I am aware of the responsibility I take on. WFTU carries a long and glorious history of struggle and in the current conditions it has a very important role to play in coordinating and guiding the class-oriented labor movement throughout the world.
I feel this responsibility even greater having in mind that I replace George Mavrikos, a comrade who has sealed with his 17-year presence at the helm of WFTU, a course of great organizational development and substantial expansion of its prestige and influence. A comrade with morals and political weight who with his personal example managed to inspire again the respect in the leadership and the procedures of our Federation, after a difficult period of regressions and uncertainty.
When we agreed that WFTU should continue to exist and that after Havana a new beginning should be made with new leadership and modern, democratic and transparent processes, I know very well how heavy the burden was lifted by the leadership and the Secretary General of the WFTU and how big progress and improvement has been made.
Obviously I undertake in better conditions. The operation of our Federation today is not characterized neither by bureaucracy, neither by inaction and nor by fatalism. Today it is an active organization, operating in a spirit of collectivity and democratic participation, having positions and proposals and having active members whose presence and role in all continents and in all sectors is essential and very distinct. Nevertheless, in order to fulfill my role, I will definitely need everyone’s support and cooperation. And I’m sure I will have it. Especially of comrade George Mavrikos, whom of course we do not demobilize but we will certainly use him in every possible way. The same goes for other comrades with a great offer who after this congress will be included in the honored category of WFTU veterans. Our 18th Congress has highlighted with clarity the fields in which the Global Class Trade Union Movement is called to give its battles and to realize its goals. It has set priorities for more productive and effective intervention, a stronger and more united front in workers’ struggles. We have no illusions. The battles that await us will be hard and difficult. In the war between labor and capital imposed on us by the barbaric, exploitative nature of the capitalist system, the balance of power at the moment is not such as to ensure us everywhere and always victorious results. There is no doubt that this balance of power at the global level would be very different, if an important part of the Trade Union movement were not under the dependence and political and ideological influence of the dominant circles of capitalism. If this part would set its priorities in line with the class interests of the workers and not the interest anyone else. In such a case, the ability of workers to resist attacks and impose policies that respect their achievements and rights would certainly be much greater. The situation regarding living and working conditions would also be very different. The class consistency certainly does not characterize the whole Trade Union movement, but it does characterize the forces that unite in the WFTU. That is why the mechanisms of the system have tried and are still trying with blackmail and exclusion, to erase if possible the class pole in the world trade union movement. They tried to proclaim the universal alignment of the Trade Union movement with the logic of integration and assimilation into the imperialist new world order. But they did not manage to dissolve us, nor to silence us, nor to assimilate us. We are here armed with the decisions of our Congress, full of determination to change the balances, to resist fatalism and capitulation, to defend the rights of workers, to defend collective bargaining and collective agreement, to oppose the privatization and destruction of the welfare state. We are here:
United with collective decisions, with thesis and priorities that unite us, we develop actions, we strengthen solidarity, we lead struggles, we intervene where the decisions concerning the workers are made. Organized with a presence in all corners of the earth, with Trade Unions representing over 110 million Members; Structured with collective leadership and guidance, with regional offices on all continents, with TUI’S covering almost all areas of economic activity. And most important we are here to inspire workers with the vision of a world without imperialist interventions and wars, without human-to-human exploitation.
The 3rd District Conference of Jabalpur was held with good participation on 05-05-2022. Coms. Jagdish Singh, CHQ Organising Secretary, H S Thakur, Circle Secretary, Com. Raghuvanshi, Circle President, BSNLEU, Vishnu Chaudhary, District Secretary, CCLU, Chitra Bhattia, ( BSNL Joint Womens Committee) and a host of leaders addressed the conference and explained various issues of the pensioners, employees and casual contract workers. The report and accounts presented by Com. S N S Chauhan, District Secretary and Com. Raju Sharma, Treasurer were approved after discussion. Office bearers were elected unanimously with Com. Jagdish Singh (President) Com. Shiv Kumar Yadav (District Secretary) and Com. Raju Sharma (Treasurer).
Telecom Factory, Mumbai has held its first biennial conference after merger with the Maharashtra Circle branch. Com. D D Gurav presided over the meeting held at the Telecom factory premises on 27-04-2022. Com. S D Chaudhari, former Circle Secretary, BSNLEU inaugurated the conference and explained the issues of the pensioners and the present situation in BSNL. Coms. Baviskar, District Secretary, WTR, Mumbai and Londe, Area Secretary, Mumbai represented the Circle and addressed. Com. R N Patil, Circle Secretary guided the conference through video conferencing. Com. R S Waiganakar, District Secretary presented the report and accounts and were adopted after discussion. A new set of office bearers were elected unanimously with Com. L V Gaikwad (President) Com. Suresh Naik (District Secretary) and Com. M M Mahadik (Treasurer).
BSNL pensiopners are suffering a lot due to non-payment of medical allowance and reimbursement of medical bills for years together. AIBDPA has conducted several agitations by itself and jointly with NCCPA, Confederation of Central Government Employees and Workers and Coordination Committee of BSNLEU, AIBDPA and BSNLCCWF. CHQ continuously pursued with the BSNL management and recently Rs.60 cr was allotted by Corporate Office to the circles. However, CGM office West Bengal failed to make payment to any pensioner and when asked by the AIBDPA Circle Secretary, they even refused to divulge any information on the fund allocation to the Circle and the details of its distribution. So the Circle Branch rightly called for Protest Dharna at District level on 05-05-2022 and was carried out with good participation.
Visakhapatnam biennial District Conference has been held jointly with BSNLEU & BSNL CCWF on 08-05-2022 at BSNL Bhavan, Dabagardens, Visakhapatnam. A presidium consisting of Coms. P Latchiraju and K Rama Devi controlled the proceedings. The joint session was inaugurated by Com.K Chandrasekhara Rao, General Secretary, All Central Government Pensioners Association. Coms. Kumar (CITU), K S C Bose, Circle Secretary, AIBDPA, K Rama Devi, CHQ Vice President & Circle Secretary, BSNLEU, K Prabhakar Rao, General Secretary, BSNLCCWF and a host of leaders addressed. All the leaders explained the issues of employees, pensioners and casual contract workers and the struggles being launched .
In the subject session, Com. K Ramanjaneyulu, District Secretary presented the report and accounts which were adopted after discussion. Thereafter office bearers were elected unanimously with Com. R Govindaraju (President) Com. K Ramanjaneyulu (District Secretary) and Com.R Satyanarayana (Treasurer)
Haryana Circle Conference was held in an enthusiastic atmosphere at Viswakarma Dharmasala, Hisar on 07-05-2022. Com. Ramkumar Kalsi, Circle President controlled the proceedings. Com. K G Jayaraj, General Secretary inaugurated the conference explaining the main issues of the pensioners and the struggles being held for the resolution of the cases. General Secretary reminded the comrades the denial and delay of the genuine issues like pension revision and medical benefits are part of the anti-worker , anti-pensioner and anti-PSU policy of the central government and appealed to strengthen the organisation to continue the fight against the injustice. Com. Satvir Singh, Vice President, CITU, Haryana delivered a spirited speech exposing the anti-people neoliberal policies of the government. Com. M S Kadian, Circle Secretary, BSNLEU, Com. R S Chouhan, AGS also addressed the conference.
Com. Kuldeep Singh presented the report and accounts. District Secretaries and most of the Circle Office bearers participated in the discussion that followed after which both report and accounts were adopted. Office beraers were elected unanimously with the following important functionaries; President: Com. Ramkumar Kalsi, Circle Secretary : Com. Kuldeep Singh.
Bhandara District in Maharashtra has held its biennial conference with good participation on 05-05-2022. Com.D J Zanzal presided over the conference. The report and accounts presented by Com. I S Chandel, District Secretary were adopted after discussion. Office bearers were elected unanimously with the following important functionaries; Com. I S Chandel (President) Com. Madhukar Parasram Fande (District Secretary) Com. Idris Khan.
The 4th Circle Conference of Uttar Pradesh (West) Circle was held enthusiastically at Meerut on 05-05-2022. Com.Mohmad Israel, Circle President presided over the conference. Com.Nareshpal welcomed one and all. Com. S S Maurya, Circle Secretary presented the biennial report and Com. R V Singh, Treasurer submitted the audited accounts. District Secretaries and some of the delegates actively participated in the discussion that followed. The comrades highlighted the plight of the pensioners due to the unusual and unjustified delay in payment of medical benefits and delay in pension revision.
Com.K G Jayaraj, General Secretary spoke elaborately and explained the efforts and struggles being held on the important issues of denial of medical benefits and pension revision. Apart from the struggles oragnised by AIBDPA, several struggles were held jointly with NCCPA and Coordination Committee of BSNLEU, AIBDPA and BSNL CCWF. The Central Executive Committee meeting held on 05-03-2022 has decided for another phased programme of agitation which will be formulated shortly. He reminded the comrades , these are all related to the anti-worker, anti-pensioner and anti-PSU policies of the central government. Com.R S Chouhan, AGS and Com. Ansar Ali, Circel President, BSNLEU also addressed the conference.
The conference elected a 25 member office bearers unanimously and the following are the important functionaries; Com. Mohmad Israel (President) Com. Naresh Pal (Circle Secretary) Com.Ganga Singh (Treasurer).