Saturday 3 September 2016

Magnificent Response to Strike Call by All Trade Unions!

180 Million Indian Workers & Employees Struck Work on 2nd September!

This must be a Guinness record! 18 Crores of Indian Workers (180 Million) went on a nationwide strike on 2nd September, 2016. Many Nations do not have this much population in their countries! The strike, 17th in its number against the neo-liberal policies  of successive Central Governments is an indication of growing discontentment against the attitude of Modi Government towards labour in general! 

The Postal Employees responded magnificently in several states.The response is reportedly better than last strike. Several Head Post Offices and Post Offices found closed totally with not even a single employee turned for work. The attempt of the Central Government to announce implementation of Bonus Ceiling 7000/- instead of 3500/- to CG Employees from last financial year did not deter the CG Employees in general and the Postal Employees in particular from participating in the strike action. The announcement that the NPS covered Employees will get Gratuity did not prevent the newly recruited employees on or after 1.1.2004 from joining the mainstream of workers and employees in the Strike. The implementation of 7th CPC as well as payment of arrears before 31st August also not created any confusion amongst the CG Employees. The indication is very clear! That if the pending High Power Committees fail to deliver proper results in offering enhancement of Minimum Wage and Fitment Factor; fail to change the retrograde recommendations on Allowances etc, the CG Employees will not hesitate to launch the indefinte strike that has been deferred on the request of Group of Ministers!

The response of Pensioners is appreciable. The AIPRPA CHQ is receiving reports from many States that the Pensioners of AIPRPA together with other sister pensioners organisations organised either demonstrations or dharnas on 2nd Septermber, 2016 or on 1st September, 2016 in places where 2nd was a declared bandh as in Kerala. Even some of our members courted arrest by staging rasto roko as in Vellore District of Tamilnadu where four of our own Members of AIPRPA were arrested while staging a rasto roko agitation. Demonstrations and Dharna agitations were held in many District Headquarters at the call of the State COC of Central, State Government and Public Sector Pensioners Organisations of Tamilnadu. Hundreds of Pensioners responded in places like Chennai. Kerala reported demonstrations by AIPRPA in all Districts together with AIBDPA and CGPA. In many centres Pensioners joined hands with employees and staged demonstrations as in Andhra. Delhi State also held a protest demonstration. States like Jharkhand reported joint protest demonstrations with Employees and Pensioners joining hands. More reports are expected and they will be reported as soon as we get them. 

Here are some photographs of Pensioners staging demonstrations / dharnas on 1st or 2nd September:

Erode Tamilnadu
Erode Tamilnadu

Kakinada Andhra

Kakinada Andhra

Tirunelveli Tamilnadu

Tirunelveli Tamilnadu

Four Vellore Tamilnadu Comrades Senjimani (State AGS AIPRPA); S.Perumal (Vellore District Assistant Secretary AIPRPA); S.Selvaraj (Executive Member of AIPRPA Vellore); and  S.Pasupathi (Member AIPRPA Vellore) arrested on 2nd September for their Rasto Rokho agitation - released in the evening of 2nd September!

Chennai Dharna by All Pensioners Coordination Committee

Chennai Dharna - leaders addressing 



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