Union Budget 2020-21 presented today by the BJP Govt is full of sounds but little substance. In the background of continuing slowdown in the economy, increasing miseries, widening impoverishment of the people at large, alarming rise of unemployment, the union Budget did do nothing to address any of these issues except pronouncing ornamental sound-bites in the name of “prime minister Modi”.

The claim made in the budget speech about lifting 271 million people above the poverty line is the crudest example of such sound-bites with a deceptive intent. Numerous studies revealed the intensification of the poverty situation in the country including the NSSO report on more than 8 per cent fall in rural consumption expenditure and that testifies the falsity of such claim.

Similarly, lot of noise is made in the budget speech about the success of “Beti bachao and Beti parao” and other women welfare related programmes. But in reality, women work participation rate has been drastically coming down during last few years consistently; the same period also witnessed increasing incidents of violence and atrocities against women, many times with patronage of those in power; worst discrimination against working women is continuing subjecting them to 31 per cent less wages compared to their male counterpart for the same work done. And finally budget allocation on ‘beti-bachao, beti parao’ has been further reduced by over Rs 20 crore. The exercise of deception continues.

There are numerous other examples of such false claim on peoples’ welfare and employment generation in the entire budget speech which do not match with budgetary figures. The Budget speech talked loudly about augmenting investment in infrastructure countrywide, but most of the same appear  to be dependent on the response of private sectors, which is not expected to be forthcoming in present scenario of economic slowdown.  For example, 1,37,000 acre potential oil/gas field were allotted for exploration by private sector entities during last five years; nothing has been produced as yet.

And a mere Rs 3.43 lakh crore increase in nominal term in total estimated expenditure in the current budget (2020-21) compared to revised estimate of expenditure in the previous budget (2019-2020) also explodes the falsity of such loud announcement on infrastructure and employment generating investment in the budget speech. On account of agriculture & allied services and rural development (which accounts for more than 50% of the country’s population) budgetary allocation has been increased by mere Rs 19000 crore compared to last budget which is actually a reduction or no increase in real terms , even inflation is taken into account.

Budget speech made noise about ensuring ‘ease of living’ for individual citizens. But it moved in just opposite direction. Food subsidy channelized through Food Corporation of India (FCI) for public distribution system has been cut by Rs 76000 crore, even when India’s ranking has drastically slid down in the Global Hunger Index. Even MNREGA, Ayushman Bnarat, PMJAY and PM-KISAN suffered drastic cut in allocation.  It spelt nothing about improving the conditions of the working people who actually create wealth for the nation by responding to their basic demands viz., increase in minimum wage, universalizing social welfare benefit, equal pay for equal work etc; scheme workers in anganwadi, mid-day-meal, ASHA  etc are still being subjected to humiliating exploitation having been denied even the statutory minimum wage and social security benefits, nothing has been provided for this one crore strong workforce giving yeoman service to the entire society.                                                                                                                                             

Budget proposed to reduce personal income tax rates for the benefit of the workers.  But this benefit would get more than neutralized by the discontinuance of the deduction/rebate they were entitled to arrive at taxable income as per the new scheme. On the other hand the Govt has become more than liberal in giving concessions to big business and corporate houses by way of sharp reduction in corporate tax, dividend-distribution tax and in the name of simplification of tax regime. While doing so, the Budget speech repeated numerous times the statement of the prime minister that those big business/corporate are the “wealth creator” of the nation. In fact they are looting the resources created by the producing people in industries, services and agriculture. As per Receipt Budget presented along with the Budget (2020-21) total accumulated unpaid direct tax from the same corporate community during last five years has reached Rs 7.63 lakh crore out of which Rs 1.30 lakh crore is not under any dispute.  The Govt talks loud about “ease of living” but in action they are obsessed with ensuring “ease of doing business” of handful of big business houses, both foreign and domestic.

Strengthen Worker peasant alliance build wide unity of the people to fight the neoliberal policies and attack on the constitution of India

Hannan Mollah, General Secretary of All India Kisan Sabha while greeting the 16^th Conference of CITU called upon to strengthen Worker peasant alliance build wide unity of the people to fight the neoliberal policies and attack on the constitution of India. He was greeted with slogans of ‘mazdoor kisan ekta zidabad ‘ (Long live worker peasant unity) by the delegates.

On the third day of the 16^th National Conference of CITU, delegates discussed on the Part two of the General Secretary’s Report which dealt with organiaation and future steps to overcome present impediments.

Delegates made self assessment and suggested about the future programme they would take for building up state and district orgniasations to make it compatible to the present challenges. Very revealing experiences emerged out of the performances in last 8^th January,2020. Delegates proposed steps they would take to mobilise vast and increasing number of unorganized section of workers. They are determined to increase members of CITU to one crore by this year.

Delegates also emphasised need of educating cadres on the political philosophy of the working class. They also narrated experiences how unorganized sections of workers, particularly, in the IT sector are approaching CITU to mobilize them and pursue their demands. Some advancement in various sectors was also reported.

Speakers from national federation like BSNL informed how the central Govt. has methodically dismantling BSNL for handing over communication sector to Ambani. Banking sector leader stated how for the benefit of corporate the government is merging several banks bringing it to only 12 from  27 thereby washing away scope to provide loan to small lectors and peasants. Bank employees are preparing for strike for indefinite period. Central Govt. employees federation said how the Govt. had prevented implementation of recommendations of 7^th Pay Commission. Workers of this sector are also preparing for struggle action. The conference adopted a resolution in support of the banking sector strike.

Discussion in this chapter is expected to continue late night.

The conference also passed resolutions condemning the presence of notorious racist Bolzanaro, the Brazilian President as the Chief Guest of Republic Day of India this year.

Issued By
Amitava Guha

Against the anti people policies of Modi Government and Defend the constitution of India
Demands repeal of CAA-
Solidarity with Fighting workers of France
Solidarity with people of Jammu and Kashmir

 

Centre of Indian Trade Unions condemns the retrograde decision of the Govt at the centre to promulgate Ordinance to amend further the Mines & Mineral Development (Development & Regulation) Act and Coal Mines (Special Provisions ) Act (MMDR Act and CMSP Act) with the purpose of ending the very concept of captive mining of coal to meet the raw materials need of certain crucial industries like steel, power, aluminum, fertilizers etc for which coal is an essential raw material, as reported by media.

Such a decision will be disastrous for the concerned industries which are the backbone of the national economy. Enactment of both the Acts in the first tenure of the Narendra Modi Govt, facilitating aggressive privatization of the entire mining sector and allowing commercial mining of coals even by captive mines were by themselves a retrograde decision damaging the basic interests of the national economy.

Amending both the Acts further removing totally the restriction of end use relating to raw material requirements of vital industries, of these precious natural resources like coal, iron-ore etc for private players, both foreign and domestic bidding for the allocations of mine-blocks will convert these natural resources virtually and wholly into the items for trade and commerce including exports, ignoring their essential necessity as raw material for the core and strategic sector industries like power, steel, aluminum, fertilizers etc. Such a decision is also going to hit the economic viability of the public sector Coal India Ltd in the background of free entry of 100 per cent FDI in commercial mining of coal. The new coal bearing areas identified through research and exploration process by CMPDIL and Geological Survey will flow more to the private sector players depriving the Coal India Ltd from continuing replenishment of its exhausted mines.

CITU denounces such destructive decision of the Govt which is going to cast fatal impact for the industries wholly depending on coal as raw material. This decision, given the trend and destructive mindset of the Govt, is going to be replicated for iron-ore mines also. Excuses being made by the Govt that this decision will reduce coal import is totally untenable and illusory. Rather this is going to expand the grip and control of foreign players with Indian private contractors as their junior partners, on the country’s vital mineral resources, much to the detriment of our national interests.

CITU calls upon the working class and democratic people to oppose and resist such destructive move of the Govt through Ordinance route. United struggle to combat this disastrous move both at industry and national level is the way before us.  

Issued by
(Tapan Sen)
General Secretary

Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU) salutes the working people of India who have risen as one to challenge the Modi government’s anti worker, anti people and anti national policies through the unprecedented general strike and rural bandh on 8^th January 2020.

While the industrial workers across sectors all over the country went on strike, the peasants and agricultural workers massively responded to the call of ‘rural bandh’ and organised road and rail blockades.

There was total bandh in Kerala, Tripura, Assam, Bihar, Punjab, Odisha, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Goa, and several other states. Shops and road transport were closed totally in Tripura defying the warning by BJP goons not to do so. In West Bengal, and in many districts of Jharkhand, Karnataka etc there was bandh like situation.

Workers in private organised sector including the MNCs responded magnificently to the strike call. The strike was total in big industries in Karnataka including Toyota, Volvo buses and Volvo trucks, Bosch, ITC, Vikrant Tyres etc. Most of the industrial clusters in Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Maharashtra, Delhi NCR, Jharkhand, etc were closed due to the strike. The strike in Jute and Plantation was massive.  The strike was total in many industrial clusters across the country, particularly in Telangana, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Punjab, NCR Delhi, Jharkhand etc.

Strike was total in BHEL plants in Trichy, Ranipet and Jhansi, around 70% in BHEL, Haridwar and 50% in Vizag. Strike was total in Salem Steel and Vizag Steel. Strike was also almost total in petroleum sector installations across the country.  Many of the units of Powergrid Corporation also reported massive strike.  Ports at Kakinada, Tuticorin,  Cochin,  Paradip and Mazgaon dock reported almost total strike while in Calcutta port strike was partial.

Electricity distribution and consumption in the country registered a decline due to the participation of the state electricity boards’ employees in a big way in the strike

Road transport in most of the states was off the road with the roads deserted. In West Bengal, most of the buses that ran were empty. 3.5 crore road transport workers participated in the strike all over the country.

Scheme workers across the country, particularly anganwadi employees, midday meal workers and ASHAs participated in the strike en masse. Medical and sales representatives also participated in the strike in total.

Central government and state government employees participated in the strike ignoring the warnings of the governments. Around 13 lakh central government employees in postal, income tax, audit and accounts, etc participated.

Strike in the banking sector was near total while it was total in the insurance sector. Telecom employees also participated in the strike.

In addition, workers in several segments of unorganised sector like construction, brick kiln, village chowkidars, home based workers, domestic workers, autorickshaw drivers etc participated in the strike as also the plantation workers across the country.

Huge demonstrations, rail and road blockades were organised in thousands of places in the country with the participation of hundreds of thousands of people.

The call for ‘rural bandh’ given by the peasants’ and agricultural workers’ organisations was also successful. Across the country peasants participated in the road and rail blockades in huge numbers. Students, youth and women also participated in the demonstrations.

On the whole the strike received massive support of the common people showing the huge anger against the Modi government’s destructive policies. In addition to the 12 points demands the trade unions also opposed the attacks on the democratic rights and the outrageous onslaught basic tenets of the Constitution through CAA, NRC and NPR etc by the Modi government.

CITU extends its heartfelt gratitude to all those who supported the strike and stood in solidarity with the working class and particularly the organisations of farmers, agricultural workers, students , youth and women. It warns the Modi government that it can neglect the huge anger of the people against its policies of selling people’s and nation’s interests to the corporates, domestic and foreign, at its own peril.

The toiling people are rising and they won’t rest till they achieve their demands

Issued by:
Tapan Sen
General Secretary