People's Democracy

MUMBAI

Unions Organise Seminar Against Privatisation

P R Krishnan

AS many as 13 unions representing different public sector industries in Maharashtra came on a common platform and jointly held a seminar in Mumbai on October 29, against privatisation. The discussions held and the submissions made in the 3 hours long seminar by trade union leaders from different sectors related to the multifaceted features of the process of privatisation of public sector industries,  state run services and central government departments. The venue was the Central Railway Auditorium at the Chatrapati Shivaji Terminus (CST). This programme was in continuation of the declaration adopted in a convention of public sector employees, held in Mumbai on August 21, 2004.

The audience in the fully packed auditorium for the seminar comprised trade union activists and functionaries form various public sector industries such as waterways, airways, roadways and railways, apart from representatives from nationalised banks, shipping, central government services, airports and seaports. The presidium that conducted the seminar proceedings consisted of Y G Joshi (NRMU), Naresh Birwadkar (Forward Seamen’s Union) and Nitin Jadhava (Airport Authority Employees Union). The convenor of Public Sector Employees Coordination Committee, G M V Nayak, welcomed the audience. The main speakers on the occasion were Dr K K Theckedath (convenor of the Coordination Committee of Teachers Organisations of Bombay) and K L Bajaj (general secretary of Maharashtra state committee of Centre of Indian Trade Unions).

The organisations which hosted the seminar were (1) National Railway Mazdoor Union, (2) Forward Seamen’s Union, (3) Air India Employees Guild, (4) Contract Padhat Virodhi Manch, (5) Bank Employees Federation of India, (6) Airport Authority Employees Union, (7) Insurance Employees Union, (8) BHEL Employees Union, (9) Shipping Corporation of India Staff Union, (10) Bombay University and College Teachers Union, (11) Air Corporation Employees Union, (12) Air India Guild and (13) Nava Sheva Bunder Kamgar Sanghatana. The participating speakers were P R Menon (NRUMU), Nitin Jadhav (AAEU), R P Singh (central government employees), N K Sharma (CSOA), Utham Thamnekar and G D Mishra (FSU), P N Subramanian (BEFI), Palekar (SCI) and Bhooshan Patil (NSBKS).

Through a resolution, the seminar condemned the Indian Bank Association’s proposal date June 26, 2004 to discontinue the existing practice of compassionate appointments of dependents of such employees who die while in service or who get incapacitated and cannot continue in service due to physical disablement. Instead of this existing practice, the proposal now being mooted and circulated among the member banks is to do away with this system and pay compensation to the eligible candidates in lieu of such appointments. It was the CITU’s P R Krishnan who moved the resolution on this issue. The resolution demanded withdrawal of this decision of the India Bank Association and called for continuation of the practice of compassionate appointment in the banking industry. Advocate Ajit C Chattopadhya from Calcutta seconded the resolution. S K Bose, Assistant general secretary of the NRMU, proposed a vote of thanks.

The seminar decided to continue the agitation against privatisation of public sector industries in Maharashtra and to build up wider unity among all sections of white collar as well as blue collar employees to achieve this goal.