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Bharat Bandh: Trade Unions Call for Nation-Wide Strike on 2 September

By Sachin Jose: September 1, 2015

INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS TIMES

The Bharath bandh will cover all public and private sectors except the Railways.

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2 SEPTEMBER , 2015

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India will witness a nation-wide strike on Wednesday, 2 September, as 10

central trade unions have decided to protest against the labour reforms

proposed by the NDA government.

The Bharat Bandh, which will be observed against the central government's

proposed amendments, will affect normal life across the country as it will

cover all public and private sectors except the Railways.

“Pune-based 'Gharelu Kamgar Kruti Samiti', a domestic workers' union, will

join the bandh to protest anti-worker policies of the government.”

"All services, except railways, will be affected including banks, transport,

civil aviation and gas and oil supply. It will be a peaceful strike," The Times

of India quoted AITUC general secretary Gurudas Dasgupta as saying.

The all-India hartal was announced in July after talks between Union Labour

Minister Bandaru Dattatreya and 11 trade union leaders hit an impasse.

Although the government agreed to some of the demands, the trade unions

declined to call off the strike, saying that the Centre had nothing concrete to

offer.

“In Bengaluru, Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) and

Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) employess will also

join the strike to protest the Road Transport and Safety Bill, 2015.”

However, trade union Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh (BMS), which is backed by

the Bharatiya Janata Party, has withdrawn from observing the all-India

strike.

BMS General Secretary Virjesh Upadhyay said the hartal will not

affect power, oil and gas supplies.

"A large number of public sector undertakings who are members of central

trade unions are not going on strike tomorrow. Thus, the services like

power, oil and gas supply will not be affected," Business

Standard quoted Upadhyay as saying

Meanwhile. the Left-backed AITUC, CITU and the Congress-backed INTUC

have urged BMS to ignore political affiliations and rejoin the all-India bandh.

"The impact of BMS pullout will be minimal on the strike on September 2.

The decision of BMS is political," added AITUC's Dasgupta.

Bharat Bandh: All you need to know

about the trade unions strike tomorrow Tuesday, 1 September 2015 - Sai Nidhi

The nationwide one day strike according to the trade unions is

supposed to be the biggest strike ever in the country.

This protest is a strike against the anti-worker economic policies of

the government.

Representational image dna Research & Archives

10 central trade unions have declared a nation-wide strike on September 2

which is said to impact essential services. This strike is to protest against the

changes that have been made in the labour laws by the NDA government.

What is it all about?

The nationwide one-day strike, according to the trade unions, is supposed to

be the biggest strike ever in the country. The protestors are striking against

the anti-worker economic policies of the government.

The sectors which are going to be affected widely will be coal, power,

cement, textiles, oil, aviation, banks, insurance and post office. The

transport sector in Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan and Punjab will be

completely closed.

"Railways won’t be affected by the strike", said Gurudas Dasgupta, General

Secretary, All India Trade Union Congress.

What are their demands?

This strike was initially decided to be called in July after talks between Union

Labour Minister Bandaru Dattatreya and 11 trade union leaders but it got

postponed to September.

The trade unions are striking against the labour reforms made by the NDA

government. Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley along with the committee

had proposed to significantly increase minimum wages and make them

mandatory across the country.

The 12-point charter of demands of the trade unions was to seek withdrawal

of labour law amendments and the land acquisition amendments ordinance.

They also demanded the government to stop privatisation and foreign

investment in railways, insurance and defence, banning speculative trade in

commodities, Universalization of Public Distribution System as well as

policies to address price hike and improve employment opportunities. It also

suggested an increase in the bonus ceiling as well as widening the coverage

of provident fund and health insurance to include construction as well as

workers in schemes such as aanganwadis.

The trade unions suggested that wages for unskilled workers could range

from Rs 7,100 to Rs 10,000 per month while for skilled workers it would

range between Rs 14,200 and Rs 20,000. Unions have demanded a

minimum wage of Rs 15,000 a month.

Responding to their demands, the government had circulated a note

explaining that it is already working on seven of the demands put ahead by

the trade unions which includes amendments to Minimum Wages Act,

Contract labour Act and providing universal society security. The

government also assured them that the Rs 1,000 minimum pension would

be continued and demands for a dearness allowance would be looked into

and no changes would be made to the Trade Unions Act, 1926.

The government in the last two months have met the trade unions thrice in

July and twice in August. It discussed their 12-point charter of demands and

even though the government have provided a solution to each of their

demands the trade unions said that the government did not offer any

tangible solution to them. The government has proposed a new formula to

calculate the minimum wages for workers and assured a minimum level of

pay for contract workers and proposed to double the bonus ceiling and the

eligibility salary limit.

The trade unions further said that the government should not include

business representatives in the forum for this purpose. Dasgupta said,

"Government doesn't discuss taxation with us. The government never said

our demands will be accepted."

The unions want the government to take a lesson and come forward for

discussion.

Who are participating in the strike?

This nation-wide strike was earlier called by 11 trade unions but RSS-

led Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh has backed out of the strike in order to let the

government deliver on its promises. BMS not only opted out of the strike but

has requested all the remaining 10 trade unions to reconsider their stand as

they want the government to try and work on their promises.

AK Padmanabhan, president, Centre of Indian Trade Unions said that

they would go ahead with the strike anyway.

The 10 trade unions who are participating in the strike are: CITU, INTUC,

AITUC, Hind Mazdoor Sabha, AIUTUC, TUCC, SEWA, AICCTU, UTUC and LPF.

Media reports say that even All-India Bank Employees' Association and

coal unions are also set to join the strike against the 'anti-worker' policies of

the NDA government.

Dasgupta said, "The impact of BMS pullout will be minimal on the strike on

September 2. The decision of BMS is political." He further accused the

government of 'playing fraud' and said BMS had become a 'victim of the

fraud'.

Taxi operators in Goa are also going to join the strike to oppose the Road

Transport Safety Bill 2014 and civilian defence employees are joining the

strike demanding a withdrawal of FDI in defence manufacturing, to reverse

privatisation of defence manufacturing.

Nearly 8,000 taxis will go off the roads in Goa as cab operators in the state

have decided to join the strike call to oppose the Road Transport safety bill

2014. "None of the taxis will operate as we have supported the strike. Even

the taxi services on airport and railway stations would be closed down,"

North Goa Tourist Taxi Owners Association secretary Vinayak Nanoskar.

Joining the strike, however, is the civilian workforce of 41 defence ordinance

factories, 52 DRDO labs, naval dockyards, military engineering services as

well as defence workshops and depots.

"The All-India Defence Employees' Federation and its affiliated unions have

already served a strike notice to the government on August 14 and we will

join the September 2 national strike," All-India Defence Employees'

Federation general secretary C Srikumar said in a statement.

The civilian defence employees demand of withdrawal of 49% FDI in defence

production and research, withdrawal of the government decision to privatise

defence production, withdrawal of the National Pension Scheme rolled out

since January 1, 2004, as well as withdrawal of arbitrary revision of labour

laws, among others.

What made BMS walk out of the strike?

The Unions demanded for the removal of all ceilings for bonus and the

government proposed to increase the bonus ceiling to Rs 10,000 from Rs

3,500. The government also increased the eligibility of the salary limit to Rs

21,000 from Rs 10,000.

Trade unions demanded for minimum wage of Rs 15,000 for all employees

and the government proposed to calculate minimum wage and included cost

of clothing and food items. They also demanded for no contract labour in job

with perennial work and that the government gives same wage for such

workers as regular ones to which the government made minimum wages for

contract workers mandatory. They made contract labour to be hired by

staffing companies and to be given social security net.

These are the three specific reasons why the RSS backed BMS walked out of

the strike. Following that the BMS also called for deferring the strike and

asked other trade unions to give more time to the government.

Virjesh Upadhyay, General secretary, BMS said, "We are happy with the

government's initiative to come forward and listen to unions in such a

creative and aggressive manner."

10 trade unions to go on strike from

tomorrow

Railways exempt but other transport sectors, banks, insurance, post and industrial sectors to be hit

BS Reporter | New Delhi September 1, 2015

Ten central trade unions said on Monday their nationwide one-day’s strike on

Wednesday would be the biggest ever in the country, despite the Rashtriya

Swayamsevak Sangh-supported Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh (BMS) breaking

ranks with them. “All sectors of the economy will be affected, except

railways (which the unions have exempted). This is a protest strike against

anti-worker economic policies of the government… The impact (of BMS

backing out) will be marginal,” said Gurudas Dasgupta, general secretary of

the All India Trade UnionCongress, at a press conference organised by the

10 unions here. Participation, he said, would be in lakhs.” BMS claims to be

second highest union in the country, with a membership of 17.1 million.

The unions said coal, power, cement, textiles, oil, aviation, banks, insurance

and the post office will be widely affected. Tapan Sen, general secretary of

the Centre of Indian Trade Unions, said the transport sector in Haryana,

Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan and Punjab would be “completely closed.”

Dasgupta slammed BMS for not participating. He said the unions had initially

decided to call a strike in July but had to defer it to September, as BMS had

said it wouldn’t participate in any strike in the first year of the National

Democratic Alliance government. “To accommodate that, we postponed to

September 2. It is unfortunate they backed out. They were of the view that

the government’s proposals were positive; our reaction is negative,” he

added.

The 10 participating unions also issued a point-to-point reply to the

government’s proposals. A group of central ministers, headed by Arun Jaitley

(finance), held meetings with the unions to get them to withdraw.

Only BMS eventually did, saying the government’s proposals were “positive.”

“The government did not offer any tangible solution to (our) demands,” went

a statement issued by the 10 unions. It appealed to BMS to not oppose the

strike. The government has proposed a new formula to calculate the

minimum wages for workers, assured a minimum level of pay for contract

workers and proposed to double the bonus ceiling and the eligibility salary

limit.

Dasgupta said the government should discuss the proposed changes to

labour laws only with the unions and not include business representatives in

the forum for this purpose. “It should be bipartite. Industry has no role in

labour laws. Government doesn’t discuss taxation with us. The government

never said our demands will be accepted. They never said there will be a

consensus,” he said. The unions said they expected the government, after

the strike, “to take a lesson and come forward for discussion”.

The unions had called a two-day strike in February 2013 and then claimed

100 million workers had participated.

Strike to paralyse entire banking sector

KOCHI, SEPT 1:

Wednesday’s all-India strike called by the central trade unions is likely to

paralyse the entire banking sector in the country as most of the major

banking unions are joining in.

Apart from the unions in the nationalised banks, those in the private sector,

foreign, cooperative and gramin banks are also going on strike. Unions in

the Reserve Bank of India and Nabard are also supporting the strike.

Banks, insurance unions to strike work

on September 2

IANS | Sep 1, 2015, 1 TIMES OF INDIA CHENNAI:

The unions in the non-life insurance sector are demanding early

conclusion of wage negotiations, finalisation of the promotion policy

and scrapping of outsourcing etc.

Employees of public sector banks and government-owned non-life insurance

companies would go on strike on Wednesday to protest against the anti-

trade union and worker policies of the central government, union leaders

said on Tuesday.

"The strike is against the anti-labour and anti-trade union policies of the

central government," K Govindan, joint secretary, General Insurance

Employees' All India Association (GIEAIA), said.

According to him, the unions in the non-life insurance sector are demanding

early conclusion of wage negotiations, finalisation of the promotion policy

and scrapping of outsourcing etc.

"There are increasing attacks on the rights and privileges of workers and

concessions are being extended to the employers in our country," CH

Venkatachalam, general secretary, All India Bank Employees'

Association (AIEBA), said.

"There are open attempts to amend labour laws in favour of the employers

and to the detriment of the workers. The neo-liberal economic policies are

only aggravating the problems of the workers and common masses," he

added.

He said 14 unions in the banking sector have given a call for the September

2 strike.

Venkatachalam said in the banking sector, there are continuous attempts to

push through the reforms agenda aimed at privatisation of banks,

consolidation and merger of banks and others.

"More and more private capital and foreign direct investments are being

encouraged. Private sector companies are being given licences to begin

banking business," he said.

According to him, Regional Rural Banks are sought to be privatised and a bill

has been passed in parliament despite protests from employee unions.

Bharat Bandh tomorrow - Mumbai public

transport to get affected

Tuesday, 01 September 2015

Kunal Chonkar | Edited by: Natasha Singh

Buses, auto-rickshaws and taxis might not run on Wednesday, September 2.

Mumbai is bound to be affected by the day-long, nation-wide strike

tomorrow that has been declared by central trade unions.

The trade and transport unions have been protesting against Central

Government’s proposed bills that will amend labour laws, contract acts,

power acts and factory acts when are enacted.

Meanwhile, employees of public-sector banks, government-run life insurance

companies and other cooperative banks will also be shutting down work

tomorrow.

Around 11 trade unions have announced that their intention to strike.

According to a release from All India Trade Union Congress (AITUC), all

services, apart from the railways, will be shut including transport, civil

aviation, banks and oil-gas supply companies.

18 state-wide employee unions in Mumbai are supporting the bandh

tomorrow. "We are participating in the strike and it will affect the working of

government-run offices, departments and establishments," said the

secretary of Maharashtra State Government Employees Confederation,

Prakash Bane.

He added that chief minister Devendra Fadnavis has given a written

assurance today to the union to hold a discussion on their demands on

September 18. "We are hoping that our demands are met. Otherwise it will

call for another strike," said Bane.

Supporting the state government employee unions and other confederations,

public-sector banks across Maharashtra have also decided to join them.

"The central government unveiled their plan to privatise all public banks in

January. Thus, we are going on a day-long strike tomorrow to protest

against the agenda of NDA," said Vishwas Utagi, convener of United Forum

of Bank Unions, Maharashtra.

Mumbai Regional Congress Committee (MRCC) and the Nationalist Congress

Party (NCP) will also be protesting at various places in the city. A protest will

be staged under the lead of MRCC chief Sanjay Nirupam against the hiked

power tariffs at Behram Baug in Jogeshwari. NCP will be demonstrating

against rising commodity prices and taxation near Bharat Mata cinema at

Parel under the leadership of Sachin Ahir.

Reports suggest that few auto-rickshaw and cab unions in Mumbai, Navi

Mumbai and Thane are also planning to join the strike.

Nationwide Trade Union Strike:

Essential Services to be Affected The Quint

CITU activists participate in a rally in support of the September 2 strike to protest against the proposed labour reforms by Central and State government, in Kolkata on Monday.

(Photo: PTI)

Essential services are likely to be impacted on Wednesday with 10 central

trade unions going ahead with a one-day nationwide strike to protest against

changes in labour laws. The BJP-backed Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh and

National Front of Indian Trade Unions have pulled out.

These ten unions claim a combined membership of 15 crore workers in

public as well as private sector enterprises, including banks and insurance

companies and they have decided to go ahead with the strike after their

talks with a group of senior ministers earlier this month failed to yield

desired results.

Union leaders said the strike will affect the functioning of essential services

like transport and supply of power, gas and oil, even as BMS claimed that

power, oil and gas supplies will not be affected as a large number of public

sector workers in these areas would not participate in the industrial action.

As many as 12 central trade unions had given this strike call over a 12-

points charter of demands, including withdrawal of the proposed anti-worker

amendments in labour laws and stopping the disinvestment and privatisation

of PSUs.

Ten unions on strike tomorrow; Govt expects minimal impact

New Delhi, Sep 1, 2015 (PTI)

Essential services like banking and public transport may be impacted tomorrow with ten central trade unions going ahead with their one-

day nationwide strike, even as the government appealed to them for calling off the agitation, which BJP-backed BMS and NFITU decided

to boycott.

While these ten unions claim to have a combined membership of 15 crore

workers in public and private sector, including banks and insurance

companies, several outfits representing informal sector workers also today

announced their support to the strike.

Labour Minister Bandaru Dattatreya, however, said he expects the impact to

be minimal. "I don't think essential services will be affected by the strike. I

feel that the impact will not be much. I appeal them to call off strike in the

interest of workers and nation," Dattatreya told reporters here.

The union leaders, however, said the strike will affect the functioning of

essential services like banking, transport and supply of power, gas and oil.

Countering this claim, Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh (BMS) said that power, oil

and gas supplies will not be affected as a large number of public sector

workers in these areas would not participate in the industrial action.

As many as 12 central trade unions had given this strike call over a 12-

points charter of demands, including withdrawal of the proposed changes in

the labour laws and stopping the disinvestment and privatisation of PSUs.

While as many as ten central unions have decided to go ahead with the

strike after their talks with a group of senior ministers last week failed to

yield desired results, the BMS pulled out saying the government needed to

be given time to fulfill its promises on the basic demands. The National Front

of Indian Trade Unions (NFITU) will also stay out.

The government also indicated that the talks with trade unions will continue

even if they go on the strike tomorrow.

On impact of the strike, Dattatreya said, "The BMS and NFITU are not in the

strike. Besides there are 2-4 organisations (unions) which are neutral." He

did not reveal the names of the 'neutral' trade unions.

He further said, "We don't want any confrontation with trade unions. The

workers' rights and interests are supreme to us. We will continue talks with

trade unions even after tomorrow's strike."

Meanwhile, various outfits for informal sector workers, under the banner of

Working People's Charter, appealed to BMS to rethink on its decision to

withdraw its support to the strike at the eleventh hour.

Speaking on behalf of the ten strike-bound central trade unions, All India

Trade Union Secretary D L Sachdev said that all ten central trade unions

recognised by the government will go on strike tomorrow.

He also claimed that "many state units of BMS will also join the strike".

Earlier in the day, BMS General Secretary Virjesh Upadhyay told reporters

that "a large number of public sector undertakings who are members of

central trade unions are not going on strike tomorrow.

"Thus, services like power, oil and gas supply will not be affected. Big PSUs

like NTPC, NHPC and PowerGrid will not observe strike tomorrow. Therefore,

the power supply will not be affected".

Upadhyay said the National Front of Indian Trade Unions has also decided

not to go on strike and wants to give some time to the government, at least

till the Winter Session of Parliament, for fulfilling its assurances like uniform

minimum wages across the board and enhancing wage ceiling for bonus.

"The strike will be observed in all organisations which are associated with

the trade unions. These include roadways, power, textile mills, cement

factories, auto-rickshaws and others," said Guman Singh, state (Rajasthan)

president of INTUC.

BMS linked roadways, power and other departments' trade unions would not

go on strike tomorrow, and over 80,000 employees would go on their job in

Rajasthan, its Executive President R B Sharma said in a press conference in

Jaipur.

"The impact of the BMS pull out will be minimal on strike on September 2.

The decision of the BMS is political," All India Trade Union Congress (AITUC)

General Secretary Gurudas Dasgupta had told reporters yesterday.

Dasgupta had said that informal sector workers like rickshaw pullers and

landless farm labourers will also participate in the strike.

The employees of state transport undertakings and coal workers will also

participate in the nationwide strike tomorrow to pitch for their agenda that

includes opposition to the Road Transport and Safety Bill in its present form

and further stake sale in Coal India.

As per the membership claims filed by the central trade unions, there are

over 13 crore members of the government recognised 12 central trade

unions. India has a workforce of 50 crore people, of which over 80 per cent

is in the unorganised sector.

Workers' unions in Punjab and Chandigarh have decided to join the

nationwide strike call given by central trade unions.

Banking services are also likely to be affected with bank employees also

announcing to observe strike tomorrow.

"As many as 3 lakh employees working in various departments in Haryana

will join the strike call tomorrow," said Subhash Lamba, General Secretary,

Haryana Sarv Karamchari Sangh.

Employees of departments which will be participating in the protest include

transport, power, education, HUDA, health, irrigation, market committees,

universities, he added.

Lamba said employees will be on strike, demanding minimum wages of Rs

15,000 per month, abolition of contractual system for hiring, non-

implementation of anti-labour laws, 7th Pay Commission from January 2016

and reining in inflation.

Haryana Roadways employees have also decided to go on strike tomorrow.

"There will be a complete Chakka Jam tomorrow as 20,000 employees of

transport department will be on strike. Around 4,000 buses will not ply on

any route in Haryana," said Sarbat Punia, representative of Haryana

Roadways Employees' Union.

In Punjab, employees of state-owned Punjab State Power Corporation

Limited have also planned to participate in the strike.

However, an official of PSPCL said duties of officers have been fixed in order

to ensure that no disruption in power generation and distribution takes place

in Punjab because of the strike.

Besides, employees of Chandigarh's transport and electricity departments

will observe strike tomorrow.

However, Chandigarh administration has said that principle of 'no work no

pay' will be strictly enforced in the city and warned of taking disciplinary

action.

Banking transactions are also likely to be adversely affected as bank

employees of public sector banks, excluding SBI, will also participate in the

strike.

Bank unions such as AIBEA, AIBOA, BEFI, INBOC, NOBW, INBEF and NOBO

will be participating in the strike, said Naresh Gaur, Secretary, Punjab

Bank Employees Federation

SUCCESS COMES TO THOSE WHO DARE TO ACT

AND NOT TO THE TIMID – JAWAHARLAL NEHRU

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