Facts about Contractorisation

QUICK study in various key industrial sectors of the country, with the help of CITU has starkly revealed the wretched conditions of contract labour and the increasing use of this evil system by employers – both public and private – to extract the last drop of blood and sweat from workers to maximise their profit margins. Explaining the decade old trend of declining wage share over net value added and profits, the study shows that in all the sectors, there is an increasing share of contract workers and they are paid wages that are often one third of their regular co-workers.

Mental Health Care Bill A Step Forward

Various commentaries have appeared in mainstream media hailing the passage of the Mental Health Care Bill (MHC) in the Rajya Sabha during its last session. Given the general lack of awareness on issues concerning mental health and psychosocial disabilities, this is welcome.Many of these commentaries, however, were confined to just one aspect of the Bill ie, decriminalisation of suicide, an issue that has been in debate for quite some time.

On the Current Events in the Kashmir Valley

On September 3, on the eve of the all party parliamentary delegation leaving for the Srinagar, general secretaries of CPI(M) and CPI, Sitaram Yechury and S Sudhakar Reddy, addressed the media at Constitution Club and issued a joint statement articulating the understanding of the present Kashmir problem and steps that need to be taken for defusing the current crisis and ultimately moving towards a solution of this worsening problem.

Obituary

Comrade V V DakshinamoorthiCPI(M) Kerala state secretariat member and former chief editor of Deshabhimani, Comrade V V Dakshinamoorthi passed away on August 30. 82 year old Dakshinamoorthi was under treatment at Kozhikode District Co-operative Hospital in Calicut for lung cancer. Comrade Dakshinamoorthi, an eminent parliamentarian and an excellent orator has been in the forefront of teachers’ movement in its founding years.

Thinking Together

There is a lot of confusion about the Aadhaar Card among large sections of people. What does the CPI(M) feel about attempts by the Modi government to make the possession of the Aadhaar card mandatory?THE CPI(M) had taken a clear position against making the Aadhar card mandatory. It was of the opinion that such a step would actually exclude millions from the benefits of government schemes and programmes. The CPI(M) was clear that while the government was promoting its use in the name of transparency, ending of corruption etc, its real intention was to keep large sections of the poor from

AIMPLB’s Propositions are Unjust

Various women’s organisations and groups that have been working with Muslim women and fighting for their rights as equal citizens in all spheres of life, have strongly condemned the patriarchal, inhuman and unjust propositions put up by the All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) to the Supreme Court in their affidavit concerning justification of triple talaq and polygamy. In a statement issued on September 3, they stated that the AIMPLB’s stand that ‘men have greater reasoning power compared to women’ smacks of a medieval mindset and prejudice against women.

CITU Denounces Invoking ESMA on Nurses’ Strike

The Centre of Indian Trade Unions, in a statement issued on September 3, expressed serious concern over continuance of countrywide strike by Govt Nurses under the leadership of of All India Govt Nurses’ Federation since 2ND September 2016 with the Govt of India indulging in complete inaction in sorting out the long pending demands of the Nurses of Central Govt Hospitals. As many as 20000 nurses of Govt Hospitals including those run by MCD have joined the strike.

Protect Secular Base, Resist Communal Forces

The centenary year of the great declaration of Sree Narayana Guru that “we have no caste” was celebrated from August 24 to 28 in approximately two thousand centres across Kerala. A variety of programmes were organised and people from all walks of life, including intellectuals, cultural activists, sportspersons and political leaders, took part in them.

Jio's Entry: Paradigm Shift Treating Voice as Data

Make no mistake, Reliance Jio's entry into mobile data and voice services is going to cause a tectonic shift in the industry. Not because the rates for data are low; or voice is free. The Jio rates are not significantly lower than what other players are offering. Nor is it due to the PM himself “lending” his image to Jio, an Ambani product.So why do I call this is a tectonic shift? Mukesh Ambani's Reliance Jio has now birthed the convergence paradigm that all voice calls should be treated as data. Everyone knew this was coming.

The Surge in Inflation

Inflation in India, as measured by the Consumer Price Index has been accelerating in the current financial year.

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