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National Federation of Atomic Energy
Employees
NFAEE
DEPARTMENT OF ATOMIC ENERGY
Regn.No.17/9615
Recognised by DAE vide DAE OM No. 8/1/2007 –
IR&W/95 dated 13th June 2007
NFAEE Office, Opp. NIYAMAK BHAVAN, Anusaktinagar,
Mumbai 400 094
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Ref. No: nfaee/sg/16/91 01.04.2016
To
The Affiliates
NFAEE
Sub: CENTRAL TRADE UNIONS CALL
FOR SUSTAINED STRUGGLE
GENERAL STRIKE ON 2ND
SEPTEMBER 2016
Dear Comrade,
National Convention of Workers was held on 30th March
2016 at New Delhi. The Convention was participated delegates from 10 Central
Trade Unions (INTUC, AITUC, HMS, CITU, AIUTUC, TUCC, SEWA, AICCTU, UTUC, and
LPF), All India Federations of Banks, Insurance, Defence, Railways,
Central/State Government Employees and other Service Establishments at
Mavlankar Hall, New Delhi where the convention was held.
The National Convention of
Workers came to the inevitable conclusion that considering the assertiveness
with which the present day government is going ahead with the aggressive
policies including the latest decision of the government to allow 100% FDI in
retail e-commerce, the workers are left with no option but to mount a sustained
resistance of a higher level. The Convention therefore called upon the workers
and the toiling masses of the country to energetically campaign and mobilizes
the people at large for various agitational programmes including one day
general strike on 2nd September 2016 in pursuance of the 12 point
charter of demands. Declaration adopted in National Convention of workers is
enclosed.
The National Convention
has given the following programmes:
1. Joint conventions and campaigns during June-July 2016 in states,
districts and at industry level and take initiative to involve peasants, Agri
labour and mass of the people in the campaign.
2. Day-long ‘Mass Dharna/Satyagraha in the Capital of the States and
Industrial Centres preferably on the auspicious day on 9th August
2016 (Quit India Day) in preparation for the strike.
3. ALL INDIA GENERAL STRIKES ON 2ND SEPTEMBER 2016.
All the affiliates are requested to brought out message to
the mass and educate the membership on the above programme and prepare them for
the struggles.
With fraternal Greetings
Comradely yours,
(Jayaraj
KV)
Address for
Correspondence: Jayaraj. KV, Secretary General, NFAEE
PESS/UED; BARC, Trombay,
Mumbai 400 085
Tel. No: (O): 022 – 25596519; (Res): 022 – 25554179; (Mobile): 9869501189
NATIONAL CONVENTION
OF WORKERS
MAVLANKAR HALL, NEW
DELHI: 30th March 2016
DECLARATION
The National Convention of Workers
organised by the Joint Platform of the Central Trade Unions (CTU) of the
country along with Independent National Federations of employees of different
Industries and Services congratulates the workers for the resounding historical
success of the strike on 2nd September 2015 and also for their huge
participation in the countrywide National Protest Day on 10th March
2016. This massive unity of the working people in the joint actions has to be
further widened and strengthened in the process of struggle against the
anti-worker, anti-people policies of Governments.
The Convention
notes that attitude of the Government is profoundly negative and hugely
challenging to the working class. Despite readiness expressed by the CTUs
through joint letter to the Government after the 2nd September 2015
strike for commencement of dialogue on the 12 point charter of demands (CoD),
the Government did not respond at all thus arrogantly ignoring the message of
such a huge strike by crores of workers pressing for their demands unanimously
formulated by all the CTUs. The issues in the CoD relate to basic interest of
country’s economy and also issues concerning the livelihood of the toiling
people of both organised and unorganised sectors including the scheme workers.
The Government has
not taken any meaningful step to curb price rise of essential necessities and
to generate employment except making tall baseless claims through sound-bites
in the media. Instead of universalizing public distribution system, the
Government is trying to scuttle it through the inherently anti-poor targeting
mechanism called ‘Direct Benefit Transfer’ resulting further exclusion of the
common and needy people. The huge does of additional duty on diesel, doubling
of cess on coal, and increased in direct taxes in the latest Budget (2016-17)
and the recent increase in price of all petro products are bound to fuel further
spiraling rise in prices of daily necessities.
The Government is
mysteriously silent on the question of retrieving the black-money stashed
abroad. This Government is equally unconcerned on recovering the Rs.4.04 lakh
crore of Bad Debts, euphemistically called Non-Performing Assets (NPA) of
Public Sector Banks and almost similar amount on account of unpaid direct tax.
Rather in the Union Budget, it allowed further relaxations to both loan
defaulters and tax defaulters. And at the same time, the common and marginal
people are being strangulated through huge increase in the burden of indirect
tax and cut in allocations on social sectors etc.
Whole range of
social security measures are under severe attack. The EPF and the ESI schemes
are proposed to be made optional by the Government to pave the way for their
ultimate demolition. Post 2004 entrants in Government services, defence,
railways etc have been subjected to notorious new pension scheme. And for the
vast unorganised sector workers, old schemes are being repackaged and renamed,
without providing for funds and implementation-machinery to just befool the
people.
Although the
Government had to roll back their retrograde budget proposal to tax the EPF
withdrawal, they have launched atrocious attack of drastic cut in interest rate
on small savings instruments like PPF, Postal saving deposits, Girl Child
savings scheme, Sukanya Samridhhi Yojana, Kisan Vikas Patra, National Savings
Certificate and even senior citizens’ deposit schemes and monthly income
scheme. This retrograde move would hit the common and marginal people very
hard, more particularly those living on interest income only after retirement.
Totally ignoring the united opposition of
the workers, the Government has been moving fast to demolish existing labour
laws thereby empowering the employees with unfettered rights to “hire and fire”
and stripping the workers and trade unions of all their rights and protection
provided in laws. As follow up to the PMO’s written communication to the Chief
Secretaries of States, state governments are being directed to carry out
Rajasthan type pro-management amendments in labour laws. The Labour Secretary,
Government of India has issued executive order on this 12th January
granting exemption to so called Start-up Enterprises from inspection and
application of 9 major labor laws, thereby legitimizing violations.
The proposed Small
Factories (Regulations of Service conditions) Bill prescribes that major 14
labour laws will not apply to factories employing up to 40 workers. Labour Code
on Wages Bill and Labour Code on Industries Relations Bill under the cover of
amalgamation, seek to make registration of unions almost impossible, making
retrenchment and closure almost free for the employers’ class. These bills have
been put in public domain totally ignoring the trade unions thereby violating
the provisions of ILO Convention 144 on Tripartite Consultation. All these
amendments are meant to exclude 90% of the workforce from application of labour
laws thereby allowing the employers to further squeeze and exploit the workers.
All rights-components in all the labour laws are being demolished to impose
conditions of slavery on the working people. Simultaneously, almost in all the
states, the work-place level struggles of the workers are being sought to be
crushed through repression including intimidation and arrests by the Government
machinery as is being nakedly visible in Rajasthan, Haryana, Tamilnadu, Andhra
Pradesh, Gujarat etc in recent times.
Along with, the
Peasantry and Agri Labourers are also under severe attack. Through sweeping
changes in the Land Acquisition Act, Farmers’ Right to Land and Agri-Workers’
Right to Livelihood were sought to be drastically curbed, which ultimately
could be stalled temporarily through popular struggles but the danger still
remains.
Attack on public
sector has been pushed to unprecedented height. Not merely disinvestment, the
Government will now go for ‘mega strategic sale’. The main target is the
Maharatna CPSUs and those amongst the top profit making CPSUs including
banks/insurance. The ownership control and management of our shinning CPSUs are
being sought to be handed over to the private corporates, both domestic and
foreign. Along with, almost unlimited FDI is allowed in strategic sectors like
Railways, Defence and Financial Sector as complementary to the move of
privatisation/PPP etc.
The anti-worker and
authoritarian attitude of the Government is also nakedly reflected in their
refusal to implement the consensus recommendations of 43rd, 44th
and 45th Indian Labor Conferences on formulation of minimum wages,
same wage and benefits as regular workers for the contract workers and granting
status of workers with attendant benefits to the scheme workers like Anganwadi,
mid-day meal, ASHA, para-teachers etc. on the contrary, the Government
drastically curtailed budget allocations to all those centrally sponsored
schemes meant for poor peoples’ welfare. The legislation on the issue of Street
Vendors is not being implemented appropriately.
The convention
reiterates the demand for strict implementation of labour laws and a total
scrap of its proposal of so called “labour-law-reforms”, halting mass scale
unlawful contractorisation, minimum wages at not less than Rs.18,000 per month
with indexation and universal social security benefits and pension for all
including the unorganised sector workers, etc. The demands also include
compulsory registration of Trade Unions within 45 days and ratification of ILO
Conventions 87 and 98.
The Convention
urges the Government to reverse the direction of the ongoing economic policy
regime which has landed the entire national economy in distress and decline
affecting the working people the most. The Convention also extends support to
the struggles of the Government employees, Railways and defence sector
employees bank & insurance employees, coal, telecom and transport sector
employees etc on their just demands and against the policy regime.
The Convention
calls upon all the trade unions, federations across the sectors to widen and
consolidate the unity at the grass-root level and prepare for countrywide
united movement and observe the following programme of agitation and action:
1.
Joint conventions and campaigns during June-July 2016 in states, districts and
at industry level and take initiative to involve peasants, Agri labour and mass
of the people in the campaign.
2.
Day-long ‘Mass Dharna/Satyagraha in the Capital of the States and Industrial
Centres preferably on the auspicious day on 9th August 2016 (Quit
India Day) in preparation for the strike.
3.
ALL INDIA GENERAL STRIKES ON 2ND SEPTEMBER 2016.
The Convention once
again expresses its readiness for arriving at an acceptable settlement to the
12 points Charter of Demands through discussion with the Government, Effective
implementation forthwith the consensus recommendations of successive Indian
Labour Conference on minimum wage, on contract workers and the Scheme workers
is crucial for the CTUs to prepare for dialogue with the Government.
The National
Convention of Workers calls upon the trade unions and working people
irrespective of affiliations to unite and make the countrywide General Strike a
massive success. Unity of working people and masses has to be defended and
strengthened through the process of struggles only. Convention also appeals to
the Peasants, Agriculture Labour and the rural and urban toiling people to
support and participate in the strike on 2nd September 2016.
INTUC AITUC
HMS CITU AIUTUC
TUCC SEWA AICCTU UTUC LPFa
ALL
INDIA FEDERATIONS OF BANKS, INSURANCE, DEFENCE,
RAILWAYS,
CENTRAL/ STATE GOVERNMENTS EMPLOYEES AND
OTHER
SERVICE ESTABLISHMENTS
