Notice by NREU supporting National strike

NAIRUTHYA RAILWAY EMPLOYEES’ UNION (NREU)

South Western Railway-Reg.No.ALCB-4/DRT/TUA/3/2008-09

THE ONLY STAR OF SW RAILWAYMEN.

FEDERATIONS REFUSE TO STRIKE FOR YOUR CAUSE

WHILE THEY DID SO FOR BONUR IN CASH

ARE RAILWAYMEN BONDED LABOUR ?

ARE RAILWAYMEN PROHIBITED TO EXCERCISE THEIR 

RIDGT TO STRIKE UNDER SECTION 22 OF ID ACT 1947 ?

Dear Railwaymen,

In their 80 years of trumpeted labor movement in Indian Railways HAVE NEVER BEEN TRULY PRO LABOUR IS EXPOSED in the JOINT ACTION COMMITTEE MEETING held on 04.08.2012 in Talkatora Stadium in New Delhi when unashamedly CONCEDED THAT THEY CANNOT JOIN the proposed All India Nation Wide Strike on 20/21.02.2013.

THIS IS NEITHER NEW NOR NEWS WHEN THE RIGHT MINDED & LABOUR MINDED RAILWAYMEN LOOK BACK WITH ANGER ON THE REPEATED BETRAYAL OF THESE RAILWAY FEDERATIONS THAT HAS FORCED THE RAILWAYMEN TO FIND A THIRD FORCE IN THE FORM OF NREU/DREU.

So at this juncture a dosage of history is warranted WITH EVIDENCE that is found in the book titled ‘Indian Railway Strike of 1974’-authored by Shri.Stephen Sherlock who was teaching  modern history at Deshbandhu College, New Delhi. We take you to pages 10-12.

“The leadership of AIRF changed their path, sacrificed the principle of espousing the workers cause and began to act as a middleman between the Management and the workers on individual grievances. Cause of workers especially that of the open line staff, like Locomen and Station Masters were left unconcerned”

And some more from the same author:

“Till the independence there was no other industrial union in Railways. It was after the independence, i.e. in the year 1948,  the National Federation of Indian Railwaymen (NFIR) came into being at the behest of the ruling congress party, patronized by Sardar Vallabhai Patel and the then PM, Jawaharlal Nehru to counter the activities of AIRF.”

So naturally while you cannot expect NFIR (Affiliated to INTUC) EVEN DREAM OF LAUNCHING A STRIKE, AIRF could materialize ONLY ONE STRIKE almost 4 decades back-that was in the year 1974 as found in Shri.Stephen Sherlock’s book. But that was also not a SOLO STRIKE OF AIRF but that of NCCRS comprising of AILRSA, AIREC (AISMA), CITU, AITUC, BRMS and other Categorical Associations. The author speaks of the role of Station Masters in the 1974 strike in his book as under:

 “When striking Station Masters pad-locked the Gates of the huge Victoria Terminus station in Bombay in the early hours of 2nd May, they arrested their power of control over one of the greatest symbolic and physical unifiers of the Indian Nation”.

The author speaks of the capacity of the Loco Pilots (then known as Drivers) elsewhere as under while narrating 1973 strike of AILRSA.

“This time, the aggrieved locomen succeeded in organising an All-India agitation covering almost all the nine zones and immobilising most of the 11,000 locomotives on the tracks. On the second day of the strike itself, 405 trains were reported to have been cancelled, though the Railway Board had maintained that most of them were only suburban ones and that the locomen's protest had not affected the express and mail passenger trains at all.”

Dear Railwaymen,

Coming to the proposed strike on 20/21.02.2013, THE STRIKE IS INEVITABLE OWING TO VARIOUS REASONS.

In the first place it is high time Railwaymen realized the hype of better pay package arising out of 6^th CPC is no more RELEVANT AND COUNTABLE in the light of the rising prizes and the wrong policies of UPA-II Government. Have a look at the scenario created by the Government.

The end of 2012 clearly witnessed the growing divergence between the interests of the working people and the direction of the UPA II government. On the one hand, the government unequivocally declared its intention to go ahead with its neoliberal agenda. It has ensured passage of the Banking bill in the Parliament. It is going ahead with the implementation of the direct cash transfer program, renamed ‘direct benefit transfer’ program, despite wide opposition. It has put into full use its abilities to ‘manufacture majority’ in the Parliament on the issue of FDI in retail. It is a disgrace to our Parliamentary system that while the parties who spoke against FDI in retail had absolute majority in both the houses of Parliament, the government was able to muster majority when it came to voting. This also exposes the height of opportunism of these parties who shed crocodile tears for the common people but have no compunction in supporting anti people policies in practice.

The events in 2012 have also highlighted the fact that the two major national parties, the Congress and the BJP are no different as far as their commitment to the neoliberal policies is concerned, which was once more proved with the BJP supporting the Banking bill in the Parliament. Nor are they any different in the case of corruption at high places. While in power they implement these policies in their own class interests; when in opposition they oppose them to gain power so that they can implement the very same policies.

In stark contrast to the Congress, BJP and the many regional parties, it was only the Left parties who have been consistently opposing the neoliberal policies on all occasions, inside and outside the Parliament. However, their depleted strength in the Parliament has enabled the UPA government to ‘manage’ majority in the Parliament to push through the anti worker and anti people policies

2012 was also the year when the working class of the country announced, in no uncertain terms, its strong resolve to resist and push back the attacks of the neoliberal policies. The country wide strike of the Central Government employees, of the Bank employees and officers. The massive country wide response to the call of the central trade unions for the Jail Bharo programmed and the huge March to Parliament as a prelude to the two days’ country wide general strike on 20 – 21 February are but indications of the enthusiasm with which the working class of the country is preparing for the struggles ahead. This unity not only of the working class, but also with all sections of the toiling people needs to be strengthened in the coming days. BMS, INTUC, HMS, CITU, AITUC, AIUTUC, TUCC, AICCTU, UTUC, LPF, SEWA, Central Govt, State Government, Insurance, Banking and other unorganized sector federations will be a part of this mighty struggle.

DEAR RAILWAYMEN HERE IS WHERE NREU CALLS FOR YOUR SPECIAL ATTENTION.

WE RAILWAYMEN ARE NOT GOING TO BE A PART OF THE NATION WIDE STRIKE ON 20/21.02.2013. WHY?

WHO IS STOPPING YOU (AND THE 11 LAKH RAILWAYMEN) FROM EXERCISING YOUR ‘RIGHT TO STRIKE’ ENUMURATED UNDER SECTION 22 OF INDUSTRIAL DISPOUTE ACT 1947?

IT is the so called champions of Railwaymen’s causes, who are betraying the Indian Working Class and the Railwaymen. Now have a look at the demands to understand the betrayal by the Federations.

Charter of demands: The following are the charter of demands issues by the Confederation of Central Government Employees for Strike on 20th and 21st February 2013. 

1.       Take concrete measures to contain Price rise.

2.       Take concrete measures for employment generation.

3.       Ensure strict enforcement of all basic labour laws without any exception or exemption and stringent punitive measures for violation of labour laws.

4.       Universal social security cover for the unorganised 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 Committee on Labour.

5.       Stoppage of disinvestment in Central and State PSUs.

6.       Remove all ceilings on payment and eligibility of Bonus, Provident Fund; Increase the quantum of gratuity.

7.       Assured statutory Pension for all.

8.       Revise the wages of the Central Government employees with effect from 01.01.2011 and every five years thereafter by setting up the 7th CPC.

9.       Merge DA with Pay for all purposes with effect from 01.01.2011 .

10.    Fill up all vacant posts and creates posts n functional requirements.

11.   Stop downsizing outsourcing, contractorization, corporatization and privatization of Government functions.

12.   Implement all arbitration awards.

13.   Make the right to strike a legal and fundamental right of the Government employees on par with the other section of the working class.

14.   (a) Withdraw the PFRDA Bill.
(b) Rescind the decision to allow FDI in pension sector.
(c) Scrap the new contributory pension scheme .
(d) Extend the existing statutory defined pension scheme to all Central Govt. employees irrespective of their date of entry in Government service.

15.   Vacate all Trade Union victimisation,

ARE THE ABOVE ISSUES NOT RELEVANT AND PERTINENT TO YOU? WHY THE RAILWAY FEDERATIONS ARE NOT ALLOWING YOU TO JOIN THE STRIKE?

CHALLENGE THEM WHY THEY DID NOT STRIKE WHEN THEY APPROACH YOU FOR YOUR VOTE IN THE COMING ELECTIONS.

VOTE FOR NREU AND WE WILL ENSURE THAT YOU PARTICIPATE IN ANY NATION WIDE STRIKE IN THE FUTURE TO PROTECT THE RIGHTS OF WORKING CLASS OF INDIA AND THE RAILWAYMEN.

You may recall that the same betrayers were almost ready to strike for getting bonus through CASH payment but not for the key  issues WHILE NREU FILED A CASE IN THE DELHI HIGH COURT(Extra-ordinary Civil Jurisdiction) bearing No.WP (CIVIL) 6052/2012 on 19.09.2012.

REMEMBER NRUE IS THE ONLY STAR OF SW RAILWAYMEN.

In the meanwhile NREU/DREU extends its moral support and cooperation to the Nation Wide Strike on 20/21.02.2013.

Mass Rally on 07.02.13, 17.30 hrs from RMS/Bangalore. Com.SK Vyas, President Central Govt Employees Confederation will addrerss.

Released by Zonal Committee/NREU/SWR.-   Bangalore-04.02.2013.

NREU ZINDABAD! RAILWAYMEN UNITYZINDABAD!! CITU ZINDABAD!!!