VOICE OF ELECTRICITY WORKERS

January 2006 - March 2006 Index
 

West Bengal state Electricity Board Workmen’s Union is the major constituent union of EEFI, West Bengal State Committee. The Union is also affiliated to Centre of India Trade Unions and has been playing magnificent role in organizing the electricity workers and employees of WBSEB and WBPDCL. Since inception, ceaseless efforts have been undertaken by the union in uniting the Electricity workers based on the slogan of ‘Unity and Struggle’ of the working class.

In the present hard situation, when the imperialist attack is going on in the name of LPG to which the Centre totally succumbed with promulgation of anti-people policy one after one for protecting interest of the multinationals, WBSEB WMU has taken a very important role in taking up the challenge of maintaining the Power Industry in State sector against draconian process of massive privatisation of Power sector in other states since enactment of the Electricity act, 2003. Since 1973, Union has taken up all endeavours in harvesting interest of the people from power sector. Existence of Left Front Govt. in the state for last 29 years paved the way to the union in materializing it’s object. Left Front Govt. has already announced for keeping the power sector in State sector which added much inspiration to the struggle of power workers throughout the country against privatisation of Power sector and review of electricity Act, 203 as assured in CMP of the Govt. at the centre.

Simultaneously, along with the efforts of protecting interest of the industry, the union organizes innumerable programmes in developing trade union as well as political consciousness, maintaining social responsibilities and developing ideological base of the union members.
On of the grand success of the union is the regular publication of it’s bimonthly organ ‘Sathi Hatiar’ which act as a weapon in sharpening consciousness of the power worker catering various Trade Union information of national and international importance. Autumn edition of the organ has achieved pride of his wide acceptance with its contents of graded write-ups on working class movement of the world as well as poems, novels and other organizational information.
On the whole the union has taken up the pivotal role in power industry of WB with its thinking opposed to privatisation which gears up the spirit of the power workers countrywide. It’s pioneering role in the working class movement with its widened organization will be revealed from the following synopsis of programmes organised by the union during last six months.
Organisational programmes in the year 2005:
Union adopted the six month long programme of holding conference in all levels. The state conference was held on 27-29 December, 2005 at Jalpaiguri district. Conference of 700 Units started from July 2005. 180 Sub-divisions committee and 24 districts level conference were held by 10th December, 2005.
G.B. Meeting at 27 places of West Bengal held on 15 Aug. 2005 (Independence day) on current topic ‘Development, Reforms and Class Struggle’ by mobilising electricity workers and their family members.
Annual General meetings have been held in the year 2005 during the first half-year in all the 24 District/Divisions of the state with massive participation of union members in discussion over organization development.
Anti-fascist seminars have been organised in number of districts on the occasion of 60th Anniversary of victory against Fascism.
May Day rally have been observed by the Union in all the 24 Dists/Divns. CITU Flag was hoisted by almost 700 units of the union. In the evening a mammoth rally assembled at Sahid Minar of Kolkata on the call of CITU, WB.
35th foundation day of CITU has been observed in almost all the units with flag hoisting and garlanding Martyrs Tomb on 30th May, 2005. Workers’ meeting s have been organised in all Dist./Divn. On the occasion.
On 17.4.2005 some thousands of electricity workers of our union assembled in the mammoth meeting organised at Sahid Minar on call of NPMO. Before this, month-wide campaign was organised in different Dist/Divn.
Union members took active role in 81 Municipalities and Kolkata Corporation election held in May and June this year in support of Left Front candidates. Month wide campaign of electricity workers helped lot in massive victory of Left Front in major municipalities and snatched Kolkata Corporation from the hand of Trinamul Congress, BJP and Congress.
Several number of Blood Donation camps have been organised by Union in the districts of Kolkata, Hoogly, Burdwan, 24 Parganas (South), Nadia, Kolaghat, Bakreswar etc. in which more than thousand Blood donors donated blood voluntarily. Virtually Blood donation camps organizing has become a regular programme of our union.
Health awareness and check up programme have been organised by our union in different districts which is a new dimension in our campaign on the call of CITU. This programme has already taken place in the district of North 24 – Parganas, Hooghly and Bakreswar and more than thousand Electricity workers and their family members got their health checked up in the camps. Eye check up and eye operation camp also organised by our union at Bakreswar Thermal Power Project.
Union came forward also in assistance of the victims of TSUNAMI of 2004 which caused massive devastation over the coastal areas. Union raised fund over rupee 2 lakh from the workers and the same was donated to CITU relief fund. Simultaneously, the union also took up the initiating role in collection of 1 day’s salary from the employees on call of WBSEB and WBPDCL management. An amount of Rupees 1.5 crores was collected in this way and also the amount was donated by those authorities to CM’s relief fund.
A new venture of the union is the formation of Monoranjan Roy Society for Technical Education under management of which three numbers Technical Institute will be run in different parts of west Bengal. The first attempt has already been materialized with successful commencement of functioning of the Technical Institute on 16th August at Durgapur. The other two institutes are on process. The main object of these society is to build up trained workers for electricity industries in consideration of its flourishing nature in remote rural areas of the state and to meet the increasing need of the people. Monoranjan Roy Society also arranged training of unemployed young for the non-conventional energy such as solar panel etc. The training programme of non-conventional energy will be started by 15th September, 2005.
Union observed the world Women’s day by means of uniting the women workers irrespective of colour and creed. A massive gathering of electricity working women took place in the Seminar Hall, Vidyut Bhavan, WBSEB HQ, on 8th March, 2005 on the occasion of world Women’s Day.
Union observed World Environment Day on 5th June, 2005 with its Central programme at Santaldih Thermal Power Station where massive assembly of electricity workers and their family members took place. Mr. S.P. Gan Chowdhury, M.D, WBREDA and winner of Green Oskar Award was the main speaker in the programme. Amongst the other speakers Mr. M.K.Roy, Member, WBSEB, Mr. P.K. Chakraborty, ED, WBPDCL & Mr. K. Ghosh, GS, STPS were present. This programme is the 2nd years’s enterprise of the union for observance of “World Environment Day”.
Observance of National Safety week is one of the important programme of the union which takes place through badge wearing and seminars in different parts of the states during the period from 4th to 10th March every year. In this year also, union observed its central programme on 6th March at Uluberia College Auditorium of Howrah District and about 1000 workers of WBSEB &WBPDCL assembled in the programme. Mr. M.K. Dey, Chairman, WBSEB & Mr. S.K. Mahapatra, MD, WBPDCL and other eminent speakers were present in the programme and deliberated their valuable speech emphasizing the utmost necessity of taking safety measurers in course of all sorts of works concerned with electricity. Conducting of such programme helped much in developing safety awareness amongst the workers and general people in avoidance of electrical accidents.
 

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