CITU CONGATULATES COAL WORKERS FOR MAGNIFICENT COUNTRYWIDE UNITED STRIKE ON OCTOBER 10

The Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU) congratulates the coal mine workers for their magnificent united strike action on 10th October 2011 which led to almost total standstill in operation in the mines and other units of all the nine subsidiary companies under Coal India Ltd viz., ECL, BCCL, CCL, NCL, WCL, SECL, MCL, NEC and CMPDIL and also in Singarenny Collieries in AP. As per even the assessment made by management of Coal India Ltd, out of 456 work-units in its nine subsidiary companies, in 421 production and operation got completely paralysed, and in 11 units, there was some work and rest 24 units were exempted from strike, those being hospitals and other emergency services. In Singarenny collieries also strike was massive.

All the five major workers federations of all affiliations jointly called for one day strike to protest against Coal management’s rigid and unreasonable stand on the just demand for performance linked annual bonus for the workers commensurate with profit and dividend pay-out. The Federations also demanded to ensure coverage of bonus-payment for all the contract workers in the coal industry in due recognition to their contribution to production and profitability of the industry. The most unreasonable and rigid position taken by the management on the just demands of the workers compelled the workers to resort to strike action.

CITU congratulates the coal workers and their federations and unions for the unprecedented unity and resolve they demonstrated through this historic total strike action in all the collieries and establishments spread over length and breadth of the country. CITU is confident, the federations will remain firm and united to prepare for further struggle to compel the management and the Govt to concede to the just demands of the workers which will go a long way for strengthening the struggle for forthcoming wage negotiations in coal industry and also against the retrograde move for contractorisation and outsourcing.

CPIM demands judicial probe into Kozhikode firing

The Communist Party of India (Marxist) has demanded a judicial probe into police firing on students at Government Engineering College here yesterday. Inaugurating a dharna Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI) demanding ouster of student Nirmal Madhav, who got admission by violating norms, party State Secretary Pinarayi Vijayan said today a judicial probe could only unravel the government’s role into the firing. Stating that the police had opened fire on Students Federation of India activists, who were on a peaceful agitation, he also demanded stringent action against the police officers involved in the incident.He said the officer, who opened fire was 'mad' as he resorted to the action without provocation and clearance from a magistrate. Justifying the SFI stir, he said Nirmal Madhav, who had completed only two semsters in a private self-financing college, was not eligible for admission to a government engineering college that also in the fifth semester. Cautioning that the brutal police action could not weaken mass movements in the state, he said the agitation by the student and the youth wings of the party would continue till its logical conclusion. More than 30 people, including SFI State Secretary P Biju, were injured in police lathicharge on agitators at the college premises.

Condemn the killing of jute farmars in Assam

AIKS condemns the barbaric killing of four jute farmers in police firing in Assam’s Darrang District on 10th October, 2011. We express heartfelt condolences to the families of the victims and express solidarity with the peasantry who are fighting for a just cause.

The farmers were demanding fair and remunerative prices for their jute crop. Jute farmers have been pushed to dire straits by extremely low Minimum Support Prices (MSP) announced over time. The Congress Government in the Assam as well as the Congress-led UPA Government has been insensitive to the plight of the jute farmers and the farmers have not been getting even the meager MSP fixed by the Government. Since the Government has shirked from its responsibility of procurement, the private buyers have been given a free hand to exploit the situation. They are paying as low as Rs.700/- per quintal only for jute although the Government announced Rs.1675/- per quintal. In Assam the Jute Corporation of India has fixed the price between Rs.1350/- to Rs.1675/- per quintal. It is notable here that the AIKS had demanded a MSP of Rs.3000/- per quintal for 2011-12.

AIKS demands immediate action against the police officials responsible for the brutal killings. Appropriate compensation must be paid immediately to families of each of the deceased farmers. We demand that the Central Government immediately announce an MSP of Rs.3000/- per quintal and the Government must procure directly from the farmers. Strong deterrent action must be taken against the traders who are exploiting the farmers.

A delegation of AIKS Assam Unit will be visiting the families of the victims to express solidarity and also meet the concerned authorities to press for the above demands.

The CPI (M) has strongly decried the role of the police in the incident. In a statement, the CPI (M) said that the farmers were compelled to resort to agitation seeking just price for their produce as they had been languishing for not getting the minimum price in return for their toil. “We condemn the police firing…it exposes the anti-people face of the State Government which is giving the agitating farmers bullets instead of mitigating their woes through an appropriate mechanism,” it said, adding that it wanted the guilty police officials to be punished besides adequate compensation to the families of victims.