Wednesday, 15 July 2020

Audit ex-Secretary General M.S.Raja Amar Rahe!



Comrade M.S.Raja Former Secretary General Audit Employees Association passed away!

 

It is unbelievable but yet it is a fact that our friend and former SG Audit Employees Association comrade M.S.Raja has breathed his last some hours ago around 7.30 P.M (14.07.2020 night). He was reportedly taken to Aswani Hospital Thrissur after a severe cardiac arrest and died immediately after reaching the hospital. 

He was retired recently and was a militant leader of the All India Audit Employees Association. He led many struggles and faced with bravery some tuff bureaucrats in Audit. He was also the Secretary of Confederation and functioned when i was the Working President and Comrade S.K.Vyas was the President and Comrade KKN.Kutty was the SG. In fact when comrade M.Krishnan became SG Confederation, he became Working President while i relinquished. He had toured extensively for Confederation also to organize CG Employees.

His help to our Postal Pensioners for getting sanction of huge sum from Health Ministry in Delhi was unforgettable. During my stay in Delhi, we had a very good relationship. He was having a smiling face but when issues hot up he actually turned very much involved in the issues with strong views. An outspoken leader! 

His passing away is saddening us all. It is an irreparable loss to the entire movement. We dip our banner and flag in respect of the departed leader comrade M.S.Raja!

Monday, 13 July 2020

ENLISTING OF OPERATIONAL STAFF IN DEPARTMENT OF POSTS FOR GRANT OF OVERTIME ALLOWANCE (Click the link below to view)

Sunday, 12 July 2020


60th Anniversary of the Glorious 5 Days Strike of CG Employees in 1960.

                           July 11th, 2020 is the 60th anniversary of the start of the Historic Five Days Strike of the Central Government employees in 1960.
The strike was for acceptance of Need Based Minimum Wage per the 15th Indian Labour Conference approved formula as also for grant of automatic DA whenever the cost of living index is increased, as demanded by the unions. It was also against the retrograde recommendations of the II Central Pay Commission which only denied the justified demands of the workers and the unsympathetic stance of the central government.
Under the Joint Council of Action of the Central Government Employees Federations (AIRF, AIDEF, Confederation and NFPTE), the biggest Indefinite Strike in independent India started on the night of 11/12th July 1960, the anniversary of the 1946 P and T Strike. The government refused to negotiate despite continued efforts of the JCA, as also many Members of Parliament including Shri Feroze Gandhi, M.P.( Husband of Smt.Indira Gandhi). The government was adamant. Prime Minister Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru called the strike as ‘Civil Rebellion’ and utilised the entire government machinery to crush it. Essential Service Maintenance Ordinance (ESMO) was promulgated and thousands of workers were arrested, convicted, dismissed, suspended, terminated and charge sheeted. All India leaders were arrested and put in Tihar Jail. NFPTE Secretary General Com. P.S.R.Anjaneyulu was paraded through the streets of Delhi while sending to Tihar Jail. Never before India has seen such brutal attack on any strike in the country, not even in 1946 Postal Strike, when the British were the rulers.
It is to the credit of the workers and their loyalty to their organisation that the strike continued for long five days, despite severe repression and manhunt. The entire Railways, Postal and Telecom services- all were all badly affected. Unable to continue against the brutal attack of the government and victimisation, the strike was called off on the fifth day.
5 Railways workers in Dohad were killed by police firing. They are Coms. Ranjit Singh, Sakharam, Sitaram, Kripa Shankar and another comrade whose name is not known. Two comrades in Kerala, Com.Ekambaram from Telephones Palakkad and another Comrade from Trichur Postal Division, whose name is not known, committed suicide unable to face the victimisation and termination from service. Many workers were punished with rigorous imprisonment. Public, trade union leaders and outsiders were arrested for supporting the strike. Recognition of the federations/unions were withdrawn.
The workers faced these attacks with full confidence in their organisation and leaders. They knew that there is no other way to defend their rights and achieve justified demands. They saw the most cruel face of the so called ‘Socialist Pattern Government’.
PTTI and many other foreign trade unions as also the trade unions in the country supported the strike and demanded the government to vacate victimisation. In the Parliament, Nehru government was put on the dock by eminent Members of Parliament like Comrades A.K.Gopalan, S.M.Banerjee, Nath Pai and many others, who demanded justice to the workers and vacation of all victimisation.
It took more than three years for the vacation of victimisation and re-recognition of the unions and federations. But the scars remained for a long time.
Though crushed, the 1960 strike was not in vain. For that matter, no struggle is in vain. The government was compelled to act against the price rise, appoint two Committees one after another to consider the demand of DA and has to start discussion with the unions on the constitution of negotiating machinery, the Joint Consultative Machinery(JCM).
As a participant of the historic strike, I have my own experiences, which I may narrate some time later.
The 1960 strike has many lessons for the working class. The determination, dedication and sacrifice of the leaders and workers who were part of the great struggle will ever be remembered.
The Central Govt. employees are once again on the struggle path. The working class are on struggle against the curtailment of trade union and labour rights, imposition of more working hours, privatisation of Public Sector Units etc. etc. Utilising the Covid situation, Mody Government wants to steam roller its anti – people policies.
On this 60th anniversary of the epic strike of 1960, Red Salute to all the participants of the strike and especially to those who sacrificed their lives in the struggle! 1960 Strike has given the message that the workers will never surrender to the anti-worker policy of the government.
Credits to the original uploader
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Saturday, 11 July 2020

EX-GRATIA COMPENSATION TO THE FAMILIES OF CENTRAL GOVERNMENT EMPLOYEES WHO DIED DUE TO COVID-19 INFECTION IN PERFORMANCE OF THEIR DUTIES.

NC (STAFF SIDE) WRITES TO MINISTRY OF FINANCE
*************




REVOLUTIONARY GREETINGS TO ALL
CENTRAL GOVERNMENT EMPLOYEES
ON DIAMOND JUBILEE YEAR OF JULY 1960 STRIKE


JULY-11
1960-2020
60th
ANNIVERSARY OF
FIRST INDEFINITRE
STRIKE OF
CENTRAL GOVT.
EMPLOYEES IN
 INDEPENDENT
INDIA



CGHS RATES FOR TREATMENT AT PRIVATE HEALTHCARE ORGANIZATIONS EMPANELLED UNDER CGHS – IN VIEW OF COVID-19 PANDEMIC


Wednesday, 8 July 2020

Let us remember Legendary leader D. Gnaniah

A tribute to late Nanogenarian Comrade D.Gnaniah, on his third death anniversary!

Comrade D.Gnaniah (1921-2017) was a towering leader of P&T and Central Government TU movement. He was Secretary General NFPTE for the periods from 1965 to 1970 and from 1976 to 1978. He led the historic 19th September 1968 one day token strike as Secretary General NFPTE and was arrested and jailed in Tihar Jail. He signed the historic bonus agreement on 14.3.1980 as Leader Staff Side, JCM on behalf of NFPTE. He was dismissed from service once, suspended twice and retired compulsorily once for trade union activities.

He was all along one of the unforgettable and inseparable top leaders of our movement. A great writer of many books; a forceful orator of three languages of Tamil. English and Hindi; a fine negotiator; a humane and versatile personality - and many more virtues were imbibed in comrade Gnaniah! A man of unshakable faith in socialism was always a distinguishing aspect of comrade D. Gnaniah that all of us the trade unionists must emulate!

On his third death anniversary on 8.7.2020 we pay rich tributes to him. Let us cherish his memory on the occasion of his third death anniversary.

Discrimination in between operative and administrative staff of Department of Posts during COVID-19 pandemic




Ref: PF/NFPE/Staff                                       Dated – 08.07.2020

To

The Secretary
Department of Posts
Dak Bhawan, New Delhi – 110001


Sub: - Discrimination in between operative and administrative staff of Department of Posts during COVID-19 pandemic - Regarding.
Ref: -   Directorate letter F. No. Z-92011/25/2020-Coord./O and M dated 06.07.2020

Sir,

To escape from the harmful effects of COVID-19 pandemic, the Department has decided to stop physical despatch of communications (Letters / Statements / Reports) from Directorate to Circles and vice versa and even within Directorate vide its letter under reference.

It is quite surprising that while taking such a decision, the Department forgot the condition of lakhs of its employees who are working in post offices and physically handling innumerable letters/parcels/packets moving though different modes of transmission under different temperature in different places where possibility of carrying novel corona virus is more. This order proves that the lives of the employees working in administrative offices are more precious than the lives of the operative employees in the eyes of the Directorate. Perhaps for this reason, operative employees are not even spared on weekend shutdown declared by several State Governments and full attendance is enforced in Post Offices in spite of clear guidelines to reduce the staff strength to 33% / 50% with staggering of work / business hours, screening and hygiene, frequent sanitization etc. by MHA. What to speak of 5 working days in a week for these employees? It is now a dream for the operative staff.

While the operative staff members in Post and RMS Offices are working day and night without PPE, proper and regular sanitization of workplaces due to non-supply of machine and disinfectants, zero thermal scanning of customers due to non-supply of thermal scanners by the administration, violation of social distancing due to cramped accommodation and want of proper sitting arrangement for the members of public, there is every apprehension that very soon the post offices will be converted into maternity home of COVID-19 if we take a look on the increasing trend of traced, positive and death cases throughout the nation.

At this critical juncture, while the Department is not at all serious towards the operative side where the staff members are more vulnerable to novel corona virus, the above order depicts a gross discrimination in between the administrative and operative staff members which is highly condemnable. The supply of preventive materials like hand wash, sanitizer, hand gloves, face masks etc. has remained in pen and paper. Even after 3 months of horrible condition of COVID-19 pandemic, neither the supply of such materials to post offices by the Divisional administration is regular nor the SPMs/Postmasters have been specifically ordered for the purpose to purchase and submit the bills for sanction so far. It is witnessed that the employees are purchasing such items out of their own pocket to save their lives.
As such, we would like request you once again to appraise the Directorate to look into the following aspects in an urgent manner without any plea or delay to contain spread of COVID-19 and to save the lives of the staff and their family members.

1.    To stop discrimination in between operative and administrative staff members.

2.    Temporary sitting arrangements for customers with provision of chairs, writing tables, fans and drinking water facility in the available space of the PO premises till restoration of normalcy.

3.    Supply of Thermal Scanners and Sanitization Machines to all POs with permission for purchase of required disinfectants and other preventive materials like hand wash, sanitizer, hand gloves, face masks etc as and when necessary.

4.    Issue of metal or plastic tokens bearing serial number and name of the Post Office for supplying to the customers to avoid unnecessary rush in the available counter / public space of the Post Office.

5.    Deployment of a person on daily wage basis at the main entrance of the POs, especially in bigger offices with unexpected rush of customers for thermal scanning, requesting / helping each customer to wash hands and to use sanitizer and for giving tokens to restrict entry of customers to the Counter Hall till restoration of normalcy since with the existing manpower, POs can’t do the same.

6.    To close down all post offices on each Saturday in the areas where weekend shutdown is declared by the State Govt.

7.    To run the Post and RMS Offices with 50% staff.

8.    To stop operation of PMA and functioning of P O Aadhaar Centres once again.

9.    To stop doorstep delivery of articles once again.

10. To reduce the business hours of post offices from 8 hours to 5 hours.

With regards,

Yours sincerely,


(R. N. Parashar)
Secretary General

Tuesday, 7 July 2020

RPLI / PLI: NEW PROMOTIONAL AND INCENTIVE STRUCTURE OF PLI? RPLI - CLARIFICATION

Monday, 6 July 2020

BIRTH CENTENARY OF COM. K.G.BOSE



COM.K.G.BOSE, THE GUIDING STAR OF P & T
AND CG EMPLOYEES’ MOVEMENT

7th July 2020 is the 100th birth anniversary of Comrade Krishna GopalBasu  (Com.K.G.Bose), who transformed the  P and T as also the Central Government employees trade union movement in to a fighting force based on the working class ideology and progressive thoughts. He was an employee of the Posts and Telegraphs Department for only about 7 years having been dismissed in connection with the proposed strike in 1949, but his entire life was dedicated and sacrificed for the cause of the Central and P and T employees in particular and the working class in general.

He was born as the third son of his parents Shri Jaya GopalBasu and Smt. Nivanani Basu. Jaya Gopal Basu was a teacher, as also a well-known poet and writer. Both his father and elder brother died in an accident in 1926 and his eldest brother became invalid due to serious illness and passed away in 1937. KG’s mother had to struggle hard to maintain the family consisting of KG, younger brothers and sisters. Both KG and brother Moni completed their studies with the help from Ramakrishna Mission. First KG worked in a private company and then got appointed as a clerk in the office of the Divisional Engineer Telegraphs, Calcutta in 1941. It was a great relief to the struggling family. While studying he was very active in the Marxist Study Group there.
From his joining the department, he became active in the Indian Telegraph Association (ITA) formed by the great pioneer, Henry Barton. He became Branch Secretary in no time. His brother Moni Bose also got job in the same office in 1945.

There were a number of unions in P and T at that time, including All India Post Office and RMS Union started by BabuTarapada Mukherjee, Postmen and Lower Grade Staff Union started by V.G.Dalvi Bar-at-Law and Indian Telegraph Association. Most of them were led by reformist leadership.

It was at this time that the Postmen and Lower Grade Staff Union declared indefinite strike from 11th July 1946. Although started as Postmen strike it spread to all wings of the P and T Department. Under the inspiring leadership of Coms. B.N. Ghosh (Dada Ghosh) and K.G.Bose the strike was complete in Posts and Telegraphs in Bengal. The strike and rally organized by the Trade Unions in support of the strike on 29th July 1946 in Calcutta was the biggest rally in the city till that time, participated by about 15 lakhs workers engulfing the entire city.

The strike spread throughout India and the British Government was compelled to discuss with the unions and fully concede the major 12 demands raised in the strike notice. After 23 days, strike was withdrawn on 3rd August 1946. It was a big success. In Bengal the strike continued for three more days and another demand “Good Conduct Pay” was achieved. The P and T Strike in  1946 is considered as part of the great freedom movement as in the case of  the Naval Mutiny.

In the formation of the Union of P and T Workers (UPTW) in 1946, merging most of the Unions in P and T, though a youngster, K.G.Bose took a prominent role. The strike planned by UPTW in 1949 could not materialize since all the leaders and many of the delegates who reached Madras for the Supreme Council to take final decision were arrested and jailed. Com. K.G.Bose and many others were arrested from Calcutta itself and jailed. The proposed strike was crushed ruthlessly.

Both Coms. K.G.Bose and Moni Bose were dismissed / terminated from service in connection with the 1949 strike. The case against the dismissal of KG continued for a long time, but finally his dismissal was confirmed in 1961. Moni also was not reinstated.

KG became a full time union worker. National Federation of P and T Employees (NFPTE) was formed on 24th November 1954 through the realignment scheme, merging all the existing unions in the Federation. Through the realignment, a Federation with nine affiliated all India unions was constituted. It was a great achievement in bringing unity. Com.K.G. became one of the most important leaders of NFPTE in Bengal.

The 5 Days Glorious Strike of 1960 by the Central government employees was the biggest strike in Independent India till that time, participated by lakhs of workers. Com.KG took a leading role. Com.K.G.Bose was elected as the Circle Secretary of the Postal Class III Union and later elected as the All India President in 1963. He was also elected as the Circle Secretary of E.III Union.

12th July Committee, a Co-ordination Committee of Central, State, Public Sector, Local Self-Government Employees’ Unions etc. was formed in Bengal in 1966. He was elected as its first Joint Convener appreciating his great contribution in bringing the unions together to form the Committee.

Com.K.G. Bose toured all over India in preparation and for organizing the One Day Token Strike of Central government employees in 1968. The central government dealt the strike in a ferocious way arresting, terminating, dismissing and punishing tens of thousands of workers. 17 comrades became martyrs to the brutalities of the police / CRPF and also crushed under the trains when picketing. Com.K.G. along with others made herculean efforts for vacating the victimization.

The fight against the reformist and revisionist leadership continued.In 1970 Vijayawada Federal Council, contest took place and defeating the revisionist leadership, KG Bose was elected as the President of NFPTE with Com. A.S.Rajan as the Secretary General. For the first time in the history of NFPTE, a Worker President was elected. Till that time, it was only Members of Parliament or Central TU leaders, who were elected as President.

In the next Federal Council held in 1971 at Calcutta, OP Gupta group floated a parallel list of office-bearers and disrupted NFPTE. Some of the affiliated unions and the Confederation of CG employees were also disrupted.

In 1969, KG was elected as an MLA in W.Bengal Assembly and later nominated as a Member of the Pay Commission for the State Government employees. Both the responsibilities he fulfilled with credit.

Com. K.G.Bose played an inspiring role in the massively participated P and T Convention, EDA Convention and Bonus Convention held at Delhi in 1972. It was a show of strength by the KG-Iyer-Adi progressive leadership in the Federation.
All these hectic activities had a disastrous effect on his health. On a checkup it was found that the dreaded cancer has caught with him. But he continued his work without break.

It was during this period in 1973 that he came to Calicut. He was given a warm reception at the Railway Station by hundreds of P and T and sister unions and he addressed largely attended meetings. We never knew at that time that he was suffering from cancer. He did not tell also.

He was taken to London for expert treatment. But to the extreme sorrow of all, sad news came that our dear Com.K.G. left us forever on 11th December 1974. He was only 53.  He left behind his wife Smt. Parul Bose, a trade union leader herself and their son Dipankar Bose and family.  KG’s younger brother Com.Moni Bose was also in the leadership of the movement and was the first Patron of the BSNL Employees Union and earlier General Secretary of the E.III Union.

The following extract from his letter from London Hospital to the Calcutta Comrades shows his anxiety and keen interest in workers, even when was seriously ill:
“I want to survive and continue my uncompromising fight against all injustices and in this struggle I am not alone. Thousands and thousands of comrades are with me and they are the source of my inspiration…. “We cannot be a party to any proposal which may be considered as surrender of the principled stand by the common workers”.

The own building of BSNL Employees Union in Delhi purchased in2010 was named “ K.G.Bose Bhawan” in his memory.

I had a long association with Com.K.G. since 1963 when I met him at the Trivandrum All India Conference of E.III Union and where his intervention with the P and T Board Member Mr. Sen Gupta resulted in the cancellation of Rule 14 charge sheets imposed on me and other 7 others for organizing a strike at Kannur. Since then, in the All India Conferences and Federal Council Meetings he was the guiding force for all of us. He visited Calicut twice on our invitation and addressed widely attended meetings. The P and T Union office at Calicut is also named after him and inaugurated by his wife Com. Parul Bose, probably the first building dedicated to his memory.

It is heartening to note that the birth centenary of Com. KG Bose is being observed for one year from 7th July 2020 by various organizations.

Com.K.G.Bose was the guide, ideologue and leader, who led the P and T and CG employees’ movement on the correct path. He was a Shining Star for a whole generation of young comrades like me.

In this juncture, when more and more attacks are coming against the working class and whatever gains they achieved through struggles are being taken away, the memory of Com.K.G.Bose will strengthen us to continue our struggle and forward march.

                RED SALUTE TO COM.K.G.BOSE, 

THE REVOLUTIONARY LEADER!