Left favours right to strike: CITU

The Left parties are supporting the workers' right to go on strikes and countering the Pension Fund Regulatory Authority Bill, CITU State president S. Veeraiah said on Sunday. Speaking at the 21st general conference of LIC Employees Union's at the LIC Divisional Office here, he said India could withstand the global economic crisis on account of the stand of the Left parties that public sector undertakings and financing agencies should be in the Government's control. The Nuclear Bill and reforms were delayed by four years owing to pressure from the Leftists. The onslaught on workers' rights was also resisted by the Communists, Mr. Veeraiah said.

Employment of four crore persons was safeguarded due to 13 nationwide-strikes organised by Communist parties, the CITU leader said. Employees and workers must strive to safeguard pro-worker Governments in West Bengal, Kerala and Tripura, Mr. Veeraiah said. All India Insurance Employees Association national joint secretary V. Ramesh said LIC employees secured a good pay revision recently. He wanted a concerted movement to oppose Bills on increasing foreign direct investment in the insurance sector.

LIC Senior Divisional Manager M. Veerabhadra Rao, union president A. Sultan Mohiddin, general secretary B.V.S. Raju, union's zonal president B. Rajendra Kumar, joint secretary Clement Xavier Das and Class I union general secretary D. Basava Raju, LIC Pensioners Association president S. Khader Basha and CITU district general secretary A. Ramamohan participated.

(Courtesy : The Hindu)

Report confirmed: U.S. intelligence hand behind attempted Ecuadorian coup

THE uprising against President Rafael Correa by a coup faction within the Ecuadorian police force is confirmed in an alarming report into the infiltration of this force by U.S. intelligence services published in 2008, which states how many members of the police departments were developing a "dependency" on the U.S. embassy in that South American country.

The report specifies that certain police units "have an informal economic dependence on the United States in terms of paying informants, training, equipment and operations."

The systematic use of corruption techniques on the part of the CIA in order to secure the "good will" of police officers was exposed on many occasions by former CIA agent Philip Agee who, prior to leaving the agency, was assigned to the U.S. embassy in Quito.

In his official report, published at the end of 2008, Ecuadorian Defense Minister Javier Ponce revealed how U.S. diplomats dedicated themselves to corrupting police officers and also officers within the Armed Forces.

Confirming that fact, the leadership of the Ecuadorian police force then announced it intended to sanction its agents who were collaborating with Washington, while the U.S. embassy declared the "transparency" of its support for Ecuador.

"We are working with the Ecuadorian government, the military and the police, for very important security purposes," declared Heather Hodges, the U.S. ambassador in Quito.

However, the diplomat told journalists that she would make no comment "on intelligence issues."

For her part, press attaché Marta Youth categorically refused to discuss the Ecuadorian government’s condemnations, which include the CIA’s participation in an operation with Colombia which resulted in the Colombian military attack against FARC guerrillas on Ecuadorian territory on March 1 of that year.

Army intelligence chief Mario Pazmiño was removed from his post for concealing information related to the attack on the FARC.

In the past few months, U.S. officials have appeared in Ecuador on the pretext of strengthening relations between Ecuador and the United States.

Arturo Valenzuela, assistant secretary of state for Western hemisphere affairs, traveled to Ecuador and met with President Correa with a view to securing a visit by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to that country.

Valenzuela was accompanied by Todd Stern, "special envoy for climate change", is also known for his affinity to the CIA."
(Source : Granma)

Left parties to protest agaist land allotment to TIFR in Andhra Pradesh

CPI(M) Andhra Pradesh State Committee had said it would protest against allotment of over 200 acres of land to Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR) during Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's visit to the Central University on October 19th. Prime Minister is scheduled to lay the foundation stone for the TIFR campus.

A section of faculty members and students of the university have objected to the allotment of over 200 acres of the university land to the TIFR and the CPI(M) has supported their contention. "We urge the Prime Minister to cancel his programme to lay the foundation stone of the TIFR campus. If he comes here, people would see what would happen" CPI(M) leader and MP comrade P Madhu told reporters.

CPI(M) State Secretary B V Raghvulu had earlier written a letter to the Prime Minister to cancel his programme to lay the foundation for TIFR campus as the students and academic staff had reservations over the land allotment.

Leaders of Communist Party of India (CPI) and Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M), in a joint letter to the prime minister, appealed to him to cancel his proposed programme as it could be used by an “unscrupulous” administration to sanctify its “selfish” and “unreasonable land deals”. CPI leader K. Narayana said there were proposals to allot 1,000 acres more to institutions and Singh’s foundation stone laying for TIFR would enable the university to clear them.

Petrol Price Hike

The Polit Bureau of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) has issued the following statement:

 

The public sector oil companies have increased the price of petrol by 70 to 72 paise per litre. This follows an increase in September of 27 paise per litre. The price of petrol has already been increased by Re. 1 per litre in the space of three weeks. 

 

The CPI(M) strongly opposes this recurrent increase in the prices of petrol. By deregulating the petrol pricing, the government has opened the way for successive hikes in petrol prices. 

 

The rise in petrol prices will further fuel inflation. The people who are suffering from continuous food inflation will be more burdened. There is no transparency in the pricing decision making.

 

The Polit Bureau calls upon the government to scrap the deregulation in petrol pricing.

DYFI activists protest delay of trains on western line Read more: DYFI activists protest delay of trains on western line

DYFI activists protested against the delay of trains on the Western Railway (WR) line near the Andheri, Mira Road and Vasai stations.

They demanded that railway officials and motormen resolve their issues as lakhs of commuters were being affected. After an inquiry by officials, motormen have been following speed limits, thus causing delays.

"Following a meeting convened by officials to investigate the issue of motormen speeding to make up for delays, motormen are now following the rules, thus causing delays," said Shailendra Kamble, who was protesting at Andheri station.

Several activists of the Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI) protested against poor railway services and the delay of trains on the Western Railway (WR) line near the Andheri, Mira Road and Vasai stations .

The protesters demanded that the railway officials bury the hatchet with the motormen and end the rivalry that is causing delays on the WR line. Some of the other demands included the speeding up of Virar car shed construction.

"Last month, senior railway officials convened a meeting to investigate the issue of speed limits. Following this, the motormen, who would earlier make up for the delays by breaking the speed limits, started going by the rule book and following all the prescribed limits. This is clearly causing the delay and affecting commuters," said an agitated Shailendra Kamble, who was protesting at Andheri station.
(Source : The Times of India)

DYFI opposes SBI move to reappoint retired officers

The DYFI took out a march to the Local Head Office of the State Bank of India in Thiruvananthapuram on Friday in protest against the bank's move to reappoint retired hands.

I.B. Satheesh, State secretariat member of the DYFI, who inaugurated the march, deplored the reappointment of retired hands at a time when the number of the educated unemployed was swelling. It amounted to the implementation of the Centre's recruitment policy through the back door, he said.

Mr. Satheesh charged the Centre with trying to privatise the public sector undertakings under it when States, including Kerala, were strengthening the PSUs under them. As part of it, the Centre was abolishing posts, refraining from inviting applications for permanent posts, resorting to contractual appointments even in essential services and reappointing retired hands.

Mr. Satheesh held the Centre's policy squarely responsible for the increase in unemployment.

(Courtesy : The Hindu)

Definite progress in fight against Maoists: Buddhadeb Bhattacharya

CPIM Polit Bureu member and West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee on Thursday said there has been definite progress in the fight against the “politics of terror” of the Maoists in the State.

Describing the Communist Party of India (Maoist) as a “terrorist outfit” that resorted to “killing, terror and plunder,” Mr. Bhattacharjee said that “people shall not surrender to this politics of terror.”

He also alleged that the Trinamool Congress was using the left wing extremists to kill leaders and supporters of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) and convert the Jangalmahal region into a “killing field” where “the Trinamool Congress will eventually hoist their flag.”

Asked if he would also describe the Trinamool Congress as a terrorist organisation because of its alleged support to the Maoists, Mr. Bhattacharjee said: “They are supporting a terrorist organisation and in certain areas are also indulging in terrorist activities...However, on the whole we have not declared them a terrorist organisation [as per law].”

He said that over the past couple of months there had been discernible progress in the political struggle in the Maoist-affected Jangalmahal region, and that it would continue.

He was speaking at the release of a book titled “Maoism – Ideological decay, Political decline” by Nilotpal Basu, a member of the Central Committee of the CPI(M).

Criticising the politics of the Maoists, Mr. Bhattacharjee said that their activities would only provide an impetus to reactionary forces. The support that the Trinamool Congress had received from them was an example of this, he added.

Mr. Bhattacharjee said despite claims made by Maoists, their ideology had no connection with the beliefs of Mao. He said the book challenged the conviction of the Maoists that “they will be able to seize power through the murders they are committing.”

He said the Maoists had been able to gain control over a certain region, not because poor people and the Adivasis resided there, but because the area was inaccessible. “It is difficult for us to intervene in that region and easier for them to find hiding places there.”

(Source : The Hindu)

Left parties to hold protest against anti-labour policy of Tamilnadu government on October 21

Accusing the DMK government of adopting anti-labour and trade union policies, the CPI and CPI (M) on Thursday said they would jointly hold a demonstration in Chennai on October 21 to highlight these issues.

A statement issued by CPI State secretary D. Pandian and CPI (M) secretary G. Ramakrishnan alleged that instead of holding talks with trade union leaders representing 13,000 contract workers, the Neyveli Lignite Corporation (NLC) had entered into an agreement with the Labour Progressive Federation affiliated to the ruling party.

“Now the NLC management is imposing the agreement on all workers and using the police to suppress the agitation of the contract workers.” They said in the Foxconn factory at Sriperumbudur, the management had suspended 23 workers.

CITU leader A. Soundararajan and others were arrested for demanding a ballot to elect trade union representatives.

“Trade union rights are being denied in multi-national companies in the State and the government also connives with the management in anti-labour activities,” they alleged.

Secret ballot should be held in all companies to elect trade unions for representing workers.

SFI sweeps Hyderabad Central University

SFI led Secular alliance triumphs at (Hyderabad Central University) by a thumping majority. SFI had forged an alliance with ASA (Ambedhkar Students Association). SFI and ASA jointly fought the communal organisation ABVP.

The candidates who won under SFI-ASA panel are :
1 . President- Mukesh Kumar( Majority- 872)
2. General Secretary- Nagesh (Majority-951)
3. Joint Secretary - Shyam Krishna (Majority-1018)
4. Cultural Secretary- Indira Priyanka( Majority-840)
5. Sports Secretary- Uday Kumar(Majority-940)
Vice president was elected without voting(EC rejected Opposition's candidature)

All the school board members and councillors were from SFI-ASA leaving ABVP without any post. This shows the strength of secularism and this marks the end of communal forces in Hyderabad Central University. ABVP has been ruling for the last 3yrs apart from 6month rule of SFI. ABVP union was virtually a Gunda union.In this year itself they beaten SFI cadres 4 times( in March,june,july and recently in september). ABVP has attacked dalit students in these periods. ABVP have been playing dirty politics by charging baseless allegations against Senior leaders of SFI.They have been surrendering to HCU administration regarding fees hike and basic amenities.

The SFI campus president, Parameshwarudu said the victory was against broader communal forces on the campus and also against the education reforms being brought in by the Central government. “In fact, the elections were fought on these two planks,” he said.

Addressing the students,SFI unit Sec Com paramesh said it is the victory of secularism and against the communal incidents happened all across India in the last decades and he also warned the central government not to go ahead with commercialisation and privatisation of the education sector. This thumping victory is indeed the victory of students in the campus and the victory of secularism all over India.

(Source : KK@HCU)

CPIM condems the arrest of trade union leaders

CPI(M) Tamil Nadu State secretary G. Ramakrishnan condemned the re-arrest of CITU general secretary A. Soundararajan and 12 others immediately after their release on bail on Wednesday.

Com. Soundararajan and others were arrested and remanded to judicial custody on October 9 for fighting against the suspension of 23 workers and in support of a secret ballot to elect trade union leaders in Foxconn factory in Sriperumbudur. In a statement here, Mr. Ramakrishnan said Mr. Soundararajan and others were re-arrested on charges of causing damage to public property. “The government should withdraw the cases and intervene to find an amicable solution to the workers' problems in Foxconn,” he said.