Wednesday, February 27, 2013

Confederation Circular : The 48 hours two days General Strike


CONFEDERATION OF CENTRAL GOVT. EMPLOYEES AND WORKERS
MANISHINATH BHAWAN, A2/95 RAJOURIGARDEN, NEW DELHI-110027
                                       
Conf/23/2013 Dated: 25.2.2013
Dear Comrade,
                                     The 48 hour two day General Strike
                The two days strike, for which the call was given by the Joint Platform of Trade Unions in the country through the National Convention held at New Delhi on 4th September, 2012 was a tremendous success.  Not only the workers in the country but also common people supported the strike action in many States.  It is estimated by the Central Trade Unions that more than 10 crore workers might have participated in the strike.   In other words more than 50 crore people of the country supported the action.  The overwhelming response in the mightiest strike action  ever of the Indian working Class is indicative of the growing anger against the economic policies pursued by the Government.  There had been constant and continuous increase in the prices of basic needs of the common people i.e. food items, gas, diesel, gas, coal electricity etc. in the last two years.  The inflation in the economy continued unabated despite the assurance held out by the rulers, as a matter of course. to contain it. 

Every decision of the UPA II Government has fuelled the inflation in the economy and consequent rise in prices of all essential commodities.  Despite the lathi charge and arrest of the workers in certain parts of the country, the strike had been by far peaceful.  Leader  of the Haryana Roadways Corporation affiliated to AITUC was killed in Ambala Transport Depot in a tragic incident when the Transport authorities decided to take a bus from the depot against the opposition of the workers. Most of the State Governments especially the TMC led West Bengal State Govt. Did their best to suppress the strike action without success.   
All vital sectors viz. Bank, Insurance, Central and State Government offices, Industrial Establishments, Ports and Docks, Surface Transport except Railways and Airlines, Power  etc. remained paralysed.  The Central Government employees on the call of the Confederation of CGE and workers responded magnificently.  There had been apprehension of the extent of participation in the two day strike action especially after the one day strike on 12.12.2012 on the 15 point charter of demands.  The report we have received at the CHQ proves that the apprehension was totally misplaced and the number of employees who participated in the 20th and 21st Feb. 2013 was more than we could elicit on 12th December. 2012.  No doubt in some of the organisation, the strike participation on comparison with 12th December, was less.  But this has been more than made up by the other organisation who could improve their position of participation on 20th and 21st.  We append hereunder the Press Statement we issued on 21st Feb. on the basis of the reports we have received through telephone and SMS.
The unprecedented participation of workers in the strike had been the manifestation of the people's resentment  to the economic policies of the Government which has virtually made the poor poorer and the rich richer. They have asserted in no uncertain terms that these policies must be reversed at all cost for India to remain a sovereign republic.  The recent decisions of the Government to allow FDI in Pension, and increase FDI foray  in the Banking and Insurance Sector will bring back the country to serfdom.  The struggle will have to continue and the campaign against the policies must pick up further momentum in the months to come.
There had been continuous propaganda by the Government through electronic media that the Government employees do not have the right to strike and not only "dies non" but disciplinary action will also be taken against the striking employees.  It has been proved on a number of occasions that the vindictive actions will be resorted to by the Government when the unity is disrupted and the strike participation for one reason or other dwindle.  The greatest safeguard against such barbarous  and vindictive actions is to preserve our unity and determination and tread the path of struggle with cent per cent participation.  Campaign amongst the mass of the employees to bring home the pernicious impact of the economic policies in the day to day life and standard of living is a pre-requisite for the success of the strike action.  Wherever, this has been done,  it has paid rich dividends.
We must review the two day strike action as soon as possible.  Since the Conference of the Confederation  is due in the month of April, it may not be possible to convene the National Executive meeting immediately.   We are planning to meet in the Sectt. and in order to enable us to conduct a proper review,  we need the following information both from the State Committees and the Central HQrs of the affiliated Association.  The format is given in the annexure to this communication.  Kindly ensure that the reports are sent to us by 10th March, 2013.
                With greetings and once again conveying our sincere gratitude and congratulations to all the affiliates, State Committees and the Active workers and leaders who made the strike a magnificent success.
                With greetings and once again conveying our sincere gratitude and congratulations to all the affiliates, State Committees and the Active workers and leaders who made the strike a magnificent success.
Yours fraternally,
K.K.N. Kutty
Secretary General
Annexure:
Format for sending report
A.      For State Committees.
(a)    Name of the State.
(b)   Name of the Association/Federations which participated in the strike with percentage of participation.
(c)    Name of the Association/Federation which did not take part in the strike.
(d)   Name of the organisations which participated in the strike despite the call from their CHQ.
(e)   Name of the stations visited by the leaders as part of the campaign.
B.      For affiliates.
(a) Name of the Federation/All India Association.
(b) Number of Units/Bramches
(c) Name of the Unit/Branch which participated in the strike.
(d) Name of the Units.\/brnaches which did not take part in the strike.
(e) Specific reasons advanced by the Units for non participation
(f) Name of the Units visited by the leaders. 
Posted by: AIPEU-GDS (NFPE) Odisha Circle.

Tuesday, February 26, 2013

Rail Budget 2013-14....Highlights

72 additional suburban services in Mumbai and 18 in Kolkata

Rs.100 crore for improving stations in New Delhi
 
Marginal increase in cancellation, reservation charges
 
No fresh hike in passenger fares
 
Common rail-bus ticket to be introduced for Katra-Vaishnodevi pilgrims
 
New train Azadi Express to places linked with the freedom struggle to be introduced, fares to be concessional
 
Internet booking to be provided from 0030 hours to 2330 hours
 
Internet booking to be strengthened with next-generation e-ticketing system to eliminate delays
 
Special A/C coaches ‘Anubhuti’, to be introduced in select Shatabdi and Rajdhani trains to give excellent ambience with commensurate fare
 
Railways will use Aadhar data base for bookings and validation of passengers
 
SMS alert service being rolled out shortly to intimate passengers about reservation status
 
Free wi-fi facility to be provided in select trains
 
Plan to allow e-ticketing via mobile phones

10% reservation for women in RPF 
Posted by: AIPEU-GDS ( NFPE) Odisha Circle.

India: Nation-wide Strike on 20-21 February 2013

All trade union centres in India have decided to organise a two-day strike on 20-21 February 2013. The trade unions have 10 demands that constitute the major problems facing the working class. What is significant is that all trade unions have come together to fight for the rights of labour. This itself is a significant advance for the working class in the country that is badly divided. Let us examine the situation as it exists.

Trade unions are the main organisations that could counter the government’s anti-worker, anti-employment policies. Unfortunately the labour movement is fractured as workers are divided into a huge number of trade unions. Apart from the 11 trade union centres there are hundreds of thousands of trade unions, most of whom are fighting each other rather than tackling problems with employers or the state. 


Issues before the labour movement 
 
The problem with the labour movement is not merely that of the multiple trade unions but it is also that most of the unions are appendages of political parties. This seriously affects their independence. Unions aligned to the ruling party become less assertive in putting forth the demands of their members. For example, there have been attempts in the past to unify the diverse trade unions for united action against certain policies of the ruling Congress government but the Indian National Trade Union Congress (INTUC) of the Congress Party never joined in the protests. In fact INTUC was the largest trade union at the time when structural adjustment policies were introduced but it remained silent. Similarly when the Bharatiya Janata Party-led government was in power the Bharatiya Mazdur Sangh (BMS), which became the largest trade union at that time, refused to question the policies of the government. There have been noticeable changes during the last few years as INTUC and BMS have decided to form a common front. Other trade unions such as those of regional parties, some of whom were averse to joining hands with left trade unions, have also agreed to join the front.

Over the years there has been a rapid increase in informal employment the pace of which increased after 1991. At present informal employment comprises 93% of the total employment of 470 million in the country while formal employment comprises a mere 7%. The trade unions operate mainly among formal sector workers. The informal workers are largely unorganised. There are very few unions that want to unionise these workers. A major exception is the Self Employed Women’s Association (SEWA) which is the largest union of informal workers. By the strength of its membership and its presence in different states of the country it has been recognised as a trade union centre and is also a member of ITUC (along with Hind Mazdoor Sabha (HMS) and INTUC). Other trade unions have realised the importance of organising informal labour. 

Main demands 
 
Of the ten demands put up at least six of them relate to problems of informal workers. These are: a national floor wage of Rs. 10,000 per month, the removal of contract labour and in the meantime contract workers should receive the same wages and facilities as permanent workers, the compulsory recognition of trade unions by management within 45 days of application, retirement benefits for all workers, pension for all workers and social security cover for informal workers.

The existence of casual and contract labour in large companies has reached wide-ranging proportions. Contract workers are not directly employed by the companies to which they provide labour. They are employees of labour contractors who are appointed by these companies. These workers work alongside the permanent workers doing exactly the same type of work, but they are paid one-third (or less) of the wages paid to permanent workers. Hence it is quite common to find that permanent workers constitute only 30% of the workforce in companies while the rest is contract labour. Most of the automobile manufacturing companies function in this manner. Offices too have contractors employing security guards and even white collar employees.

Wages in the informal sector are not regulated and are very low. By insisting on wage floor the unions hope to uplift the conditions of these workers. However the minimum wage demanded is actually quite low for urban areas. A needs-based minimum wage that would fulfil the minimum needs of a family would have to be at least 50% higher. Unionisation is difficult as these workers do not have the security of employment nor do they have any post-retirement benefits. Compulsory recognition of unions would imply that the employers have to accept the existence of trade unions as negotiating bodies.

The other demands include curbing rising costs, growing unemployment, the implementation of labour laws and stopping the privatisation of the public sector. 


Will the strike solve the main problems of labour? 
 
Given the fact that the trade unions are divided on most issues, uniting for this strike could be seen as a progressive step. However there are several issues involved. The most important is, can such a movement be sustainable? Do trade unions of different hues come together to protest on a given day/s and then return to their sectarian practices? If one looks at the strike from this perspective it will appear as a ritual, in fact an annual ritual. Such representations of unity are not new as they have happened in the past but with little effect on the labour movement.

The first such instance took place in 2011 when around 500,000 workers representing all the centres (including INTUC and BMS, the former is close to the ruling Congress Party and the latter to the main opposition party, Bharatiya Janata Party) had a demonstration in Delhi to press for similar demands. The leaders submitted their demands to the Prime Minister who assured them that he would discuss the issues in detail with them shortly. This whole episode went unnoticed. The press in India did not report this (although the BBC and CNN gave it wide coverage). Two years have passed and the Prime Minister has yet to invite labour leaders for talks on the demands put up.

The next year, the united front of trade unions decided to change their tactics. They announced that there would be a nation-wide strike on 28 February 2012. This strike did invite press coverage because the unions of bank employees joined the strike and the financial sector in the country was at a stand-still. However besides this achievement the strike achieved nothing else. In this case too the government was not willing to discuss the issues raised or it gave vague assurances for some of them. Hence it seems unlikely that this two-day strike will have the desired effect on the government because while the strike can be used to showcase working class unity, will this last beyond these two days? Had this been a sustainable and continuous struggle it could bear fruits, but tokenism cannot achieve anything positive. 


Learning from the past 
 
The trade union movement in India started as a united movement with the founding of the All India Trade Union Congress (AITUC) on 31 October 1920. This union comprised all shades of politics including the communists, the Congress and other independent trade unionists. AITUC faced a crisis in 1929 when the colonial government appointed the Royal Commission on Labour in India. In its conference in Calcutta in that year, a majority supported the line that trade unions should boycott the commission. A section felt that trade unions must cooperate with the commission as labour may benefit by its recommendations. The majority view prevailed, but the minority broke away to form another trade union centre called Indian Labour Federation. In the following year (1930) the communists broke away on a political issue and formed the Red Flag Trade Union Federation. However the crisis caused by the Great Depression and the subsequent rise in prices affected the working class the most. The splinter unions decided that to confront these problems labour must be united and they rejoined AITUC in 1935. The trade union movement was united till the eve of independence in 1947.

A few months before independence from British rule the Congress Party decided to form its own union because AITUC had come under the control of the communists. The INTUC was formed in May 1947 and subsequently this led to further splits. In 1948 the socialists/ social democrats broke away from INTUC to form a ‘non Congress, non-Communist union’ named HMS (Indian Workers’ Union) and similarly other political bodies decided to either break away from the existing unions or form their own unions. This not only led to the proliferation of unions but also to linking unions to political parties. While it is true that most trade unions in the world have links with political parties, the difference with India is that political parties run trade unions and the latter can rarely take an independent stand without the backing of its parent political party.

The reason for drawing on the past was to show that the trade union movement had its share of splits but it united at a time of a major economic crisis on order to protect the interests of labour. This has not happened now. The irony is that all 11 national centres have increased their membership by three to five times since 2002, but this has not increased the effectiveness of the movement. Invisibility of labour today is mainly because of the infighting among trade unionists. The government and the employers know that such a movement is incapable of challenging its policies on a sustained basis. 
( Source :http://column.global-labour-university.org By: Sharit Bhowmik, chairperson and  professor at the Centre for Labour Studies, Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS), India. &  convener of the Global Labour University programme at TISS. )
Posted by: AIPEU -GDS (NFPE) Odisha Circle. 

India: Nation-wide Strike on 20-21 February 2013

All trade union centres in India have decided to organise a two-day strike on 20-21 February 2013. The trade unions have 10 demands that constitute the major problems facing the working class. What is significant is that all trade unions have come together to fight for the rights of labour. This itself is a significant advance for the working class in the country that is badly divided. Let us examine the situation as it exists.

Trade unions are the main organisations that could counter the government’s anti-worker, anti-employment policies. Unfortunately the labour movement is fractured as workers are divided into a huge number of trade unions. Apart from the 11 trade union centres there are hundreds of thousands of trade unions, most of whom are fighting each other rather than tackling problems with employers or the state. 


Issues before the labour movement 
 
The problem with the labour movement is not merely that of the multiple trade unions but it is also that most of the unions are appendages of political parties. This seriously affects their independence. Unions aligned to the ruling party become less assertive in putting forth the demands of their members. For example, there have been attempts in the past to unify the diverse trade unions for united action against certain policies of the ruling Congress government but the Indian National Trade Union Congress (INTUC) of the Congress Party never joined in the protests. In fact INTUC was the largest trade union at the time when structural adjustment policies were introduced but it remained silent. Similarly when the Bharatiya Janata Party-led government was in power the Bharatiya Mazdur Sangh (BMS), which became the largest trade union at that time, refused to question the policies of the government. There have been noticeable changes during the last few years as INTUC and BMS have decided to form a common front. Other trade unions such as those of regional parties, some of whom were averse to joining hands with left trade unions, have also agreed to join the front.

Over the years there has been a rapid increase in informal employment the pace of which increased after 1991. At present informal employment comprises 93% of the total employment of 470 million in the country while formal employment comprises a mere 7%. The trade unions operate mainly among formal sector workers. The informal workers are largely unorganised. There are very few unions that want to unionise these workers. A major exception is the Self Employed Women’s Association (SEWA) which is the largest union of informal workers. By the strength of its membership and its presence in different states of the country it has been recognised as a trade union centre and is also a member of ITUC (along with Hind Mazdoor Sabha (HMS) and INTUC). Other trade unions have realised the importance of organising informal labour. 

Main demands 
 
Of the ten demands put up at least six of them relate to problems of informal workers. These are: a national floor wage of Rs. 10,000 per month, the removal of contract labour and in the meantime contract workers should receive the same wages and facilities as permanent workers, the compulsory recognition of trade unions by management within 45 days of application, retirement benefits for all workers, pension for all workers and social security cover for informal workers.

The existence of casual and contract labour in large companies has reached wide-ranging proportions. Contract workers are not directly employed by the companies to which they provide labour. They are employees of labour contractors who are appointed by these companies. These workers work alongside the permanent workers doing exactly the same type of work, but they are paid one-third (or less) of the wages paid to permanent workers. Hence it is quite common to find that permanent workers constitute only 30% of the workforce in companies while the rest is contract labour. Most of the automobile manufacturing companies function in this manner. Offices too have contractors employing security guards and even white collar employees.

Wages in the informal sector are not regulated and are very low. By insisting on wage floor the unions hope to uplift the conditions of these workers. However the minimum wage demanded is actually quite low for urban areas. A needs-based minimum wage that would fulfil the minimum needs of a family would have to be at least 50% higher. Unionisation is difficult as these workers do not have the security of employment nor do they have any post-retirement benefits. Compulsory recognition of unions would imply that the employers have to accept the existence of trade unions as negotiating bodies.

The other demands include curbing rising costs, growing unemployment, the implementation of labour laws and stopping the privatisation of the public sector. 


Will the strike solve the main problems of labour? 
 
Given the fact that the trade unions are divided on most issues, uniting for this strike could be seen as a progressive step. However there are several issues involved. The most important is, can such a movement be sustainable? Do trade unions of different hues come together to protest on a given day/s and then return to their sectarian practices? If one looks at the strike from this perspective it will appear as a ritual, in fact an annual ritual. Such representations of unity are not new as they have happened in the past but with little effect on the labour movement.

The first such instance took place in 2011 when around 500,000 workers representing all the centres (including INTUC and BMS, the former is close to the ruling Congress Party and the latter to the main opposition party, Bharatiya Janata Party) had a demonstration in Delhi to press for similar demands. The leaders submitted their demands to the Prime Minister who assured them that he would discuss the issues in detail with them shortly. This whole episode went unnoticed. The press in India did not report this (although the BBC and CNN gave it wide coverage). Two years have passed and the Prime Minister has yet to invite labour leaders for talks on the demands put up.

The next year, the united front of trade unions decided to change their tactics. They announced that there would be a nation-wide strike on 28 February 2012. This strike did invite press coverage because the unions of bank employees joined the strike and the financial sector in the country was at a stand-still. However besides this achievement the strike achieved nothing else. In this case too the government was not willing to discuss the issues raised or it gave vague assurances for some of them. Hence it seems unlikely that this two-day strike will have the desired effect on the government because while the strike can be used to showcase working class unity, will this last beyond these two days? Had this been a sustainable and continuous struggle it could bear fruits, but tokenism cannot achieve anything positive. 


Learning from the past 
 
The trade union movement in India started as a united movement with the founding of the All India Trade Union Congress (AITUC) on 31 October 1920. This union comprised all shades of politics including the communists, the Congress and other independent trade unionists. AITUC faced a crisis in 1929 when the colonial government appointed the Royal Commission on Labour in India. In its conference in Calcutta in that year, a majority supported the line that trade unions should boycott the commission. A section felt that trade unions must cooperate with the commission as labour may benefit by its recommendations. The majority view prevailed, but the minority broke away to form another trade union centre called Indian Labour Federation. In the following year (1930) the communists broke away on a political issue and formed the Red Flag Trade Union Federation. However the crisis caused by the Great Depression and the subsequent rise in prices affected the working class the most. The splinter unions decided that to confront these problems labour must be united and they rejoined AITUC in 1935. The trade union movement was united till the eve of independence in 1947.

A few months before independence from British rule the Congress Party decided to form its own union because AITUC had come under the control of the communists. The INTUC was formed in May 1947 and subsequently this led to further splits. In 1948 the socialists/ social democrats broke away from INTUC to form a ‘non Congress, non-Communist union’ named HMS (Indian Workers’ Union) and similarly other political bodies decided to either break away from the existing unions or form their own unions. This not only led to the proliferation of unions but also to linking unions to political parties. While it is true that most trade unions in the world have links with political parties, the difference with India is that political parties run trade unions and the latter can rarely take an independent stand without the backing of its parent political party.

The reason for drawing on the past was to show that the trade union movement had its share of splits but it united at a time of a major economic crisis on order to protect the interests of labour. This has not happened now. The irony is that all 11 national centres have increased their membership by three to five times since 2002, but this has not increased the effectiveness of the movement. Invisibility of labour today is mainly because of the infighting among trade unionists. The government and the employers know that such a movement is incapable of challenging its policies on a sustained basis. 
( Source :http://column.global-labour-university.org By: Sharit Bhowmik, chairperson and  professor at the Centre for Labour Studies, Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS), India. &  convener of the Global Labour University programme at TISS. )
Posted by: AIPEU -GDS (NFPE) Odisha Circle. 

AIPEU-GDS(NFPE) A.P CIRCLE CONFERENCE


1st  Circle Conference of AIPEU-GDS(NFPE) A.P Circle has been held in (Com.D. Ramasubbareddy Nagar) Tulja Bhawan, Kachiguda, Hydeabad-500 027.
Flag hoisting program : NFPE, AIPEUGr.C., P-IV and GDS flags were hoisted by Com.K.V.Sridharan, Com.R.Sivannarayana, Com.Sk.Humayun & P.Pandurangarao respectively.
On 24th February, Open session has been conducted under the Presidentshp of Com.V.Vijayakrishan, President of GDS NFPE, Com.T.Suresh Kumar, General Secretary, Reception Committee invited all the leaders and guests to the dias. Welcome speech made by Chairman, Reception Committee for Circle conference, Com.M.Janardhanreddy, Chairman, AP Public Sector Employees Federation. Session was inaugurated by Com.R.Sudha Bhaskar, General Secretary, CITU, A.P., and Com.K.V.Sridharan, Former General Secretary, AIPEU Gr.C (CHQ) & Leader, JCM Staffside made an elaborated speech about the history of ED system and the present situation of GDS and future of GDS in the Postal Department besides narrated the struggles conducted for GDS by  NFPE in befitting manner.
Com.R.Sivannarayana, General Secretary, AIPEU-Gr.C, Com.S.K.Humayun, Preisedent (CHQ) & Circle Secretary, AIPEU PM&MTS/Gr.D., Com.D.A.S.V.Prasad, Circle Secretary, Gr.C., Com.V.Murukan, Financial Secretary, GDS(NFPE) CHQ and Com.B.Padmavathi, President, AP Postal Women Committee are present and addressed the session.
On 25th Subject Committee has been held with the participation of nearly 300 GDS comrades representing from 37 Divisions and 18 branches of AIPEU GDS (NFPE)  in the Circle.
Com.P.Mohan, General Secretary, AIPCPCCWF, Com. R.J.Madhusudanarao, Circle Secretary, AIRMS MMSEU Gr.C were also present and addressed the session.
The following office bearers were elected unanimously for AIPEU GDS (NFPE) A.P Circle.
President      : Com.V.Vijayakrishna, Srikakulam Division
Vice President  : Com.K.Manohar, Anakapalli Division
                          : Com.N.Sammaiah, Warangal Division
                         : Com.S.Narasimhulu, Proddatur Division
Secretary            : Com.P.Pandurangarao, Gudur Division
Asst. Secretary  : Com.S.Venu, Narasaraopet Division
                   : Com.K.Jaganmohan reddy, Ongole Division
                 : Com.K.Nageswararao, Rajahmundry Division
                   : Com.M.Srinivasarao, Guntur Division
Treasurer        : Com.K.N.Chary, Secunderabad Division
Asst.Treasurer:Com.Ch.Sanjeevareddy,Peddapalli Division
Orgg. Secretary:Com. C.H.A.S.N.Murthy, Bhimavaram Division
                : Com.E.Munikannaiah naidu, Tirupati Division
               : Com.A.Jalapathi, Adilabad Division
               : Com.K.Muktar Ahmed, ‘Z’ Dn, Hyderbad
Posted by: AIPEU-GDS (NFPE) Odisha Circle.

Monday, February 25, 2013

Transfer and Posting order of the JAG Officers of the Indian Postal Service Group-A

The following transfer and posting order of the JAG Officers of the Indian Postal Service Group-A has been issued vide Directorate Memo No.2-8/2013-SPG dated 21st February, 2013.
Sl. No.
Name of the Officer
Presently Posted
Posting on Transfer
1
Sh. Pranav Kumar (IPoS-1995)
Director New Delhi GPO, Delhi Circle
Director (Mails& SP), Delhi Circle
2
Sh. A.K. Sing(IPoS-1989)
DPS, North Region, Muzaffarpur, Bihar Circle
Director (BD & Mktg), Odisha Circle
3
Sh. Pranoy Sharma (IPoS-1998)
OSD to Secretary (Posts)
AGM (BP), BD & M Directorate, New Delhi
4
Sh. Pawan Ku. Sing (IPoS-2000)
Director (BD, Tech & Mktg), Odisha Circle
DPS (HQ), Odisha Circle
5
Sh. Aman Sharma
Director (Mails& SP), Delhi Circle
OSD to Secretary (Posts)

Postal department stamps its class



BERHAMPUR: Stamps of pre-independence era and present times on various aspects like sports, cinema, personalities and India's rich cultural heritage and biodiversity are being displayed at the two-day district-level philatelic exhibition 'Rushipex-2013', which opened at post master general (PMG) office here on Saturday.
Different dances, monasteries, flora and fauna of various countries, including India, Nepal, Bhutan, North Korea and South Korea and the UK, depicted through stamps are also on display in the exhibition, organized by postal department (Berhampur division). Berhampur University vice chancellor JK Mohapatra inaugurated the exhibition.
'Odisha in Stamps' - a special section has also been put up, where stamps from different periods were displayed. Special covers and old postal letters of various countries with brief backgrounds are also displayed in at least 70 frames.
"The stamps are not merely collection of pictures. These reflect the rich cultural heritage and political history of the country. It's an occasion for the students to understand rich culture of other countries too," the vice chancellor said.
The exhibition was organized to encourage the younger generation to develop philately as a hobby and educate it on significance of stamps, said PMG ( Berhampur) SP Rajlingam.
He also highlighted different activities of India Post.
Archaeologist Jeevan Kumar Patnaik said, "Stamps on particular subjects will help a lot of researchers." There is a also a provision for sale of some old Indian stamps at the exhibition.
Source : The Times of India, 24, Feb, 2013
 Posted by: AIPEU -GDS (NFPE) Odisha Circle.                                                          

India Post to enter banking space



The Indian postal department plans to enter the banking business with RBI deciding to grant new bank licences to entities with credible track-record.
Sources said the Department of Posts, which a strong foot print in rural areas, has appointed Ernst and Young as consultant for proposed 'Post Bank'.
"Ernst and Young is expected to submit detailed project report by April 2013, after which all necessary measures will taken up to apply for banking licence,"a source at Ministry of Communications and Information Technology told PTI.
Sources added that Department of Post (DoP) may need Cabinet approval for setting Post Bank of India.
The Reserve Bank of India today issued the much-awaited guidelines for new banking licences. Among other terms, new banks should open at least 25 per cent of branches in unbanked rural centres.
Of the 1.55 lakh post offices, around 24,000 district offices may be ready to offer banking services in next two years. Post offices are being enabled by core banking solution's connecting nationwide branches as part of an transformative IT project.
DoP is in process of setting up 1,000 ATMs.
The country has around 90,000 bank branches at present.
"Post Bank shall not only take care of the banking needs of the rural poor but shall also converge with micro-insurance and micro-remittance services of the Department of Posts," the source said.
The head offices chosen for setting up ATMs covers all the states, with Andhra Pradesh leading the tally at 100 ATMs, followed by Tamil Nadu (92) and Uttar Pradesh (73).
As many as 61 ATMs would be set up in Maharashtra, 60 ATMs in Karnataka, 51 ATMs each in Kerala and Rajasthan.
As per data shared with Parliament, there were over 26 crore operational small savings accounts in the post offices as on March 31, 2012 having deposits worth Rs 1.9 lakh crore.
Source : Business Standard, 25, Feb, 2013
Posted by: AIPEU-GDS (NFPE) Odisha Circle.                                                                            

Saturday, February 23, 2013

If unions are not engaged in talks, another strike will follow: Dasgupta

 The two-day strike by the Central trade unions against the government’s “apathy” towards the working class came up in the Lok Sabha on Friday, with some members warning that there could be another agitation if trade unions are not engaged in talks.
Raising the issue during zero hour, Gurudas Dasgupta (CPI), who is also leader of the All-India Trade Union Congress (AITUC), said 44 crore workers, who were the mainstay of production in the country, were not getting appropriate remuneration and the government was neglecting them.
Referring to the two-day strike, he said the trade unions did not want to resort to such actions but were forced to do so by the government. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh made an “innocent appeal through press” for talks. “The Prime Minister offers talks to trade unions through the press. Does he talk to the corporates also through the press?”
Mr. Dasgupta said the Prime Minister had formed a committee of four Ministers to talk to trade union leaders, but in the meeting that took place, Finance Minister P. Chidambaram was not present. Labour Minister Mallikarjuna Kharge also called trade union leaders for talks, but he had “nothing to offer.”
Mr. Dasgupta warned that if the government did not engage with trade unions, there would be another nationwide strike.
CPI(M) leader Basudeb Acharia and Janata Dal (United) chief Sharad Yadav associated themselves with Mr. Dasgupta’s views.
“Strike a success”
Meanwhile, the Left parties have congratulated the working class, employees and other sections of the working people who made the two-day general strike a “magnificent success.”
“The workers struck work in all industries and commercial sectors. The strike was effective in the petroleum, coal, mining, port and dock, banking and insurance sectors. State government offices were also affected by the strike. The participation of workers in the unorganised sectors was also notable,” a statement issued by the Left parties here said.
“The Central government has to immediately address the demands raised by the general strike and take steps to fulfil them, otherwise bigger actions will follow. This is a wake-up call to the government to stop the anti-people and anti-working class policies,” said the statement issued jointly by Prakash Karat, general secretary of Communist Party of India (Marxist); S. Sudhakar Reddy, general secretary, Communist Party of India; Debabrata Biswas, general secretary of the All India Forward Bloc; and T.J. Chandrachoodan, general secretary of the Revolutionary Socialist Party. 
Source : The Hindu, 23, Feb, 2013
Posted by: AIPEU-GDS (NFPE) Odisha Circle.                                                                                 

"Strike a success, another agitation if no talks with trade unions"

India News: After the lukewarm response it received, the two-day strike by the Central trade unions against the government's apathy towards the working class came up in the Lok Sabha on Friday, with some members warning that there could be another agitation if trade unions are not engaged in talks.
Raising the issue during zero hour, Gurudas Dasgupta (CPI), who is also leader of the All-India Trade Union Congress (AITUC), said 44 crore workers, who were the mainstay of production in the country, were not getting appropriate remuneration and the government was neglecting them.

Referring to the two-day strike, he said the trade unions did not want to resort to such actions but were forced to do so by the government. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh made an â€Å“innocent appeal through press” for talks. â€Å“The Prime Minister offers talks to trade unions through the press. Does he talk to the corporates also through the press?”

Mr. Dasgupta said the Prime Minister had formed a committee of four Ministers to talk to trade union leaders, but in the meeting that took place, Finance Minister P. Chidambaram was not present. Labour Minister Mallikarjuna Kharge also called trade union leaders for talks, but he had â€Å“nothing to offer.”

Mr. Dasgupta warned that if the government did not engage with trade unions, there would be another nationwide strike.

CPI(M) leader Basudeb Acharia and Janata Dal (United) chief Sharad Yadav associated themselves with Mr. Dasgupta̢۪s views.

Meanwhile, the Left parties have congratulated the working class, employees and other sections of the working people who made the two-day general strike a â€Å“magnificent success.”

â€Å“The workers struck work in all industries and commercial sectors. The strike was effective in the petroleum, coal, mining, port and dock, banking and insurance sectors. State government offices were also affected by the strike. The participation of workers in the unorganised sectors was also notable,” a statement issued by the Left parties here said.

â€Å“The Central government has to immediately address the demands raised by the general strike and take steps to fulfil them, otherwise bigger actions will follow. This is a wake-up call to the government to stop the anti-people and anti-working class policies,” said the statement issued jointly by Prakash Karat, general secretary of Communist Party of India (Marxist); S. Sudhakar Reddy, general secretary, Communist Party of India; Debabrata Biswas, general secretary of the All India Forward Bloc; and T.J. Chandrachoodan, general secretary of the Revolutionary Socialist Party.

Violence, including attack on those who turned up for work in Noida, burning of their cars and other vehicles, and mowing down of a trade unionist in Ambala district of Haryana, marred the first day of the two-day all-India general strike called by 11 central trade unions.

In Ambala, local leader Narinder Singh was fatally knocked down by a State-owned roadways bus, which he and his fellow protesters attempted to stop.

The strike call evoked mixed response across the country on Wednesday.

The functioning of banks, insurance companies, transport, coal, telecom and oil industries, central and State government undertakings, and Central/State government offices in many places was affected. Kerala, Tripura, Bihar were among the worst-affected States.

During the two-day strike in Delhi, government offices functioned as usual but not many autos or taxis were seen on the road. In some States there was only lukewarm response.

Stray incidents of violence occurred in Odisha and Karnataka. There was only partial response in Tamil Nadu with shops open as usual, and taxis and auto-rickshaws plying normally in some cities. Workers took out rallies, held protest meetings, dharnas near their place of work in various cities across the country.

Commuters, patients, students, vendors, and those arriving at or going to airports, bus stands, railway stations and offices were put to great hardship due to non-availability of transport in many places.

However, flight and train operations remained unaffected. The unions were demanding, among other things, check on price rise, more employment generation, better social security to the unorganised workers, ban on contract labour system, and fixing minimum wages at Rs. 10,000 a month.
Source :  http://www.keralanext.com/news/2013/02/23/article103.asp

Coming soon, Post Bank of India

 The postal department plans to enter the banking business with the Reserve Bank of India deciding to grant new bank licences to entities with credible track-record.
Consultant appointed
Sources said the Department of Posts, which has a strong foot print in rural areas, has appointed Ernst and Young (E&Y) as the consultant for the proposed ‘Post Bank’
“Ernst and Young is expected to submit a detailed project report by April, after which all the necessary measures will be taken up to apply for banking licence,” a source at the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology told PTI.
The sources added that the Department of Post (DoP) might need Cabinet approval for setting up Post Bank of India.
Of the 1.55 lakh post offices in the country, around 24,000 district offices may be ready to offer banking services in the next two years.
The DoP is in process of setting up 1,000 ATMs.
“Post Bank shall not only take care of the banking needs of the rural poor but shall also converge with micro-insurance and micro-remittance services of the DoP,” the source said.
As per data shared with Parliament, there were over 26 crore operational small savings accounts in post offices as on March 31, 2012, having deposits worth Rs.1.9 lakh crore. 
Source : The Hindu, 23 Feb, 2013

Friday, February 22, 2013

Assumption of charge


The following officers assumed their charges today the 22nd February, 2013 in their new place of posting in PS Group "B" cadre.
Sl No
Name of the Officer
Assumed the charge in the Post
1
Sri D K Samal
Asst. Director(SB/FS),CO, Bhubaneswar
2
Sri. K C Chinara
Superintendent, Bhadrak Division.
3
Sri N.K. Samal
Dy. Manager, Postal Printing Press, Bhubaneswar vice vacant post