Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU) strongly denounces the attempts of the BJP government in Uttar Pradesh to unbundle the Purvanchal Vidyut Vitaran Nigam Ltd, in a bid to privatise it. The government has decided to divide the distribution system into three entities, which will then have to bid for electricity distribution. The government’s decision to privatise electricity sector will lead to increase in the electricity rates and make electricity, an essential service for people, out of reach to the poor, particularly those in the remote rural and tribal areas.

CITU also condemns the vindictive attitude of the UPPCL (Uttar Pradesh Power Corporation Limited) management, which is trying to intimidate and threaten the leaders of the joint struggle committee, instead of discussing with them. The UPPCL has issued notice to 18 leaders of the joint struggle committee threatening them of imprisonment under ESMA, National Disaster Management Act etc

The Vidyut Karmachari Samyukt Sangharsh Samiti, a joint struggle committee of electricity employees and engineers in the state has opposed this and decided to launch a broad movement against privatisation of electricity distribution. It has served notice to the UP government and the management on 24th August and decided to hold protest meetings every working day in all the districts that are covered by the Purvanchal Vidyut Vitaran Nigam, in the first phase of the agitation. These protest meetings are being conducted with huge participation of electricity employees and engineers. Wide campaign is also being conducted among the consumers and the people in general to create awareness about the outcome of unbundling and privatisation on their lives.

CITU congratulates the joint struggle committee for its fearless struggle against the anti worker anti people privatisation of electricity and its determination to continue with its second phase of struggle of indefinite strike and jail bharo to stop privatisation. CITU fully supports its struggle and stands in solidarity with the electricity employees and engineers in UP.

CITU calls upon all its units across the country to send solidarity messages to the Vidyut Karmachari Samyukt Sangharsh Samiti of Uttar Pradesh supporting their anti privatisation struggle. CITU also calls upon the people of UP and the entire country to support the struggle in all possible ways.

The struggle against privatisation of electricity is not the struggle of the electricity employees alone. It will impact all sections of society, the common consumers, the peasants, industries and industrial workers. But the BJP government at the centre is going ahead with the Electricity Amendment Bill 2020, which will lead to steep increase in the electricity charges. Thus it is imperative on all sections of the people to oppose this Act along with the electricity employees.

CITU demands the BJP government to immediately withdraw the disastrous Electricity Amendment Bill. It calls upon the people to come together against privatisation of electricity and tell the BJP government in unambiguous terms – ‘We Will Not Allow Privatisation of Electricity in Any Manner’.

Issued by:
Tapan Sen
General Secretary

In continuation of the worker peasant joint struggles including the 9^th August 2020 Satyagraha/Jailbharo the Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU), All India Kisan Sabha (AIKS) and All India Agricultural Workers Union (AIAWU) decided to observe countrywide Worker- Peasant Action Day on 5^th September 2020. Rallies dharnas , Padayatras will be organized at village/panchayat/local level on the basic demands of the people.

The unprecedented response to the Jail Bharo/Satyagraha on 9^th August 2020 and the action programme on 23 July 2020 called by CITU, AIKS and AIAWU shows the anger among the people against the Modi regime.

The joint meeting of CITU, AIKS and AIAWU held on 20 August 2020 noted that the destructiveness of the government policies in economic, political and social fronts aimed at centralisation and authoritarianism and also to carry on the communal divisive machinations on the society with a diversionary intent, to serve the capitalist landlord classes can be countered only by intensifying the class struggle at the grass root level.

5^th September 2020 marks the second anniversary of the historic two lakh strong Worker-Peasant Sangharsh Rally held by CITU,AIKS and AIAWU together in the Capital in 2018.

CITU, AIKS and AIAWU will take up wide campaign against the anti people anti national policies of Modi government implemented in a haste taking advantage of the Covid 19 pandemic and the lock down, to rally them in the struggle. State, district and upto village level joint meetings of CITU-AIKS and AIAWU will be held for preparations. The struggle to further strengthen the coordination between the basic class organisations and consolidate it at all levels to take up the class issues around which a wider people’s movement can be built. It is through such movements the Modi government had to retreat from Land Aquisition ordinance, many privatisation drives etc.

Local demands also will be taken up along with the the demands of Universal Healthcare especially free tests and treatment for Covid-19, Free Ration, Rs.7500 per month income support for next six months, 200 days work in MNREGA @Rs600/-, unemployment allowance and urban employment guarantee, against Ordinances/executive orders on Essential Commodities, Farm Trade, Electricity Act, EIA, NEP 2020, National Digital Health Mission, suspension and altering of Labour Laws and the Privatisation of PSEs and Services.

Issued by

    Hannan Mollah                                          B Venkat                                                  Tapan Sen 
General Secretary                                 General Secretary                                         General Secretary
          AIKS                                                   AIAWU                                                      CITU

Joint Platform of Central Trade Unions and Sectoral Federations/Associations, in its meeting held on 31^st August 2020, unanimously denounced the renewed move of the Govt of India to unilaterally and on absolutely arbitrary grounds, impose conditions for forced premature retirement on the Govt employees  vide the Office Memorandum (OM) No. 25013/03/2019-Estt.A-IV dated 28^th August 2020 issued by Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions, Department of Personnel and Training, Govt of India.

The above OM arms the Govt with powers to give any Govt employee marching orders after completing 30 years of service or reaching 50/55 years of age or older, i.e., five to ten years before the scheduled date of retirement, through forced premature retirement, on various vague grounds, such as, “ineffectiveness”, “doubtful integrity” etc., to mention only a few. A designated authority stipulated by the said OM is assigned with infinite power to pick and choose the targeted employee for such forced premature retirement on those vague  and arbitrary grounds, and the victim-employee will not have the right to be heard prior to his forced retirement, as natural justice demands. Post-facto, he may approach Advisory Committee appointed by the Government, which amounts to the Executive sitting in Judgment!

Such move of the Govt of India reflects their overall autocratic attitude towards the basic rights of the employees, the workers and their unions, as also revealed by their hell-bent bid to alter all labour laws of the country, seeking to impose conditions of virtual slavery on the workers and complete abrogation of labour rights in favour of the employers, dismantling of Public Sector and some Govt Departments in detriment to national interests. The Govt is likely to use these powers to weed out any employee even remotely suspected of standing up for his/her rights.

The Joint Platform of Central Trade Unions and Sectoral Federations/Associations condemns such an authoritarian and arbitrary move of the Govt and demands immediate withdrawal of the said OM forthwith. The Joint Platform of CTUs and Sectoral Federations/Associations also calls upon the Govt employees and their organizations to unitedly and resolutely oppose such autocratic and arbitrary OM with the assurance of wholehearted support in their struggles by the entire trade union movement of the Country.   

        INTUC                      AITUC                    HMS                     CITU                       AIUTUC

          TUCC                SEWA                      AICCTU                     LPF                    UTUC

And Sectoral Federations and Associations

Joint Platform of Central Trade Unions and Federations  calls for Observance of Countrywide Solidarity Actions with the Two-days United Strike Action by BPCL Unions Against  Anti-national Move of Privatisation on 7^th and 8^th September 2020

The meeting of the Joint Platform of Central Trade Unions and Federations held on 24^th August 2020 at New Delhi welcomes the decision of the unions of employees of Bharat Petroleum Corporations Ltd (BPCL) to go in for united strike action in BPCL establishments throughout the country on 7^th and 8^th September 2020 against the  anti-national move of the Government for outright privatization of BPCL through strategic sale and also against brazen attack on the rights of the workers.

The Joint Platform of CTUs and Federations again addressed a joint letter to the Minister of Petroleum & Natural Gas on 25^th August 2020 to refrain from such a  anti-national move  which will deprive the Government of regular annual income of more than Rs.8000/- crores in dividend alone, besides taxes etc.

As decided in the joint meeting, the Joint Platform of CTUs and Federations also calls upon all the unions and federations in the country and workers in general to hold massive solidarity action in respective workplaces and industrial centres on 7^th and 8^th September 2020 in support of the striking BPCL employees against privatization and attack on labour rights.  

       INTUC                    AITUC                   HMS                     CITU                      AIUTUC

         TUCC               SEWA                     AICCTU                    LPF                   UTUC

 And Sectoral Federations and Associations

Nearly one crore people in around one lakh places held satyagraha/jailbharo/demonstration despite Lockdown restrictions  throughout the country with slogan “India Not For Sale” “Corporate Loot, Quit India”

Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU) congratulates the working class and the peasantry for the massive protest action on 9 August 2020,- on the famous Quit India Day against the anti-national and anti-people policies of the Modi Govt.

As per the reports received yet, nearly one crore workers in one lakh places all over the country participated in the action defying the governments and braving repression and threats. Programmes were held today in AP, Bihar, Delhi, Chhatitsgarh, Gujarat, Haryna, HP, Jharkhand, J&K, Kerala, Maharadhtra, Mp, Odisha, Punjab, Ranjasthan, UP, Uttarakhand and West Bengal. In all the states peasantry also joined the action especially at the village level. In many states the participants were arrested and detained. In Tripura the women workers who participated in the satyagraha in Agartala were arrested and detained.

In Delhi programs were orgnised in different industrial areas as well as at Janatar Mantar in which the national leaders of the Central Trade Unions participated. The meeting held there was addressed by Tapan Sen ,General Secretary, CITU, Amarjeet Kaur, General Secretary AITUC, Ashok Singh Vice President of INTUC, R K Sharma National Secretary of AIUTUC, Jawahar Singh of LPF, Rajeev Dimri, AICCTU etc. National leaders of CITU K Hemalata, President, M L Malkotia, Treasurer, J S Majumdar, Vice President, S Devroye, A R Sindhu, Amitava Guha, secretaries also participated in the programme at Delhi. V M Singh convenor, All India Kisan Coordination Committee (AIKSCC) which has also joined the call of Save India Day, addressed the meeting. Leaders of AIKS, Hannan Mollah, General Secretary Vijoo Krishnan, Secretary and P Krishnaprasad, Treasurer, Marium Dhawale, General Secretary, AIDWA also joined the protest in New Delhi. Leaders of Insurance, Bank, Defence, Railways etc has also participated in the programme. Striking ASHA workers in Delhi joined the programme in large numbers.

In number of states the programme will be held on 10 August 2020 due to various reasons including complete lockdowns. A joint mobilization by the Central Trade Unions was held at the historic Azad Maidan in Mumbai where the call for ‘Quit India’ movement was announced. In various states organisations of youth, students women etc also joined the programme.

The main feature of the action today is the growing unity in action among the workers, peasants and agricultural workers at the grass root level drawing other sections of the society in the struggle. The massive participation of the scheme workers who were on strike on 7-8 August 2020 was visible in most of the states. The magnificent response from all sections of the people to the call for resistance and defiance shows the possibility to channelize the growing discontent among the people to build a joint movement of the working people based on a strong worker- peasant alliance.

Tapan Sen , 
General Secretary

The Centre of Indian Trade Unions is extremely grieved at the passing away of comrade K Vaithinathan, one of the veterans in the trade union movement of Tamilnadu today on 8^th August 2020 at the age of 96.

Comrade Vaithinathan’s political life started with his participation in the freedom movement in his early youth. He joined communist movement in early fifties and started working in trade unions in Karaikkal, Pondicherry, probably from early sixties.

Com Vaithinathan had been associated with organizing trade unions in the state of Tamilnadu for more than five decades or so in various sectors of industries and services, like sugar, cement, textile, beedi, water-supply and also played important role in building CITU in unorganized sector as well. He had thorough knowledge about various issues and problems faced by the workers and trade union movement and used to guide many unions of both organized and unorganized sector from CITU state centre.

He had been actively associated with CITU since its foundation conference. Since mid seventies, com Vaithinathan became an integral part of state CITU Centre of Tamilnadu as incharge of the central office, and he had served as state office bearer of CITU as Secretary, Assistant General Secretary, Vice President etc.  He was imprisoned at the time of railway strike in 1974 followed by Emergency. Owing to a serious accident he got partially handicapped in physical movement, but even then he used to attend all meeting of CITU including all India meetings viz., CITU general council, working committee etc. He had been a member of CITU General Council since 1983 and a Working Committee member during 1987-1997.

Com Vaithinathan used to stay at CITU office itself and considered CITU as his family. Of late he became seriously ill owing to age and other complications but stayed at CITU office itself under care of other comrades.

Com Vaithinathan’s entire life has been dedicated for the organization and movement. He was an embodiment of commitment, simplicity and revolutionary spirit. At his demise, the trade union movement lost a veteran and experienced leader.

While expressing grief at the demise of Comrade Vaithinathan, CITU conveys its heartfelt condolences to the bereaved comrades and family members and submits its homage of respect to the memory of the departed leader.

Tapan Sen
General Secretary

As per reports received till now, thousands of ASHA, Anganwadi, NHM, MDM workers came on the streets on 7^th August 2020,defying the government,  on the first day of the two days’ all India strike, demanding safety and insurance, rights of recognition as workers, minimum wages and pension, risk allowance and compensation, and health, food, employment and income to all. The strike was called by the Joint platform of Scheme Workers Federations and Unions affiliated to the Central Trade Unions.

In Assam, AP, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Delhi, Gujarat, Haryana, HP, J&K, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Kerala, MP, Maharashtra, Odisha, Punjab, Tamil Nadu,Telengana, UP, Uttarakhand and West Bengal various scheme workers held demonstrations. ASHAs demonstrated in front of the PHCs and CHCs. Anganwadi workers and helpers held demonstrations in project headquarters. Due to the pandemic situation many held demonstrations at village and centre level jointly and independently. In some states where there is an emergency situation with floods, they have boycotted work for two hours and worked wearing black badges. In Kerala in spite of heavy rains ASHA workers demonstrated in front of central government offices and sent memorandum to the PM. In many places, the family members and the public also joined the striking workers.

There are scores of cases of ASHAs and anganwadi workers died during covid-19 duty. Except for a couple of cases, no insurance amount was paid to the family. Hundreds of ASHA and anganwadi workers are getting infected daily. The governments are not even providing the basic safety gear to these workers. Upto six months’ wages are pending in many states. Mid day meal workers did not get any wages since lockdown. In many states the frontline workers are planning to continue the struggle if their immediate demands are not met.

We congratulate the scheme workers for their successful strike and thank the working class and the public for their support and solidarity to their militant struggles for our long pending demands.

The scheme workers will be on strike tomorrow and will join the countrywide jailbharo/satyagraha on 9 August 2020 called by the central trade unions and supported by the peasant organisations against the anti people anti national policies of the BJP led NDA government.

Issued by
A R Sindhu, Secretary

CITU expressed shock and grief at the sudden demise of Com.Mamoi Dutta, veteran leader of the CITU Assam. She passed away yesterday night at a hospital in Dibrugarh while undergoing treatment for Covid-19.

She joined CITU as a worker at the Namrup unit of the Fertilizer Corporation of India in1968-69. She became state committee member of CITU 1994-95. She was associated with working women’s coordination committee in 1980s. Comrade Mamoni Dutta led the working women’s movement in Assam and was the convenor of the state coordination committee of working women (CITU) and a member of AICCWW(CITU) for a long period. She was an office bearer of CITU. She was a staunch defender of equal rights of women workers. While she was a leader of organized sector workers she had also organized the unorganized sector workers including mid day meal workers in the state.

Her demise is a great loss for the trade union movement in General and working women’s movement in particular in Assam.

We pay homage to the departed leader and convey our heartfelt condolences to her family, her husband who Is under treatment in the hospital and two sons and a daughter  and also to her comrades.

A R Sindhu
Secretary
Convenor, AICCWW(CITU)

The Unions and federations of scheme workers (anganwadi, ASHA, MDM, NHM, Samagra Sikksha etc) affiliated to the Central Trade Unions (INTUC, AITUC, HMS, CITU,           AIUTUC, TUCC, SEWA, AICCTU, LPF,   UTUC) will go on two days strike on 7-8 August 2020.

The scheme workers many of them are frontline workers in the fight against Covid- 19 are forced to take this step after four months of the outbreak of the pandemic and the lock down because none of the minimum requirements for them – safety, insurance and risk allowance- are provided by the government. Many of the workers have died due to Corona during this period. Even their monthly wages are not paid for months together. 

Strikes and struggles are going on in different parts of the country. In Bihar, the ASHA workers are on strike from 6 August 2020. In some states and areas where the Covid-19 situation is very bad, the scheme workers will work wearing black badges.

They will join the satyagraha/jailbharo called by the central trade unions on 9 August 2020, Quit India Day with the slogan of “Save India”(keeping physical distance and all norms by WHO)

The demands of scheme workers

1. Withdraw the proposals for privatization of basic services including health (including hospitals), nutrition (including ICDS and MDMS) and education Stop Privatisation of PSEs and Services.
2. Make the Centrally Sponsored Schemes like ICDS, NHM and MDMS permanent with adequate budget allocation
3. Implement the recommendations of 45^th and 46^th ILC for regularization of scheme workers as workers; Pay Minimum wages Rs.21000 per month and pension Rs.10000 per month; Provide ESI and EPF to all scheme workers
4. Enact legislation for right to universal healthcare as in case of right to food and right to education
5. No Pro employer change in Labour Laws in the name of codification; No increase in working hours and freezing of Labour laws in the name of Covid Crisis. Include scheme workers in the category of workers
6. Free ration /food for all the needy and Rs.7500 per month for all non taxpaying families for six months ; Ensure Jobs and income for all
7. Safety gear for all frontline workers, especially the ASHA workers, anganwadi workers and those in the health sector; PPEs for those who are engaged in containment areas and red zone ; Frequent, random and free Covid-19 test of all frontline workers; Do not engage those who are above 60yrs and those who have health problems in Covid-19 Duty.
8. Rs 50 lakhs insurance cover to all frontline workers covering all deaths on duty and Pension/jobs for the dependants of the workers and also coverage of treatment for Covid-19 for the entire family.
9. Additional Covid Risk Allowance of Rs.10,000 per month for all the contract and scheme workers engaged in Covid -19 duty, especially ASHA and anganwadi workers and workers in NHM. Payment of all the pending dues of wages and allowances etc., of all the Scheme workers immediately
10. Compensation of minimum Rupees Ten lakhs for all those who got infected while on duty
11. The existing insurance schemes  (a) Pradhan Mantri Jivan Jyoti Bima Yojana, (b) Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Bima Yojana and (c) Anganwadi Karyakarti Bima Yojana must be implemented properly with universal coverage applicable to all scheme workers
12. Mid Day Meal Workers must be paid Rs.10000 per month for the period when the schools are closed including the summer holidays; No contractorisation or centralised kitchen
13. Increase the budget allocation for CSSs. Provide adequate additional ration with good quality for all the beneficiaries of ICDS and MDMS immediately; include return migrants in these schemes
14. Provide free and adequate COVID tests and treatment to all non tax-paying people; Ensure adequate facilities in quarantine centres and hospitals. Strengthen the public health system and the health infrastructure; Allocate 6% of GDP for health sector
15. For Finance mobilisation, projects such as "Central Vista Project" be scrapped. Tax the super rich and recover the dues from willful defaulters for resources

INTUC              AITUC             HMS               CITU         AIUTUC

TUCC             SEWA              AICCTU          LPF         UTUC

Issued by
A R Sindhu, Secretary, CITU
For Joint Platform of Scheme Workers’ Federations and Unions

The Centre of Indian Trade Unions is deeply grieved at the demise of Comrade Shyamal Chakraborty, senior and veteran leader of the country’s trade union movement and a leading personality of CITU. Com Chakraborty was admitted in nursing home at Kolkata for lung ailment a few days back. He was also affected by Covid. He breathed his last today on 6^th August 2020 around 1-45 pm. He was 77.

Com Shyamal Chakraborty joined the student movement and the communist movement in his early youth during mid fifties. He had been one of the frontline organizers of the then All India Student Federation (AISF) and took active part in the surging peoples’ struggles in West Bengal during that period prolonging to next decade at the initiative of the Left forces braving police atrocities and imprisonment at different spells. Afterwards he was one of the founder leaders of SFI and played important role in organizing SFI in other states as well besides leading the movement in West Bengal.  Subsequently he joined the trade union movement and played front line role in organizing the working class movement in west Bengal and also in national sphere. He had been actively associated in leading the movement in number of strategic sector like electricity, road transport, port & dock etc and had been in the national level leadership of the respective all India federations. He led the West Bengal CITU as the president of the state CITU for around two decades. Com Shyamal Chakraborty was elected in the national secretariat of CITU from its 7^th Conference in 1991 and had been in that position as Vice President  till the 15^th Conference of CITU and got voluntarily relieved from that position in the 16^th Conference of CITU held in 2020, despite remaining quite active in trade union work. Com Chakraborty’s initiative and contribution in building up joint movement of all trade unions and mass organizations on peoples’ burning livelihood and rights related issues in the state will be ever remembered.      

Com Shyamal Chakraorty played important role in parliamentary front as well. He was elected MLA four times and discharged the responsibility as Minister of Transport in the Left Front Govt in the state for two terms. He also left the imprint of his powerful interventions championing the cause of the people and working class as a member of Rajya Sabha during 2008—2014. He was also most popular orator and speaker and could attract the audience quite convincingly.  

Com Shyamal Chakraborty was also a prolific writer. His creativity in this field was not only limited to trade union literature but also in the stream of history, social science and various other political issues. He had authored  number of books on different subjects.      

At com Shyamal Chakraborty’s demise, the trade union movement has lost a veteran leader, the democratic movement also lost one of the stalwarts. The loss is irreparable.

CITU conveys its heartfelt condolences at the demise of one of its senior leaders, com Shyamal Chakraborty, to his bereaved daughter Ushasi and other family members and other comrades. CITU dips its flag in respectful homage to the departed leader. Comrade Shyamal Chakraborty Amar Rahe. 

Tapan Sen
General Secretary