NOINO President meets Current-in-charge

NOINO President Shri Prakash Javadekar (MP, Rajyasabha & BJP spokesperson) was on a visit to Mumbai on Friday 24th February 2012. He met the Current-in-charge of LIC, Shri D K Mehrotra. He was accompanied by Shri Ganesh Kamath, GS, NOINO; Shri Dattaraj Prabhukhanolkar, GS, NOINO, Mumbai unit; Shri Manish Patankar, President, Mumbai unit & Shri Suryakant Gawade, EC member, Mumbai IV.

The meeting was a short one. After exchanging pleasantries, Shri Javadekar touched on the following issues:-

1. One more pension option:--- Shri Mehrotraji replied that this was not possible at the moment due to the Government's approach in this matter. Moreover, LIC has the capacity to bear the burden of the remaining 14% employees who have earlier not opted for pension. But GIC may not be able to do so for their employees. Hence there is a hitch. However, the management will again make efforts to secure the option once again. Javadekarji said that he would also be using his good offices to secure this option.

2. EFEAP:----- Shri Javadekarji, who is well aware of all the important issues in LIC, also raised the issue of problems due to EFEAP implementation. Shri Mehrotra replied that all attempts were made to resolve the issue on an urgent basis.

3. Problems due to transfer of Housing loan portfolio to LICHFL:- Shri Mehrotra replied that efforts were being made to remove all impediments.

4. Biased & Arrogant attitude of SDM's in Srinagar(NZ) & Ahmedabad(WZ):---- Javadekarji stressed the fact that NOINO will not tolerate the arrogant & biased attitude(towards NOINO members & activists) of the SDM's in Srinagar & Ahmedabad & said that the management should immediately rectify the matters. Shri Mehrotraji assured to look into the matter immediately.

NOINO will continue to follow-up all the pending issues till its logical end.

Some confusion on 28th Feb. strike

It has come to our notice that the management has wrongly issued a circular regarding 28th Feb strike & has written that NOINO is participating in the strike. We have brought to the notice of the management the mistake. They are rectifying the same & are issuing a fresh circular.

This is to inform our divisional secretaries & presidents that there is no need to be confused. Our stand of only office-bearers remaining on CL is continuing which please note.

NOINO's token support to strike on 28th Feb.

We are aware that some Central Trade unions have given a call for one-day strike on February 28th for the 10 demands that have been listed below. Though these demands do not contain any demand related to Insurance sector, we very much wished to join the strike, but some practical difficulties have forced us not to participate in the Strike. However, as a token of our support, NOINO has decided that its National Office-bearers/All India EC members; Zonal/Divisional Presidents; Zonal/Divisional Secretaries will remain on one day leave. NOINO members can locally participate in the demonstrations, if any, on that day.  The ten demands of the Central Trade unions are as follows:-

1. No contractualisation of work of permanent / perennial nature and till then payment of wages and benefits to the contract workers at the same rate as available to the regular workers of the industry / establishment.

2. Amendment of minimum Wages Act to ensure universal coverage irrespective of the Schedules and fixation of statutory minimum wage at not less than Rs. 10,000 per month with indexation.

3. Removal of all ceilings on payment and eligibility of Bonus, Provident Fund; Increase in the quantum of Gratuity.

4. Assured Pension for all.

5. Compulsory registration of trade unions within a period of 45 days and immediate ratification of ILO Conventions Nos. 87 and 98.

6. Concrete measures to contain price rise.

7. Concrete measures for linkage of employment protection with the concession / incentive package offered to the entrepreneurs.

8. Strict enforcement of all labour laws.

9. Universal security cover for the unorganized sector workers without any restriction and creation of a National Social Security Fund with adequate resources in line with the recommendation of NCEUS and Parliamentary Standing Committing on Labour.

10. Stoppage of disinvestment in Central and State Public Sector undertakings.

महाशिवरात्रि

महाशिवरात्रि की हार्दिक शुभकामनाएँ !

Signature campaign – well done Mumbai..!!

Signature campaign for one more pension-option was done by NOINO from 20.12.2011 to 10.01.2012. List of pension non-optees (of all the employees irrespective of Class & cadre) were sent to all Zonal Secretaries by the Central Committee well-in-advance and they had been advised to get it bifurcated division-wise and send the bifurcated list to all the respective Divisional Secretaries for obtaining signatures from the non-optees personally.

Now that all the data in this regard have reached us, we find that City- / Town- / Unit-wise it is Mumbai which tops the list. Mumbai obtained 85.4% signatures of all the non-optees. The rest 14.6% were either on leave during the campaign period or did not wish to opt for pension. As such, it can be said that Mumbai virtually obtained 100% signatures of the non-optees. The job was not so easy. Mumbai has – 1 CO, 1 ZO, 5 Divisional Offices and more than 100 Branch Offices and other offices. To cover all these in a wide geographical area of Mumbai was a difficult job. But, Mumbai activists covered all these and contacted every non-optee available. Our heartiest congratulations to the team of Mumbai Unit which toiled day and night to get all the signatures! Prominent activists who worked hard are Shri Dattaraj Prabhukhanolkar, Shri Manish Patankar, Smt. Neeta Prabhavalkar, Shri Ketan Purandare, Smt. Ankita Rane, Smt. Trupti Bramhe, Smt. Leena Ghatpande, Smt. Saroj Kurdukar, Shri Surendra Chitnavis, Smt. Vibha Pai, Smt. Yogita Moharir, Kum. Renuka Rao and others. Our compliments to all of them!

Zone-wise Western Zone tops the list. Western Zone obtained 62.02% signatures of all the non-optees within the Zone. Our hearty congratulations to Shri V.V.Purkar, Zonal President and Shri V.V.Shastri, Zonal Secretary!

We thank all the activists who took active participation in this successful campaign.

GENERAL STRIKE on 28th February 2012

All Central Trade Unions including Bhartiya Mazdoor Sangh (BMS) has made an appeal to the mass of the entire working class and general people to join the call for a countrywide GENERAL STRIKE on 28^th February 2012. The main demands are:

v      Bring back Black-Money deposited in overseas banks & in India and invest the same in the Industries and generate  employment

v      Stop Privatisation, Contract system and Outsourcing, Regularise the contract workers, Equal pay for equal work.

v      Strict enforcement of all basic labour laws without any exception or exemption. Labour policy should be in favour of Labours. Stringent punitive measures to Employers for violation of labour laws.

v      Minimum wage should not be less than Rs. 11000/- per month. All payments should be made through cheques/E.C.S.

v      Declare all Aganwadi, Ashaakarmi, mid-day meal, shikshamitra, gramsewak and similar other workers   as Government employees

v      Remove all ceilings on payment and eligibility of Bonus, Gratuity and Provident Fund. Stop managing the Provident fund money by private Fund Managers. Interest rate on Provident Fund should not be less than 9.5%

v      The vacant posts should be filled-in immediately.  Restore all  Group D employees  abolished by the 6^th Pay Commission.  Create new posts according to the needs. The minimum grade Pay should not be less than Rs. 2400 per month. The A.C.P. be implemented in the Promotion Cadre as followed previously. Wage-anomalies should be removed .

v      Immediate concrete measures to contain price rise, stop future trading (Vayda Bazar), Mall culture be stopped immediately.

v      Stop destructing  Rehdi, Patri , Khomcha shopkeepers

v      Provide Pensions, Insurance  and  free medical care to all unorganized sector workers. Formation of welfare board and increase Social Security fund for them

v      Restore the Old Pension Scheme instead of New Pension scheme

v      Stop FDI in retail sector.

v      Stop disinvestment of Public Sector undertakings.

v      Take appropriate action to stop migration of the villagers by creating new job opportunity. Under Mahatma Gandhi NAREGA Scheme compulsory wages must be for minimum 200 days in place of 100 days

v      Formulate Wage Boards immediately in private sector industries i.e. Jute, Textiles, Engineering, Sugar, Distillery etc.

v      Rate of Commissions for all the Agents working under Post Offices for small saving schemes be the same as  before and deductions should be returned back. 

v      Registration of Trade Unions should be within a period of 45 days and all labour disputes should be settled with in maximum period of six months time.

v      Abolish SEZ in Toto.

A decision would be taken by NOINO in this matter shortly.