The Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU) denounces Modi-led BJP government’s project  of so called ‘National Monetisation Pipeline’ (NMP) to hand over  productive national  assets including vital functional infrastructural assets worth several lakhs crore of rupees  to the domestic and foreign private monopolies virtually for a pittance. The project is a big step of International Finance Capital dictated neoliberal policy. NMP is a pipeline of corruption while handing over public assets in private hands. It is a project of destroying national economy and bringing untold miseries to the workers and other sections of the toiling people.

The project NMP, announced by the Union Finance Minister on 23 August 2021, includes handing over to the private corporate cronies, inter alia,  26,700 Kms highways worth Rs.1.6 Lakh (L) Crore (Cr); - 400 Railway stations and 150 trains (Rs.1.5 L.Cr); - 42,300 Circuit Kms of Power Transmission Lines (Rs.0.67 L.Cr); - 5,000 MW Hydro, Solar and Wind Power Generation assets (Rs.0.32 L.Cr); - 8,000 Kms of National Gas Pipelines (Rs.0.24 L.Cr); - 4,000 Kms Pipelines of IOC and HPCL (Rs.0.22 L.Cr); BSNL and MTNL Towers (Rs.0.39 L.Cr); - 21 Airports and 31 Ports (Rs.0.34 L.Cr); 160 Coal Mining projects (Rs.0.32 L.Cr); and 2 Sport Stadiums (Rs.0.11 L.Cr) etc. And the assessment of the worth of those huge national assets at Rs 6 lakh crore as mentioned above from the official statement itself exposes the atrocious extent of deliberate undervaluation only to facilitate the private corporates to take over those vital infrastructural assets at throw away prices. There is more to come.

The destructive NMP is not meant for augmenting infrastructural growth in the country in the least as being claimed by Finance Minister and NITI Aayog. This is designed to allow their private corporate masters to earn huge revenue out of these going to be privatized/leased out national infrastructural asset without making any capital investment. This is nothing but loot of national assets. 

Instead of investing in infrastructural growth, private corporate lobby including foreign entities are going to be awarded through NMP, the avenue to mint huge wealth through exploitation of those national infrastructural assets handed over to them under the garb of asset monetization. More concessions are to come after the initial announcement, as the past experience show, to draw the unwilling bidders modifying initial announcements.

CITU calls upon the workers and the people of the country to unitedly voice their condemnation such anti-national design of the BJP Govt at the centre  and resolutely fight to defend the national assets being robbed by the foreign and domestic monopolies with the help of their servile government at the Centre.

Issued by
( Tapan Sen )
General Secretary 

CITU congratulates the General Insurance employees for their total strike all over the country on 4^th August 2021 protesting against the Modi led BJP government’s moves to privatise the public sector General Insurance companies.

Sixty six thousand general insurance employees and officers, in all the four public sector general insurance companies participated in the strike led by the Joint Forum of Trade Unions in PGSI Companies, a day after the General Insurance Business (Nationalisation) Amendment Bill, 2021 was passed by the Lok Sabha without discussion.

It is to be recalled that the Modi led BJP government has announced its decision to privatise two public sector banks and one general insurance company, in its Budget 2021-22.

CITU strongly condemns the Modi government’s stubborn pursuit of the its agenda to privatise the entire public sector including in strategic sectors like insurance, banking, defence, railways, mines etc and handing them over to its corporate cronies.

CITU assures its continued support and solidarity to the public sector General Insurance Companies’ employees in their struggle against privatisation. While congratulating the workers and employees of various sectors who have supported today’s strike of the General Insurance Employees, CITU calls upon the entire working class to strengthen the struggle against privatisation and loot of the country’s resources and save the country from the destructive policies of the Modi led government.

Issued by
Tapan Sen
(General Secretary)

Demands

1. Scrap anti-worker Labour Codes and anti-people Farm Laws and Electricity Amendment Bill.
2. Ensure MSP @C2+50% for all crops with guaranteed procurement.
3. Roll back steep Price Rise in essential commodities, petrol, diesel, gas, cooking oil etc
4. No retrenchment or wage cuts. Compensate job and wage loss during pandemic. Register all migrant and unorganised sector workers. Create more jobs. Fill up all vacancies in government and public sector immediately.
5. Ensure Minimum Wages and social security and pension to all workers including casual, contract, scheme workers and unorganized workers.
6. Increase the budget allocation on MGNREGA to ensure minimum 200 days work @Rs.600 per day. Enact Urban Employment Guarantee Scheme. Withdraw the discriminatory advisory proposal for caste-based work and payment in MNREGA
7. Cash transfer of Rs 7500 per month for all non income tax paying families.
8. 10 kg free food grains per person per month for the entire period of the pandemic.
9. Ensure immediate Free and Universal vaccination to all with priority to frontline workers. Ramp up vaccine production and bring the distribution under government regulation to ensure universal free vaccination within a definite time frame. Scrap the pro corporate vaccine policy. Ensure compensation on Covid deaths as per Supreme Court direction.
10. Allocate 6% of GDP for health sector. Strengthen the public health system and the health infrastructure including recruiting the necessary health personnel to ensure adequate hospital beds, oxygen and other medical facilities to meet the Covid surge; Ensure non Covid patients get effective treatment in government hospitals. Ensure availability of protective gear, equipments, wage rise etc for all health and frontline workers and those engaged in pandemic-management work including ASHAs and Anganwadi employees along with comprehensive insurance coverage for them all.
11. Stop Privatization and Disinvestment of PSUs and Government departments. Withdraw Draconian EDSO.

CITU (Centre of Indian Trade Unions) expresses its solidarity with the people of Cuba, who, are confronting US conspiracies to create instability inside Cuba. The reactionary forces in Florida, US, supported by some senators and congressmen are trying to deliver notorious plea to the US government to provoke a so called humanitarian intervention in Cuba amounting to illegal onslaught over the sovereignty of the great nation state and outright attack against Socialism.

This past weekend, July 11, there were apparently some orchestrated anti-government protests in Cuba by pro-US elements. Despite that, the Cuban Govt and the Communist Party of Cuba directly reached out to them. And almost simultaneously, following such imperialist-orchestrated eruption, the disturbances were quickly outnumbered by supporters of the Cuban Revolution who went into the streets..

From the moment the Cuban revolutionary government was established following the overthrow of the US backed Batista dictatorship in 1959, the US has done everything it can to engineer continuous onslaught on Cuba for having the guts to choose its own path of Socialism while being only 90 miles from the US coast. From incidents as well known as the Bay of Pigs Invasion to countless attempts to assassinate the late Cuban President Fidel Castro, and from sabotaging food supplies, medical supplies and almost everything through continuing the most crippling more than six-decades long barbarous economic blockade in world history, the US has never relented from its arrogant interference and interventions against the people of   Cuba. By blockading food and medicines and related supplies, the US  targeted brutally the human living in Cuba ; and yet they are loudly talking about humanitarian rights of Cuban people. Shameless hypocrisy of US imperialism is at its peak.  Over the same period, Cuba has never once threatened the US.

Fighting every moment with US imperialistic and barbarous attacks, Cuban people and working class have been defending their motherland and the Socialist system; during the pandemic, Henry Reeve International Medical Brigade, sponsored by the government of Cuba, has distinguished itself as a true leader in both the global North and South, offering emergency assistance. Twenty-three countries in Europe, Africa, the United Arab Emirates, Latin America, and the Caribbean requested help amidst this global crisis, and more than 1,500 Cuban health professionals–doctors, specialists, and nurses–have answered the call. Braving six decades long US blockade, Cuba has developed its own vaccines on Covid. The Cuban people and the working class are also determined to resist all US sponsored destabilisation attempts.

CITU condemns actions of destabilisation and provocation that the US promotes, cynically instrumentalising the harmful consequences of the blockade for which they are responsible. CITU salutes the Cuban people and its leaders in their continuous united struggle against the crippling US embargo.

CITU calls upon the working class of India irrespective of affiliations to raise its powerful voice of protest against the Imperialist conspiracy and organise action in solidarity with the Cuban people and Cuban working class in their historic struggle to defend great Cuban revolution.

Issued by

(TAPAN SEN )
General Secretary

Against  the  anti-national  decision  to  splinter  the  pioneer  Defence  Industry  viz  the  220 years  old  Indian  Ordnance Factories under  the  Ministry  of  Defence  into  7 non  viable  corporations  and  then  to  privatise  the  same  taken  by  the  Modi  Government ,  the  five  Federations  of  Defence  Civilian Employees  since  all the  efforts  taken by  them  to  withdraw  the  decision  taken  in  violation  of  all the  previous  agreements  and  settlements  failed  they had  decided  to  proceed  with  an  indefinite  strike which was to  commence from  26-7-2021  demanding  to  withdraw  the Government  decision  in  the  interest of  National  security,  Defence  preparedness  and  the  service  life  of  76,000  employees.  The  Government  has  ignored  the  alternative /  robust  proposals  given by  the  Federations  for  continuing  the  Ordnance  Factories  with  the  Government  and  putting  pressure  on  the  CLC  to  windup  the  conciliation  proceedings  in the  absence of  the  3 major  recognised  Federations  on 15-6-2021  and went ahead and  took  decision  on  16-6-2021  to  slice the  Ordnance Factories  into  7  pieces.  It  is now  more  than  2  weeks  after  the CLC  submitted  the  failure  report  to  the Government.  The  Government  has  not  bothered  even  to  refer  the  disputes  raised  by the Federations  for  adjudication. 

The Government  in  the  most cowardly  manner,  instead  of  commencing dialogue with the Federations for  a  negotiated  settlement  has  acted  in a draconian  and  brutal  manner  by  deployment  of  state  power  against  its  own  employees.  We condemn the arrogance and highhandedness   of the Government at centre  The EDSO  promulgated  by  the  President  of  India  prohibits  strikes  in  essential  Defence services  which  includes  Defence production,  repair  and  maintenance  of  products  connected  with  Defence. The strike in Defence is declared as illegal and  includes  draconian  provisions  like  dismissal  from service without  even  an  inquiry, arrest  and  imprisonment  for  a  term  which  may be  extended  to  one year  or  with  fine  which may extend  to  10,000 Rupees  or  with  both.  In  the  name of  instigation  of  strike  any person  shall be  punishable  with  imprisonment  for  a  term  which may  extend  to  2  years  or  with  fine  which may  extend  to  15,000 Rupees  or  with  both.

The  most  draconian  law  which  post  independence  has  witnessed  in  this  country.  The Central Trade  Unions  terms  this  EDSO  as  draconian,  brutal,  retrograde,  undemocratic  anti  worker  and  is  not  acceptable  to  the  working  class of  this  country.  The Central Trade  Unions  urges  upon  the Government  of  India  to immediately  withdraw  its  decision  since  it  takes  away  the  legal  rights of  an  employee  to  participate in  a  strike  under  the  Industrial  Dispute  Act  1947  after  following  all  the procedures  laid  down  in  the  Act. The five federations in the Defence sector met on first july in the background of new development and adopted resolution and decided to observe 8^th july 2021, the day they were to serve strike notice, as Nationwide protest  day as Black Day. They have also decided to legal course including to approach ILO.

 The Central Trade  Unions  call upon the  entire  working  class  of  the country  to stand up  and  protest  against  this  unprecedented  action  of  the  Modi Government  and  leaving  to  the  mercy of  the  Government  the  status  of  the  76,000 employees of  the  41  Ordnance Factories who were  recruited  as  Defence Civilian Employees / Central Government Employees  under  Article 309  of  the Constitution  of  India.  The joint platform of  Central Trade  Unions  stands  in solidarity  with  the  Defence  workers  and extends support to their action programmes to save the sensitive defence industry and its work force in the national interest.                   

 INTUC                               AITUC                             HMS                              CITU                                 AIUTUC

TUCC                        SEWA                                AICCTU                               LPF                             UTUC

The Centre of Indian Trade Unions denounces the hasty promulgation of Ordinance by the Central Govt to curb the united struggle of the Defence Production Employees and Workers against the move for privatization of Ordnance Factories network through corporatization in several pieces and dismantling the Ordnance Factories Board.

Very recently, the BJP Govt at the centre has taken a destructive decision to corporatize 44 Ordnance Factories operating under Ordnance Factories Board to pave the way for their ultimate privatization. All the Federations of the Defence Production Employees have long been vehemently opposing such destructive move of the Govt through numerous united agitations and this recent decision of the Govt to corporatize the Ordnance Factories network is in total violation of the assurance given to the united platform of Defence Employees Federations by the Govt in October 2020.

The United Platform of Defence Employees Federations have already decided to oppose said destructive decision of the Govt and resolved to go in for indefinite strike from 26-07-2021 in order to defend and save the country’s defence production network in greater interest of the nation.

The promulgation of Essential Defence Services Ordinance 2021 on 30^th June 2021 is the dubious ploy to pre-empt and curb the united struggle of the defence production workers in stout defence of national interests and is totally condemnable.

CITU along with the entire trade union movement in the country extends full support to the united struggles of the Defence Production workers and their federations and urge upon the Govt to withdraw the Ordinance and also refrain from the destructive move of corporatization of Ordnance Factories.

Issued by
Tapan Sen
General Secretary

Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU)  and Steel Workers’ Federation of India (SWFI) congratulate and salute the steel workers of Public Sector Steel Industry for the massive and magnificent united strike action against the arrogance and humiliating stance of the management and the concerned Ministry towards legitimate rights and demands of the workers.

The workers of Visakhapatnam Steel Plant have staged massive strike on 29^th June and the workers of plants, mines and establishment of Steel Authority of India Ltd (SAIL) staged almost complete strike on 30^th June, as decided by all the unions of the public sector steel industry under SAIL and RINL. Visakhapatnam to press for their firm demands for a respectable wage revision for both permanent and contract workers without any conditionalities. Among more than 1.5 lakh workers including the contract workers and project workers spread over in all the steel plants, mines and establishments under SAIL and RINL the response to strike action was massive ranging from 70 per cent to 95% in various steel plants, mines and establishments.  

Owing to arrogance and brazenly anti-worker approach of the Govt and the management, wage revision was delayed for more than four and half years. And when bipartite talks at the level of National Joint Committee for Steel (NJCS) commenced after 52 months, management started with all negative conditionalities of cut on wages and benefits instead of wage increase. Despite that all the unions exercised tremendous patience and participated in the negotiations with the management. But owing to continuity of same negative arrogance of the management for more than six months (in various meetings of NJCS), ultimately all the unions in public sector steel industry collectively decided to go in for strike action on 30^th June (29^th June in Vizag).

It is the same steel workers, both regular and contract workers have still kept the steel plants/mines running, risking their lives in the midst of pandemic/lockdown. More than 600 workers and officers, all on duty, have lost their lives due to Covid and the number crossed 1000, if the family members are taken in to account. Despite that, management did not show the courtesy even to respond, either way, to the repeated demands of the unions for compensation and compassionate employment. Such is the arrogance of the management.

The historical and heroic strike by the steel workers, despite various provocations by the management, demonstrated that workers cannot be taken for granted. This has become the united strike action by the entire steel workers fraternity to challenge the authoritarian and unilateral stance of the management and the Govt.

CITU appeals to all the unions and workers to strengthen this unity further to fight for a respectable wage settlement for both regular and contract workers without any negative preconditions and also against the onslaught of privatization, RMD dismantling and attack on workers’ rights emanating from the destructive policies of Govt. We will fight unitedly and we will win.

Tapan Sen
President SWFI
General Secretary CITU

The Centre of Indian Trade Unions notes with dismay that the Rs 6.28 lakh crore so called stimulus package announced by the finance minister Ms Nirmala Sitharaman day yesterday is nothing but yet another gimmick to hoodwink the people. The measures announced under this would neither provide the much needed relief to the crores of people whose livelihoods have been devastated by the second wave of Covid and the related lockdowns and curfews imposed in different states; nor can the package help in reviving the economy. Much like the ‘Atmanirbhar’ package announced by this BJP government last year, during the first wave of Covid 19, this too is also an exercise in deception

The focus of the package is mostly limited to extending loan guarantees and concessional credit. It provides nothing to offer to the around 2.2 crores workers who have lost their jobs and incomes during April-May 2021 during the second wave of the pandemic. It has nothing to provide succour to the 23 crore people, mostly unorganised sector workers who have been pushed to below the minimum wage poverty line during the same period. Many of the crores of workers who lost their jobs and incomes during the first wave have not been able to find work even to this day. A large part of them comprise women workers. This package has nothing for them.

The problem that the economy is facing today is lack of demand. It is futile to think that extending loan guarantees or cheap loans would help revive the economy in conditions where there is no demand. What needs to be done today, and what the CITU and all other trade unions have been demanding since last year, is to put money into the pockets of the people to generate demand. The joint trade union platform, eminent economists and the Left parties have been demanding cash transfer of Rs 7500 to the non income tax paying families. But this BJP government, committed to fiscal obscurantism, has been obstinately refusing to do that.

CITU again reiterates its demand of cash transfer of Rs 7500 per month for six months for all non income tax paying families to generate demand that would trigger supply and revive the economy.

Issued by
( Tapan Sen )
General Secretary

The Centre of Indian Trade Unions vehemently condemns the destructive decision of the BJP Govt at the centre to corporatise the Ordnance Factories functioning under defence ministry. Some 44 Ordnance Factories operating under Ordnance Factories Board under Ministry of Defence will be split in seven pieces and seven corporations will be formed under Companies Act.

The Ordnance Factories network along with a few other defence PSUs are contributing most efficiently to country’s defence preparedness besides successfully meeting various basic necessities of  quality gears, ammunitions, small arms, dresses, vehicles and various other instruments and equipments for use by our Jawans posted and working under extremely adverse and inclement weathers etc. More than seventy five percent requirements of our defence forces are being successfully and timely produced and supplied by our Ordnance Factories with incomparable efficiency and assured quality. Country’s Ordnance Factories network is an unquestionable example of “Atmanirbhar Bharat”, the phrase being so much noisily touted by the Modi Govt, in the respective areas of production and services.   There is absolutely no valid rationale for such drastic alteration of the existing structure of the Ordnance Factories network.

The only motivation behind such destructive corporatisation drive is to facilitate phased privatisation of the Ordnance Factories on which the Govt minced no words in its various policy announcements. And in this case, it is not merely privatisation; it is going to be privatisation with domination of foreign corporates through multi-pronged route. On previous occasions also effort had been made by the successive Govts to outsource a part of Ordnance factories products to private sector but that finally ended in failure owing to incapacity of the Indian private players to produce and supply quality product. And now in the renewed drive of privatisation through corporatisation route, entry of foreign companies in the field can no way be ruled out since Govt policy, through its policy statements, already envisages foreign participation in defence production.

The Defence workers unions and federations have been unitedly opposing such destructive design of the Govt through consistent agitations and movement. And present move for corporatisation of Ordnance Factories, that too being pushed through in the midst of 2^nd wave of pandemic, is in gross violation of the understanding and assurances given by the Govt to the united platform of Defence workers’ federations in the face of their decision to go in for indefinite strike from 12^th October 2020.

CITU congratulates the united platform of Defence Workers Federations for their prompt response to such destructive design of the Govt through countrywide “burning of effigy agitation” on 19^th June 2021 as a prelude to further course of united action to be decided by the United Platform shortly. CITU extends support to the agitation of United Platform of Defence Federations on 19^th June and calls upon the trade unions and workers stand in solidarity with Defence workers fighting in defence of national interests.

CITU reiterate its condemnation to the destructive move of corporatisation of Ordnance Factories and the evil design of privatisation behind the same and extends all support to the forthcoming struggles of the Defence workers to resist it in national interest. Entire working class movement will resolutely stand by the struggling Defence workers against privatisation through corporatisation route.

Tapan Sen
General Secretary

On 14^th June, 2021, the Farmers' agitation, led by Samyukta Kisan Morcha completed 200 days of continuous protest on and occupation of main highways leading into national capital Delhi, for their demands to repeal three farm laws, taking back the Electricity (Amendment) Ordnance, 2021 and legal guarantee for the MSP. They have not only faced bone-chilling cold and winter, destructive storms, scorching summer and now, the onset of rains, have sacrificed almost 500 comrades, but mainly, the out-and-out pro-corporate Central Government that is bent on pushing these laws as well as the four hated labour codes.

June 26^th marks the completion of seven month long struggle. There are several struggles, including this farmers' agitation, against the undeclared emergency and authoritarian BJP regime that the country is experiencing today. Even those inhabiting the small island of Lakshadweep are up against these authoritarian ways of the BJP, what to talk of the complete mess they have made in countering the devastating second wave of the Covid-19 pandemic.

It is worth noting that June 26th is also the death anniversary of the legendary farmer leader Swami Sahajanand Saraswati. The protests on June 26th will include sit-ins at Raj Bhavans in various states in addition to district/tehsil level protests all over India.

The CTUs appeal to all their members to reach out to all the sections of people to join hands in this nation-wide action on 26th June.

We, the CTUs demand that

1. Four labour codes, the three farm laws, the Electricity (Amendment) Ordnance, 2021 be repealed;
2. Minimum Support Price (MSP) for farmer produce be legally guaranteed;
3. Universal free vaccination within a specific time frame;
4. 10 kg free food grains per person per month to all needy and Rs.7500/-pm to every non income tax paying family every month;
5. Take back the policy of privatization of Public Sector enterprises and Government Departments;
6. The Govt. and PSU employees working day and night in the COVID-19 like  Railway and Road transport ,Coal, Defence, SAIL, BHEL, Telecom and Postal service's, Banks and Insurance, Electricity, Water, Education and Health services,  EPFO, Port & Dock etc be treated as frontline staff and compensate accordingly;
7. Rs 50 lakh insurance to all frontline workers including ASHA, Anganwadi employees, sanitation workers; adequate compensation to the families of the workers who died due to Covid 19.

       INTUC                    AITUC                   HMS                     CITU                      AIUTUC

         TUCC               SEWA                     AICCTU                    LPF                   UTUC