union power

SPECIAL ISSUE November 2014

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The attack on the rights and livelihood of the working class has been intensified under the six months of

the BJP government. The sustained, mostly extra-legal, attack on the working class through two decades

of neo-liberal policies is now sought to be legitimised through amendments in labour laws. These

changes are aimed at pushing more and more workers into unsafe workplaces and insecure jobs by

expanding the ever increasing number of casual, contract and irregular workers. These changes will also

undermine the right to freedom of association and collective bargaining. These amendments are aimed at

creating an institutional mechanism for sustaining share of profit and therefore promoting a model of

economic development based on inequality.

The amendments to the Apprentices Act, the proposed amendments to the Factories Act, the proposed

Small Factories Act and the self-certification scheme along with the Rajasthan amendments and the

plans of other states to follow the Rajasthan ‘model’ are all steps in this direction and amount to a fundamental attack on the rights of workers to safe and secure jobs and wages.

This attack warrants a much more vigorous and sustained action and we would have hoped for a more

robust call from the platform of 13 CTUOs. Irrespective of whether or not we are a part of the 13

CTUOs our organisations have always responded to every joint-call in the interest of working class

unity. We commit ourselves to together mobilising for the national day of protest on 5th

December 2014.

Where ever we are – we will join actions or lead actions to mark our protest to the proposed changes in

labour law. We call upon all sections of the working class to come together in protest on 5th

December.

While endorsing this call for 5th

December we are united by our understanding that a single day of

protest will not be enough to stop the corporate directed BJP government.Halting the government’s undemocratic actions and intentions calls for a sustained militant resistance.

Towards this end we commit ourselves to joining our forces together to build such a resistance.

Swapan Mukherjee B. Pradeep

General Secretary General Secretary

All India Central Council of Trade Unions Indian Federation of Trade Unions

Gautam Mody Sanjay Singhvi

General Secretary General Secretary

New Trade Union Initiative Trade Union Centre of India

19 November 2014

UNION POWER SPECIAL ISSUE 2014

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1-2 December 2013: The All India Union of Forest Working People (AIUFWP) held its first regional

conference on 1 and 2 December in the Dudhwa National Park in Lakhimpur Khiri, Uttar Pradesh. More

than 4000 members, mostly women from 100 villages in the Terai region participated in the rally on 1

December 2013.

5 December 2013: Garments and Fashion Workers Union

(GAFWU) launched a Postcard Campaign for increasing

the Minimum Wages of garment workers in the state.

Nearly three lakh workers, mostly women are employed

in about 5,000 garment units around Chennai. In a bid to

draw the attention of the state government, members of

GAFWU started a postcard campaign demanding that the

government fixes the minimum wage of garment workers

at Rs.10,000 a month. In Zone A, the minimum wage of a

garment worker is Rs. 2720, in Zone B is Rs. 2644 and in

Zone C is Rs. 2566 a month. The union has been

struggling for a revision in wages since 2009. It obtained a

order from the Madras High Court in 2010 to vacate an

interim stay sought by employers on the Minimum Wages notification. On 4 December, the Labour

department officials assured the union members that a draft notification would be released soon on the

minimum wages.

5-6 December 2013: Independent Fact finding team constituted at the request of Jharkhand Krantikari

Mazdoor Union (JKMU) to examine the extensive abuse of labour and democratic rights of the employees

of Uranium Corporation of India Limited as well as those displaced and affected by the land acquisition by

UCIL, comprising of Prof. Babu Mathew, Arup Chatterjee (MLA), Birsingh Sinku (Johar and BIRSA),

Sudha Bharadwaj and Gautam Mody. The fact finding team called upon UCIL to address the various

actions it has indulged in that are illegal and outside the law in recognition of its obligations of the Atomic

Energy Act, 1962 and engage in collective bargaining with the JKMU in good faith; the District

Administration to ensure that there is a rigorous assessment of the environmental impact of UCIL’s operations in the region including on ground water; and that all false cases against the membership of the

JKMU are withdrawn forthwith; and the Deputy Labour Commissioner (Chaibasa) ensures that the

illegally retrenched workers of the Banduhurang mine are reinstated and paid wages for the period that

they were denied work; and that action is taken against UCIL for indulging in unfair labour practices.

6 December 2013: NTUI joins the call of Peoples’ Alliance for Democracy and Secularism for Justice for victims of Communal Violence on the 21st anniversary of Demolition of Babri Masjid.

December 2013: Garment and Textile Workers Union (GATWU) wins payment of DA arrears at

Gokaldas in Bangalore from April 2013 after intense struggle and critical international solidarity.

14-15 December 2013: Trade Union Solidarity Committee-All Pakistan Trade Union Conference-

International Liaison Committee Asian Conference against War and Exploitation was held in Mumbai. The

meeting was attended by trade union comrades from Afghanistan and Bangladesh with comrades also from

Algeria and France.

24 December 2013: More than 1500 Anganwadi workers members of different constituent unions of the

Akhil Bharatiya Anganwadi Karmachari Kriti Samiti joined a two day dharna at Jantar Mantar in Delhi on

23 and 24 December demanding the implementation of the recommendations of the Parliament Committee

ACTIONS


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Report on Empowerment of Women of August 2011. On 24 December, ASHA workers joined them under

the banner of Akhil Bharatiya ASHAs and Facilitators Kriti Samiti, demanding recognition as ‘workers’ and regularisation, free medical benefits including their families, rest rooms at health centres and 50%

reservation to the posts of ANMs. A 7 member delegation of ASHA workers met the Director - NRHM, at

the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. The Ministry has just approved an assured monthly

honorarium of Rs.1000 for ASHAs based on a basic set of activities which they perform every month.

10 January 2014: ASHA Workers union in Punjab won a Rs 1000 increase in honorarium. The sustained

struggle of the ASHA Workers and Facilitators Union, Punjab across the state led to this announcement.

The union has been demanding for regularisation in the Health department under NRHM, with pay and

benefits at par with the Central Government employee in the category of skilled workers and highly skilled

workers respectively; payment by cheque; annual increments and promotions; earned leave and medical

leave as per government norms; Identity cards, Uniforms with washing allowance, and monthly TA/DA on

actual for attending monthly meetings called by the health ministry; Emergency and risk allowances;

Bonus; Insurance cover of Rs. 2 lakh each with the premium borne by the Government; Pension at 50% of

last drawn wages and additional compensation for additional work done in the department.

8 January 2014: Pragatisheel Cement Shramik Sangh (PCSS), a union of contract workers in Holcim

plants in Chhattisgarh, intensified their campaign for release of union activists falsely implicated in

criminal cases by Holcim, the Swiss multinational. Holcim had illegally dismissed over 80 active union

members in 2011. PCSS raised a dispute and filed a complaint against this victimisation and unfair labour

practice and the ALC-Raipur warned the company that the licenses of its contractors would be cancelled,

and was exhorted to reinstate the retrenched contract workers. Holcim management retaliated by filing

false criminal cases against the union leadership, including against Com. Lakhan Sahu, the organising

secretary of the union and Yogesh Sahu, Dhannu Ram Patel, Bhagwat Sahu, Thanu Ram Patel, Lala Ram

Dhruv and Dilharan Dhruv. On 8 January 2014, Com. Lakhan Sahu and the others surrendered before the

court and applied for bail which was denied. Bail was finally granted on 9 May 2014 after four months.

10 January 2014: NTUI joined the

call of the Coordination Committee

of Plantation Workers for a United

Struggle to Protect Earned Rights

and Achieve a Just Wage for all tea

plantation workers in the

Darjeeling hills, and Dooars and

Terai regions of West Bengal.

Paschim Banga Cha Bagan

Shramik Karmachari Union joined

the Workers’ Convention at

Siliguri on 10 January attended by

representatives of all 17 union

constituents of the Coordination Committee, and endorsed the Charter of Demands for the forthcoming

round of tripartite negotiations on wage agreement for the three year period effective from 1 April 2014.

The Convention called for the immediate reopening of the closed plantations , the implementation of

government programmes in these plantations until such time as they are closed. The Coordination

Committee condemned the blatant violation of the 2011 tripartite agreement for implementation of

payment of Variable Dearness Allowance and called for immediate and urgent implementation of it. The

Convention also called for equal wages for equal work for men and women workers and a review of the

system of productivity linked wage imposed on the workers. The constituent unions of the Coordination

Committee while ratifying the Charter called upon all trade unions of plantation workers to join this united

struggle. Divisions within the trade union movement based on regional or ethnic identity have

compromised and weakened the collective bargaining power of the working class. The lesson learnt from


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the last round of negotiations is that regional agreements fail to address the concern of the workers both in

the region as well as in the industry. The Convention reiterated the need to build a united militant

movement to fight the onslaught of capital.

17 January 2014: Contract Municipal Workers protest in

Mumbai. 3000 contract municipal workers and members of

Kachra Vahatuk Shramik Sangh (KVSS)from Mumbai,

Maharashtra Municipal Kamgar Union from Thane and Nasik

Mahanagar Palika Shramik Sangh from Nasik held a rally and

public meeting at Azad Maidan, Mumbai demanding equal

wages for equal work. The Municipal Commissioners in

Mumbai, Thane and Nasik have defied orders for the last 4 years

of the the State Labour Commissioner to pay equal wages as the

permanent workers to the contract workers under the Contract

Labour Regulation and Abolition Act. The permanent workers

get a monthly wage of Rs. 18,000 while a contract worker is

paid a monthly wage of Rs. 8000.

26 January 2014: Ashok Leyland workers win a settlement

despite slowdown. Against all odds, the Ashok Leyland

Employees Union, an affiliate of the WPTUC, has reached a 3

year wage settlement that provides for a weighted average

increase in wage of Rs. 9,450 per worker. The hike ranges from

Rs. 8,626 to Rs. 10,007 depending on scales. In 2010, the union had finalised an average increase in wage

of Rs.7,300. The union however agreed to an early retirement scheme in the plant. Over 400 workers at the

Ennore plant are due for retirement by March 2015. The union succeeded in winning full wages and

incentives for those opting for this early retirement scheme.

31 January 2014: NTUI continues its support of the

struggle of the Maruti Suzuki Workers Union and

joins the Jan Jagran Rally and the public meeting at

Jantar Mantar.

31 January 2014: NFSRU included in the Industrial

Tripartite Committee for Sales Promotion Employees.

The Ministry of Labour and Employment constituted

an Industrial Tripartite Committee for Sales

Promotion Employees with NFSRU as one of the

constituent workers’ representative. The Government

has delayed the formation of this Committee for

several years.

21 Feb 2014: Garment and Textile Workers Union (GATWU) wins historic increase in minimum wages

for garment workers in Bangalore. After a prolonged struggle and campaign by the GATWU for a new

minimum wage, after a year since the High Court order directing the government to “pass appropriate

orders as expeditiously as possible, and in any event not later than three months from the date of

receipt of copy of this order”, and several rounds of tripartite negotiations, the Karnataka government

finally notified a new minimum wage for garment workers in the state.


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As per the new notification dated 21 Feb 2014, the daily minimum wage for garment workers will be:

Zone Category Wage

1 Unskilled 220

Semi skilled 229

Skilled 232

High Skilled 240

2 Unskilled 215

Semi skilled 224

Skilled 227

High Skilled 235

3 Unskilled 210

Semi skilled 219

Skilled 222

High Skilled 230

The DA amount for the period 2014-15 has been announced as Rs.32 per day. Including this, unskilled

workers of Zone-1 will get a hike in their salary of Rs.59 per day. In 2009, the government in a draft

notification set a minimum wage of a basic pay of Rs. 96.20, which was, in a fresh notification in 2010,

revised to Rs. 114.10 (including Dearness Allowance). The notification was never implemented, barring in

a few large-sized export oriented companies.

5 February 2014: NTUI held a press meet to reaffirm the need for trade union unity in winning a single

wage agreement for tea plantation industry in West Bengal. Comrades Gautam Mody, General Secretary

and Pradeep K Roy, National Secretary addressed the press in Siliguri to affirm NTUI’s support for the call

of the Coordination Committee of Plantation Workers for a “United Struggle to Protect Earned Rights and

Achieve a Just Wage”. Along with pressing the charter of demands of the Coordination Committee, NTUI

also demanded the notification of minimum wages for tea plantations in West Bengal to further the

struggle for minimum wages launched by PBCSKU and called upon all organizations of tea plantation

workers to join the united struggle for a just wage.

12 February 2014: Bajaj Akurdi plant workers get Rs 10,000 increase in wages. The Vishwakalyan

Kamgar Sanghatana (VKS) won an increase of Rs. 10,000 in the wages of workers at the Akurdi plant of

Bajaj Auto. This has renewed hope for achieving a wage settlement at the Chakan plant too. The Akurdi

plant has only 130 workers while the Chakan plant employs 950 permanent workers besides over 1,000

contract workers and trainees. The negotiations for wage revision at the Chakan plant reached a deadlock

leading to the 50-day work stoppage that ended in August 2013.

24 February 2014: Anganwadi Workers win Retirement

Benefits in Maharashtra. The Maharashtra Rajya

Anganwadi Kruti Samiti, of which the NTUI affiliate

Maharashtra Rajya Anganwadi Karmchari Mahasangh is

the largest constituent, with a membership of over 2 lakh,

after a monthlong strike won a lump sum retirement benefit

of Rs.1 lakh to Anganwadi Workers (AWWs) and

Rs.75,000 Anganwadi Helpers (AWHs) to be paid at the

end of their service. The Government of Maharashtra made

this announcement at the end of cabinet meeting on 5

February. This was one of the major demands by the

women workers working in Anganwadis who, following

this announcement, called off their 31 day long strike and

resumed work today. This is one of the longest and largest strike of women workers in our country.


6

Maharashtra’s Anganwadi workers have been struggling for retirement benefits for over a decade. This

victory is a tribute to their tenacity and their patience in agitating their demands. This victory is an also an

important landmark in the struggle of recognition of ‘honorary’ workers whose retirement, the right of every worker, has been ensured in some measure. The Cabinet meeting on 23 February also approved an

enhancement of the honorarium of Anganwadi workers and helpers from Rs 4050 to Rs 5000 and from Rs

2000 to Rs 2500 respectively. The honorarium of Anganwadi workers in a Mini-Anganwadi centre has

been increased to Rs 2400 from Rs 1950. This hike would be effective from 1 April 2014.

2 March 2014: On the first death anniversary of Com. V

B Cherian, he was remembered by his comrades through,

amongst other functions, a memorial lecture and seminar

on the relationship between trade unions and political

parties in the present time at Aluva. A collection of

articles by Com. V B Cherian was released on this

occasion. Trade union and political leaders from all over

the state attended the meeting. NTUI General Secretary

Gautam Mody, National Treasurer, M Rajan, former

President D. Thankappan, the members and leaders of

NTUI’s Kerala State Council and leaders of AITUC,

CITU and INTUC were present along with family

members of Com. V B Cherian.

6 March 2014: In recognising that the working

class plays an active role in the political affairs

of this country and has an important

responsibility for the democratisation of society,

NTUI organised a Convention in Delhi on

formulating a Workers’ Manifesto for the 16th

General Elections. It was a felt organisational

need to develop a workers’ charter at a time when none of the dominant political parties are

reflective of the economic, social and political

crisis and the necessity for advancing national

development rooted in self reliance and

sustainability that can meet needs of the working

class. Given the limited choices before the

electorate, NTUI committed itself to strive to

ensure that secular and democratic forces,

reflective of the plurality within the country, come to government in this election. At the same time NTUI

recognised that neither can it influence this outcome on its own nor can it be achieved by merely all

progressive trade unions coming together. The task of building a struggle for a just economy, an egalitarian

society and a democratic polity must go on beyond the general election and called for the widest possible

united front of all progressive forces.

28-31 March 2014: NTUI participates in the 6th

National

Congress of GEFONT held on 28-31 March 2014, in

Kathmandu on the theme Transformation: By Building

Workers' Power. Attended by 605 delegates from all sectors,

with a third of women, the congress focussed on the role and

importance of workers in transformation of state, society and

economy. Over 40 international delegates also attended the

congress.


7

6-7 April 2014: NTUI participates in Contingent

Work International Meeting hosted by United

Electricals (UE) at Chicago to discuss efforts of each

of the unions participating to organise precarious /

contingent / contract / agency work (including but not

necessarily along a supply chain including and

importantly in multinationals and of working with

other unions) and working towards a common and

shared understanding on the issue and development of

strategies. The other trade union organisations who

joined this meeting were: CGT (France), CUT

(Brazil), FAT(Mexico), NUMSA (South Africa) and

Zenroren (Japan). They agreed to hold a trade union

conference in Mumbai in December 2014 to develop a concrete plan of coordinated programme and

actions on precarious work in one or more sectors, with such plans to include actions to be taken at the

workplace level. This is to build a movement from below for a coordinated and strategic struggle. The

effort is to learn from the experiences of the struggles of each other and formulate concrete steps to move

forward.

13 April 2014: Siemens Workers Union celebrates 50

years of struggle. Over a thousand members and others

attended the golden jubilee celebration of Siemens

Workers Union (SWU). This was a clear marker of the

strength of the autonomous trade union movement in the

country. It was also a celebration of the union’s several struggles over the years to fight both internal and

external battles and the contribution of comrades who are

and, more importantly, were associated in these struggles

as well as the many achievements of the union beyond

issues of workers’ rights. NTUI President Com. N.

Vasudevan felicitated the members of the union for their

halfcentury of sustained militant struggles.

2-4 June 2014: NTUI participates in the 40th

Congress of the FTM-CGT (Metalworkers’ Union-CGT,

France) at Le Mans, France. The Congress attended by 700 delegates of the union and 38 international

delegates took critical decisions on advancing their struggle through locating metal workers at the center of

industrial policy.

22 July 2014: Garment and Fashion Workers Union organised a day long protest action in Chennai with

hundreds of garment workers demanding the implementation of the increased minimum wage announced

in February 2014. According to the new notification the minimum wage was increased to Rs. 3706 per

month from Rs 2720 in Zone A. The garment workers are also demanding for inclusion in ESIC, and strict

implementation of the Sexual Harassment at Workplace Act in the garment factories in and around

Chennai.

27 July 2014: AWBSRU celebrates 40 years of autonomous trade unionism in West Bengal with a lecture

by renowned economist Dr. Ratan Khasnobis on Relevance of Planning in the context of Extreme

Disparity. A joint publication by AWBSRU and NTUI on India’s Pharmaceutical Industry: Issues and Challenges for National Development was also released.


8

2 August 2014: NFSRU letter of protest to Ministry of Labour for Dissolution of Industrial Tripartite

Committee for Sales Promotion Employees. A prolonged struggle at all levels had led to the constitution

of the Tripartite Committee for Sales Promotion Employees only on 30 January 2014.

7-10 August: NTUI invited as a speaker in the International Symposium on Socialism organised by

National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa (NUMSA). This Symposium provided a space for

NUMSA and the participating organisations to share lessons and learn from each other’s past and present

experiences on the successes and failures of Left parties or movements in power to drive a Socialist

Society. The Symposium was held on the strategic theme of Building our own Movement for Socialism:

Learning the Lessons First Hand.

17 August 2014: After months of negotiations and

protests, the Bajaj management at the Chakan plant

finally reached a wage agreement with the Vishwa

Kalyan Kamgar Sangathana. Under the revised wage

agreement, all permanent workers will for the first year

(1 April 2013 to 31 March 2014) get a hike in their CTC

pay of Rs. 7500. For the period 1 April 2014 to 31 March

2015 and 1 April 2015 to 31 March 2016, workers with 5

or more years of experience will get an increment of Rs

500 and Rs 2000 respectively, those with 3-5 years of

experience will get an increment of Rs 400 and Rs 1600

respectively and those with less than 3 years will get an

increment of Rs 300 and Rs 1200 respectively. It was

also agreed that the annual attendance reward scheme would be substituted by a monthly attendance

reward scheme. Transport deduction was lowered. The Chakan plant employs over 2,000, including around

900 permanent workers.

19-23 August 2014: NTUI invited to Workshop on TransAtlantic Trade and Investment

Partnership (TTIP) vs. BRICS (Association of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) at the

European Summer University of ATTAC Europe in Paris. The TTIP is a trade agreement to be negotiated

between the European Union and the United States that not only subordinate workers, consumers and

citizens even further to the rules of the internationally mobile capital in the North Atlantic countries, but

that TTIP is also a direct attack against the global south.

11 September 2014: Joint resolution adopted by AIFTU, AICCTU, IFTU, NTUI and TUCI at the National

Convention against 'Proposed Amendments to Labour laws' organised by the Indian Federation of Trade

Unions (IFTU) at Ambedkar Bhavan, New Delhi to call upon all trade unions and workers organizations to

observe 24 September 2014 as a Day of Protest against the Labour Law Amendments. NTUI President

Com. N. Vasudevan addressed the convention committing NTUI to building a strong alliance of militant

trade unions through out the country.

15 September 2014: National Convention of Workers held under the banner of Joint platform of all

central trade unions and independent sectoral national federations against the unilateral decision of the

central govt to amend existing labour laws following the Rajasthan model. The Rajasthan amendments will

make hire and fire easy, make factories more unsafe, make condition of contract workers worse. The

convention condemned the lack of will of the government to implement the recommendations of the 43rd

,

44th

and the 45th

ILC on minimum wages, equal wages and benefits for contract and regular workers,

regularising all ‘honorarium’ workers as well the ratification of ILO conventions 87 and 98 on freedom of association and collective bargaining. The convention called for a National Day of Action on 5 December.

NTUI responded to the joint-call for unity as in the past in the understanding that without unity it is not

possible to advance the struggle for the working class. NTUI wrote a letter to all the CTUOs calling upon


9

them to ensure that all traditions within the working class movement and all sections of working people

come together at every level and consolidate the movement so that it acquires the necessary preparation

and strength to take the struggle forward.

21 September 2014: DHL Employees Union holds Dharna

at Janta Mantar against victimisation and intimidation of

union members in Delhi, Pune and Kolkata. The DHL

workers in Jaipur, Delhi, Kolkata and Pune joined the

union in and after 2012. DHL has appointed couriers across

the country in ‘Hay grade’ and is consistently denying the workers their right to freedom of association claiming that

the workers in this grade are management cadres. With the

same responsibilities as couriers in the bargainable

category in Mumbai, the workers in Delhi, Pune and

Kolkata are struggling for recognition as workers in the

bargainable category. The management has retaliated with

strict disciplinary actions against union members including punishment transfers. DHL workers and

members of their families joined the dharna to protest against DHL’s repressive actions and demanding the Right to Freedom of Association and Collective Bargaining of the workers.

ALLIANCES

Towards forging a Democratic Platform – Preparatory Committee for an All India People’s Forum

(AIPF): New Delhi, 11 October 2014: Representatives of several organisations and concerned individuals

met at the Jawaharlal Nehru Yuva Kendra in Delhi to discuss the need and possibility of forging a broad

democratic platform both to take on the intensified offensive on people’s movements and rights unitedly

and to powerfully assert an alternative paradigm. The meeting underlined the urgent need for forces of

struggle to unite and coordinate their efforts to defend and expand democracy in the face of the

centralized, intensified offensive unleashed by the Modi Government and the Sangh Parivar on all hard-

won rights and peoples struggles. Communal politics threatens not only the rights and safety of minorities,

but every vestige of existing democracy, diversity and harmony. Those present proposed to hold a

Conference in Delhi in early 2015 and appealed to all progressive organisations and individuals to join this

platform.

30 October - 2 November 2014: NTUI participates in the 10th

National Convention of the National

Alliance of People’s Movements (NAPM) at Pune from 30 October – 2 November. Speaking at the public

meeting Com. Gautam Mody called for wider alliance and unity of social movements, trade unions and all

progressive forces to fight against the communal and neo-liberal forces. Medha Patkar chaired the session.

The Convention aimed to bring together socialist groups on to a common platform to fight together the rise

of fascism and the present government's assault on the lives, livelihoods and natural resources of the

common people and vulnerable sections of this country.

Joint AICCTU-IFTU-NTUI-TUCI statement on Palestine calling for observing 29 November as

International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian Peoples: Mumbai, 28 November 2014:. The unions

reiterated their support of the struggle of the Peoples of Palestine for democracy and against imperialism

and called for: an Immediate ceasefire by Israel Defence Force and end the siege of Gaza; ensuring the

right to life with dignity and freedom, right to work and livelihood, right to education of the peoples of

Palestine; and that the Government of India respect the right to nationhood and the right to self

determination of the Palestinian peoples and towards this end issue a strong condemnation of the illegal

What is Happening Where


10

actions of the Israel government and defence forces and to work for an immediate ceasefire by the Israel

Defence Force.

ABKI BAAR – HUMARA ADHIKAR: New Delhi, 30

November - 2 December 2014: Peoples’ Assembly and Joint Rally for Peoples’ Right to Social Security, Labour

Rights and Natural Resources at Parliament Street under the

slogan “ABKI BAAR – HUMARA ADHIKAR!” to ensure

rights to social services and social security; Defend and

expand the workers’ rights; Assert people’s control over natural resources; Defend democracy, ensure accountability

and transparency; Defend diversity and secularism, ensure

rights of minorities, social justice and gender equity; and

Develop convergence of social movements. NTUI is a

member of this alliance and affiliates from Delhi,

Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra and West Bengal

joined this rally.

Joint AICCTU-IFTU-NTUI-TUCI statement calling for Justice to the Victims of the Bhopal Gas

Disaster and Corporate Responsibility: Mumbai, 2 December 2014: A joint AICCTU-IFTU-NTUI-

TUCI statement calling for Justice to the Victims of the Bhopal Gas Disaster and Corporate Responsibility

after 30 years of Bhopal Industrial Catastrophe was issued in Mumbai. The unions highlighted the gross

lack of corporate accountability and the inaction of the government in complete disregard of the loss to

human life including intergenerational loss. The unions called upon the Government of India to Constitute

a Special Commission on Bhopal that includes survivors’ representatives and which has the necessary

funds and legal authority to address issues of Medical Care, Research, and Monitoring; Social and

Economic Rehabilitation of the affected; Environmental Remediation; and Safe Drinking Water;

Undertake punitive action against Dow Chemical to ensure accountability, liability and responsibility for

Cleaning up abandoned plant site at Bhopal and Immediate payment of interim additional compensation

according to international standards to all affected persons as per official records; Withdraw amendments

to the numerical floor of the Factories Act along with amendments on overtime placed before the Lok

Sabha and Amend the Companies Act to ensure that corporate culpability, including criminal liability, is

adequately ensured to protect workers and citizens affected by industrial accidents and environmental

damage.

AFFILIATE NEWS

Floods in Kashmir Valley – JKTUC takes up commendable relief work: Srinagar, September 2014:

Unprecedented floods ravaged the entire state of Jammu and Kashmir in September 2014 with Kashmir

Valley being the worst hit. The floods affected every house, hospital, school and offices - even the Civil

Secretariat was flooded. Almost 300 lives were lost and thousands of homes were devastated. At least two

million people were affected. The JKTUC leadership in their areas extended full support to the flood

affected people with the help of local youth whose role was exemplary. They joined the effort to evacuate

residents from Bemina, Karalpura, Eidgah,Buchpura,Shalimar in Srinagar city. Food, clothes, blankets and

other essential commodities were distributed amongst affected people through union collections. Camps in

different parts of Srinagar city were organised by Comrades Ghulam Mohammed Qadri – Bemina,

Mohammed Yasin Indrabi – Karalpura, Bashir Ahmed Khan – Eidgah, Mohammed Shafi Khan , Fida

Mohammed Khan, Abdul Rahim - Buchpura and Nisar Ali Mir - Shalimar.

States should fix Minimum wages for Tea Workers: Nirmala Sitharaman: Guwahati, 13 October

2014: Nirmala Sitharaman, the Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Commerce and

Industries held a Tea Industry Stakeholders’ Consultation in Guwahati. The Minister appeared to support


11

minimum wages in the tea industry but put the onus of minimum wages on state governments after a

meeting with the West Bengal trade union delegation. Wages in the tea industry in West Bengal is fixed

through a tripartite mechanism but given the extremely skewed balance of power, the trade unions have

been demanding a minimum wage for the tea workers. In West Bengal, the lowest minimum wage is Rs

206 for unskilled workers in agriculture while tea workers are skilled workers and are paid only Rs 95.

The cease-work called by the joint forum of 23 trade unions in North Bengal on 13 October 2014 was total.

In the case of Assam, the two tea producing areas of Brahmaputra Valley and Barak valley, workers are

paid a daily wage of Rs 94 and Rs 75 respectively while the notified minimum wage is Rs 184. Assam

which roughly produces over 50 percent of India’s tea, wages are fixed bilaterally by the Planters’ Association and the Assam Cha Mazdoor Sangha, the only union represented in the negotiation.

The Asom Sramik Mojuri Union (ASMU) on 11 October held a press conference and expressed concern

over the Government's negligence in paying adequate wage and providing necessary facilities to the 15.000

tea workers of the 15 government-run tea gardens of the Assam Tea Corporation Limited (ATCL) and said

that they will directly place the issue of deprivation before the Union Minister for Commerce and Industry

during her scheduled visit on October 13 to Guwahati. The ASMU alleged that the State Government has

neither implemented the announcement of paying Rs169 as daily wages to each of the tea garden workers

nor provided basic facilities including health care adequately in the gardens concerned. 'Though the daily

wage of Rs169 was announced by the State Government during the financial year 2013-2014, the workers

are deprived of it. Instead of implementation, the Government has avoided the whole issue by relegating

talks between the CCPA and ACMS,' alleged Com. Devabrata Sharma, Joint Secretary NTUI. According

to the union, the State Government is yet to pay Rs 200 crore for provident fund, ration and wage-arrears

for the welfare of the workers.

In sharp contrast, the notified minimum wage for tea workers in Tamil Nadu is Rs. 206.22, in Kerala is Rs.

222.and in Karnataka is Rs. 228.35. The joint platform of 23 unions in West Bengal are demanding Rs.

285 as the minimum wage in the current negotiation and the Asom Mojuri Shramik Union is demanding

representation in the negotiation and Rs 300 as minimum wage in Assam.

Joint Platform of 23 tea workers unions go on a 2 day strike demanding minimum wages: Siliguri, 13

November 2014: Nearly four lakh tea workers in Darjeeling, Jalpaiguri, and Alipurduar districts of West

Bengal observed a 2 day strike on 11-12 November to press for their long standing demand for wage

revision. Workers of around 300 tea plantations in the region joined the strike and assembled at estate gates

raising their demands in protest. The strike call by the joint forum of 23 unions came as the culmination of

months of joint struggle. The tea plantation workers in the Darjeeling Hills, Terai and the Dooars regions

irrespective of their years of service are paid a daily wage of Rs 95 in the plains and Rs 90 in the

Darjeeling hills. The last wage agreement lapsed on 31 March 2014. The joint platform is demanding a

minimum wage of at least Rs 285. The decision to observe the strike was taken after the failure of six

rounds of tripartite meetings. The demand to pay VDA in the last agreement is yet to be satisfied.

The INTTUC was the only union that did not join the strike and their members opposed the strike

wherever they were present.

NTUI organises State wide Protest against the Proposed Anti-worker Amendments to Labour Laws

in Kerala: 19 November 2014: In response to the call of the central trade unions and the decision of the

NTUI to join the protest actions across the country, the Kerala state council of NTUI held protest actions

across 10 districts of Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam, Alapuzha, Idukki, Ernakulam, Malappuram,

Kannoor, Kazerkode, Palakkad and Kozhikode highlighting the impact of the proposed amendments to

labour laws on the working class. NTUI affiliates participated in large numbers in these dharnas. In Kollam

and Idukki, the protests were organised jointly with AITUC. The United Trade Union Action Committee

will observe 5 December as an All India Protest Day. NTUI affiliates shall wear a badge of protest and join


12

actions across the state.

20 November 2014: Hundreds of members of Asom Mojuri

Shramik Union were arrested as they blocked the railway

line at Titabar station in Jorhat district demanding Rs 300 as

wages for tea workers. The union is also demanding

immediate payment of unpaid statutory dues including

wages, PF and gratuity worth Rs 40 crores of 16,000

workers in the 15 plantations owned by the Assam Tea

Corporation Ltd – a sick state public sector undertaking.

The workers in the ATCL plantations are paid only Rs 84

while those covered by the bipartite agreement are paid Rs

94. The union is also demanding a tripartite negotiation of

the wages which includes all unions in the industry.

KVSS wins regularisation for 2700 contract workers in BMC: Mumbai, 26 November 2014: In a

major victory for Kachra Vahatuk Shramik Sangh, the industrial court has directed Brihanmumbai

Municipal Corporation (BMC) to absorb 2700 contract municipal conservancy workers on a permanent

basis. In its order issued on 13 November, the court has also asked BMC to pay each of the labourers

arrears for the period between their contract expiry (240 days) to date. A permanent BMC conservancy

labourer gets around Rs. 22,000 salary as against the Rs 8,000 received by contract worker. The arrears to

each contract worker with retrospective effect would work out to about Rs. 5.5 lakh. Over a thousand

contract workers of BMC marched on the streets of Mumbai the next day to celebrate this victory and

show their commitment to fight against the dilution of labour laws by the Modi government.

DA Indexed Pension for Workers in the Private Sector: New Delhi, 26 November 2014: The Hindustan

Lever Research Centre Employees’ Union won the right to a pension of 50% basic plus DA for workers who have completed 25 years of service (or 2% per year of basic plus DA in case of less than 25 years of

service). This award, on the charter of demands pending since 2005, of the Industrial Tribunal at Mumbai

upholds the principle that workers too contribute to the profits of company and must receive the same

benefit (an index linked pension) as managers of the company who enjoy such a benefit. The tribunal

asserted that the pension was a right and not ‘bounty or grace’ from the employers. Both the Bombay High Court and the Supreme Court rejected appeals from the employer Hindustan Unilever Limited, at the

interim stage, to stay the pension.

Akhil Bharatiya Anganwadi Karmachari Krity Samity launches Thali Bajao Andolan: New Delhi 1-2

December 2014: Thousands of Anganwadi Workers and Helpers on 1 December launched a thali bajao

andolan and held a Mashal Jaloos (torch lit-march) on 2 December at Parliament Street demanding that: (1) all

the recommendations of the Parliamentary committee on empowerment of Women (2010-2011) on service

conditions of AWWs and AWHs, be immediately implemented; (2) The Government evolve a mechanism for

periodic review/revision of the honoraria and benefits like yearly increments and dearness allowance linked

with Consumer Price Index Number; (3) AWWs and AWHs be given status of Government employees and be

given emoluments and benefits as given to Grade III government employees; and till such time AWWs be paid

a monthly wage of Rs. 10000 and AWHs be paid Rs. 7500 per month; (4) AWWs and AWHs be covered under

the ESI Act or shall be given all the benefits under the Act, as per the recommendation of the Parliamentary

Committee; (5) AWWs and AWHs be given one month of paid leave annually.

Edited, Printed and Published by Gautam Mody

for the New Trade Union Initiative

B-137, Dayanand Colony, First Floor, Lajpat Nagar – IV,

New Delhi–110024, Phone: 011-26214538/ 26486931,

Fax: 011-26486931 Email:[email protected]

Website: ntui.org.in

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