar and furnish this information to the Pension Disbursing Authority. This exercise may be completed at an early date so as to avoid inconvenience at the time of submission of Life Certificate in November, 2015.

4. For further details please visit https://jeevanpramaan.gov.in.

(Vandana Sharma)
Joint Secretary to the Government of India.

 

 
 

JAMNAGAR GEARS TO HOST THE CENTRAL EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE MEETING ON 28-29 APRIL,2015.

The historical city of Jamnagar is all set to host the Central Executive Committee Meeting of All India BSNL DOT Pensioners Association on 28th and 29th April, 2015.

The reception committee led by Com.A.C. Shah (Patron), Com.T.V.Ghelani (President) and

the all time energetic Com.M.B.Chaniyara (Convenor) is working over time to make the CEC  memorable and historic.

The two days CEC will start with an open session at 11 AM on 28-04-2015 at Com.S.K.Vyas hall,,Dayashankar Brahmpuri, K.V.Road, Jamnagar. The subject session is scheduled to hold at 2 PM ans will continue on 29th also.

FORUM WRITES TO COMMUNICATIONS MINISTER SEEKING A MEETING TO DISCUSS REVIVAL OF BSNL.

Copy of letter sent by Forum dated 24-04-2015 to Shri Ravi Shankar Prasad, Communications Minister is  reproduced below:

 

FORUM OF BSNL UNIONS / ASSOCIATIONS

D-7, Telegraph Place, Gole Market, New Delhi – 110001

Forum/HM                                                                                             24-04-2015

To

Shri Ravi Shankar Prasad,                                                                             Minister of Communications & IT,                                                                   Sanchar Bhawan, 20, Ashoka Road,                                                                   New Delhi – 110001

Sub: Request for a meeting with the Communications Minister on the issue of Revival of BSNL.

Respected Sir,

The Forum of BSNL Unions/Associations is the umbrella organisation of the BSNL Executives and Non-Executives numbering about 2.25 lakhs employed in BSNL. Forum is seriously concerned with the revival of BSNL and has been suggesting many proposals for the strengthening of BSNL and better service to the customers during the last many years.

The Forum has requested about half a dozen times to your kind self for a meeting with the Forum, so that our issues could be presented before you for kind consideration and settlement. Though your office had assured that meeting will be arranged, unfortunately so far no meeting has taken place. In fact, we could not to meet you even once after you assumed office.

You may be aware that the employees were compelled to go on Two days Strike on 21-22 April 2015 to focus our demands and for early settlement. The date of the strike was postponed twice in the hope that a serious discussion will take place with the DOT / Government. That also did not happen.

The employees were happy to read your declarations in the Parliament and outside that ‘BSNL will not be allowed to die’ and that necessary action will be taken to revive BSNL. The Forum is fully prepared to co-operate in this matter which is of vital importance to the employees.

I would, therefore, once again request you to kindly grant a meeting to the Forum of BSNL Unions/Associations at the earliest to discuss these issues and present our views.

Thanking You,

Yours Faithfully,

 Sd/-

V.A.N.Namboodiri                                                                                        Convener, Forum. Mob: 9868231431

 

REVIVAL OF BSNL- COMMUNICATIONS MINISTER MEETS MPs.

 

Communications Minister Shri Ravi Shankar Prasad to day met M.P.s at Parliament Annexe and discussed about the Revival of BSNL with them. Com. Shankar Prasad Datta and Com.Jitendra Choudhary from CPI(M) and a few other MPs were there. Com. Shankar Prasad Datta, M.P., who have raised the issue of the BSNL Strike in zero hour in the Parliament two days back, explained the demands of the workers in detail to the Minister and asked for immediate action for revitalising BSNL. Minister agreed to consider the same. The meeting lasted for about one hour.

We express our sincere thanks to the members of Parliament for their taking up the issue of revival of BSNL with the Minister.

WFTU CONDEMNS RECENT ACTS OF VIOLENCE AGAINST FORIEGN NATIONALS IN SOUTH AFRICA.

 

The World Federation of Trade Unions representing 90 million workers in 126 countries around the world condemns the recent acts of violence against foreign nationals in South Africa.

Suffering under the chronic results of colonialism, imperialism, the plundering of natural resources by the monopolies and capitalist exploitation, local and foreign workers, no matter which country they end up living in, are powerful only in joint fraternal struggles in social alliance with self-employed and poor farmers against their common enemies. Racism, xenophobia and all other acts of discrimination are an instrument of division and tactics to scapegoat the vulnerable sections of the working class in order to hide the real culprits for the people’s suffering.

The WFTU at the same time distinguishes itself from the cosmopolitanism promoted by various Organizations towards migration using phrases such as “global village”, “migration must be seen as economic growth factor” and “cultural mixing” which put workers in the shoes and mindset of their exploiters. This perception aims to justify the inhumane consequence of imperialism which is economic and labour migration. This is a phenomenon which greatly assists the capitalists to double exploit the desperate migrant workers while pushing further down the rights of all working class in each country. Many times, when foreign workers are not needed any more in the specific profit-making endeavors of the monopolies, they are dealt with as a problematic factor for the economy. The WFTU and the class-oriented trade union movement struggle so that no worker is forced to abandon their homes and families for survival or employment.

Local and migrant workers in each country have no other way but to fraternally come together inside the trade unions and in the same struggles demanding equal rights, better working and living conditions, increased wages, social and labour rights and ultimately the abolition of capitalist exploitation and imperialism which are to blame for their suffering.

The WFTU, noting the experiences, the traditions and the values of the South African people and especially the black population who have suffered greatly under the colonialism and apartheid, feels optimistic that the South African working class will confront such acts and those who instigate them, will utilize its internationalist and proletarian solidarity to further infuse unity amongst workers inside and outside of the country and will find the causes of the problems in the political level and capitalist mode of production which is to blame for the continuing existence of poverty, unemployment and inequality.

THE SECRETARIAT

MASSIVE RALLIES HELD IN EUROPEAN COUNTRIES- A WFTU REPORT.

 

 

 
24 Apr 2015
 

In Cyprus, trade unions of PEO staged a protest outside of the offices of the European Union in Nicosia. Pampis Kyritsis, WFTU Vice-President addressed the participants.

In Greece, the mass rally organized by PAME concluded at the offices of the European Union in Athens, opposite to the Hellenic Parliament. Trade Unionists climbed to the building of the European Union with latters to hang the banner with the slogan “Murders, thieves, hypocrites are the European Imperialists”, while the rally shouted “Murderers”. The flag of the European Union was put on fire in an act of defiance and protest while the entrance of the building was painted red in the colour of our brothers and sisters who are being drown in the Mediterannean seeking for a better life.

In Italy, the demonstration organized by USB outside of the Parliament was attended by many migrant workers, migrants who had followed in the past the same route though the Mediterannean but managed to survive. They mourned their compatriots and promised to continue the struggle against the imperialist policy. President Boldrini denied the protestors request to meet with them and hear their demands. Aboubakar Soumahoro, National Executive Member of USB addressed the rally exposing the cruel reality that migrant workers face.