All Sikkim Limboo Krantikari Yuva Sangh calls for Sikkim bandh

GANGTOK, 16 Jan: An organization introducing itself as the All Sikkim Limboo Krantikari Yuva Sangh has called for an indefinite ‘Sikkim bandh’ soon [dates not announced yet] to press the demand for Assembly seat reservations for the Limboo and Tamang communities. The communities are required to be provided reserved seats by virtue of being included in the Scheduled Tribes seat.
A press release of the Sangh informs that a meeting of the group expressed displeasure over what they see as the Centre’s and State’s insincerity in pursuing the matter.
The Sangh’s general secretary, PS Limboo has said that under the banner of All Sikkim Limboo Krantikari Yuva Sangh, the Limboo community will call an indefinite Sikkim bandh and has urged the ruling Sikkim Democratic Front and All Sikkim Democratic Labour Front for their unconditional support to the bandh when it is called.
The Sangh has also appealed to all political, social and student organisations to support their demand as well.
The meeting of the Sangh has also passed a seven-point resolution which includes seat reservation for Limboo and Tamang communities in the State Legislative Assembly as per the 2011 census without touching the 13 seats reserved for Bhutia-Lepcha and Sangha; construction of Mangkhim at Gangtok by the government; increase in wages of Muster Roll employees to Rs 10,000 per month; regularization of Ad hoc employees as per their age and relaxation of age bar for all government employees.
The Sangh has further stated that it is not affiliated to any political organisation and will remain apolitical in days to come.

BANK BANDH

Joining the nationwide strike, all banks, including their ATMs in the state, remained closed today. All India Bank Employees Association (AIBEA), All India Bank Officers Association (AIBOA) and Bank Employees’ Federation of India (BEFI) had called for the strike to oppose the government’s move to introduce changes in banking laws and amendment to the Banking Regulation Act.
Seven lakh employees from various banks of the nation went on strike today after a conciliatory meeting of the Indian Banks' Association with the chief labour commissioner failed to arrive at a solution.
The unions are protesting against the amendments to the Banking Regulation Act, 1949, which are aimed at handing over Indian private sector banking to multinational banks and increasing presence of Indian corporate and foreign direct investment in public sector banks. They are contesting that the amendment to the banking laws will dilute the interest of public sector banks.

All banks, other than the State bank of India, will remain closed to transactions. The unions of SBI staff, including the National Confederation of Bank Employees and SBI Officers Association, are not joining the strike.

Nationalized banks to go on two-day strike starting Wednesday

ANUSHA GURUNG
GANGTOK, 21 Aug: All India Bank Officers Confederation [AIBOC] has called an all India strike for the next two days i.e. on 22 and 23 August. All the nationalized banks [except for the private banks] of the country will be joining the strike.
The Sikkim Regional Secretary for State Bank of India Officers Association [SBIOA], Gangtok, Tshering Dhonden Bhutia informed that the main reason for the strike is the fulfilment of demands pending with the Indian Banks Association [IBA].
The demands are to stop arbitrary guidelines on HR issues, to stop unilateral implementation of Khandelwal Committee recommendations, to stop outsourcing of bank jobs, to stop banking sector reforms, to stop closure or rural branches, proper regulation of working banks, pension schemes, new upcoming recruitment chronicle and also for the revision of pension, informed Mr Bhutia.
Mr Bhutia added that a meeting on the matter is scheduled to be held this evening and if they get a positive response then the strike shall be deferred. “Since we have not got positive response from the Government and IBA, we are forced to go on strike”, he said.
The Indian Bank Association had assured that they would organise a meeting on 31 July and give a positive response, which did not happen, Mr Bhutia added.
ATMs will also be shut during the all India strike, it was informed.

Children Park Taxi Stand drivers go on strike protesting alleged assault on taxi driver by traffic constable

GANGTOK, 27 June: A taxi driver was allegedly assaulted by a lady constable of the Traffic Police at the Children Park local taxi stand this morning following which taxi drivers of the said stand went on strike in protest.
While speaking to NOW!, the driver in question, 23 year old Sachin Gurung, who drives a Maruti Alto and plies between Children Park Taxi Stand and Bojoghari Phatak, stated that on returning from Phatak as he was entering the Children Park taxi stand, a lady constable of the Traffic Police, stopped his vehicle and asked for the vehicle documents. He then told the lady constable that his papers were at the Motor Vehicles Department, hearing which she assaulted him while he was still on the wheels.
According to eye witnesses, it is learnt that the lady constable reacted after the vehicle rashly overtook other vehicles which were in line to enter the stand and when the taxi turned and came towards the entrance, she stopped the vehicle and asked the driver for the documents. When he could not produce them, she slapped the driver. On the other hand, the constable alleged that the driver drove over her feet.
“Whatever happened should not have taken place. In the first place, the lady constable should not have raised her hands on a driver when he was on duty. She should rather have reported to her senior officers or reported the offence at the Sadar Police Station nearby,” commented Chung Chung Bhutia [president, Central Joint Action Committee of Local Taxi Drivers Association, Gangtok], while speaking to NOW! today.
He further informed that after the incident, all the taxi drivers plying their vehicles from the said taxi stand went on a strike and stopped plying their vehicles. The drivers have demanded that the lady constable apologize to the driver she assaulted, he said and added that the situation was brought under control on the intervention of the Superintendent of Police [East] Dr MS Tuli and senior officers of the Traffic Police.
“We were asked by the SP [East] not to do anything rash or take things into our own hands and start plying our vehicles,” said the president adding that the SP [East] has asked them to file a report regarding the incident after two days as the Assembly session is in progress at present. The SP [East] has stated that after the report is filed he will personally call both the parties to his office and sort out the matter. The culprit will be punished and strict action will be taken against the guilty, he further added.
Meanwhile, a member of the Children Park Executive Welfare Association, NT Bhutia informed that they want action to be taken in writing by the SP [East] after he finds who is guilty, otherwise all taxis of the Children Park Taxi Stand will stop plying, he said.
It may be informed here that there are eight associations that operate out of the Children Park Taxi Stand. They are: Chandmari, Rongyek, JN Road, Phengla, Helipad-Luing, Vajra-Swastik, Phatak-Penlong and Laxmi Sweets. Following the incident, while some drivers had started to ply their vehicles, most chose to keep theirs off the road.

NHPC workers in Sikkim join all-India general strike

MANGAN, 28 Feb: Around 500 workers engaged with National Hydro-Electric Power Corporation (NHPC) Teesta Stage V HE Project joined the one-day nationwide strike for their 18-point demand here at Power house site at Balutar in East Sikkim. The workers comprised of non-executive category which falls under W-0 to W-10 grade and the contract workers engaged with the said corporation at Dam site at Dikchu and Power house complex at Balutar abandoned work today in support of the cause. The workers engaged with Teesta Stage IV office at Pheedang Lower Dzongu North Sikkim also joined the strike.
The strike here was led by the NHPC Non-executive and Worker Association Teesta V and NHPC Employees Association. Even the vehicles tagged with the corporation were not allowed to ply today, however the executive employees were on duty. The workers assembled at Teesta Stage IV office at Pheedang and Dam site Gate at Aamdara at Dikchu where the 18-point demands were read out by President NHPC Employees Association, RBP Singh.
At the power house complex office, the strike was addressed by President NHPC Non-Executive Workers Association, Bijay Sharma where he highlighted about the issue of the 18-point demand which includes No contractorisation of work of permanent/perennial nature and payment of wages and benefits to contract worker at the same rate as available to the regular workers of the establishment, generation and protection of employment.
Mr. Sharma also informed about the removal of all ceilings on payment and eligibility of bonus, provident fund and increase in the quantum of Gratuity, assured pension for all, review in the rates of subscription of NHPC Employees Social Security Scheme 2006 as amount of assured sum be enhanced to Rs. 20 lakh, releasing of lump-sum payment in lieu of compassionate appointment in respect of left out cases etc.
The demand including the amendment of minimum wages Act to ensure universal coverage irrespective of schedules and fixation of statutory minimum wages at not less than Rs. 10,000 per month and the injustice to the permanent employees in lieu of PRP (Performance Reporting Pay) which entitles only those workers to pay who are of officer’s rank was also addressed.

Bandh

GANGTOK, 28 Feb: Following the all India general strike unitedly called by the Central Trade Union, organizations and independent federations, post offices, banks and some other organizations in the capital here were also shut today. As all these places remained closed today to support the Union’s list of demands, those unaware were seen returning disappointed while the closed ATMs caused further inconvenience.

Namthang haat to resume after one week lost to hawker protest against stabbing

PURAN TAMANG
NAMCHI, 03 Jan: The All Sikkim Hawkers’ Association has called off its indefinite strike called at Namthang against the stabbing of one of the hawkers by a Range Officer (RO) on 22 December. The decision to lift the protest was taken today following a meeting held between the Association’s Namchi-unit and the Panchayats, officials of the Namthang Police Out-Post, Bazaar Contractor and the local gentry.
The incident triggering the ongoing protest transpired on 22 December when a heated argument between a retired Police Officer of Namthang and a hawker, Bikash Mukhia of Namchi during the weekly haat at Namthang [held every Thursday] ended with the son of the retired Police Officer, Pawan Subba, a Range Officer himself, stabbed the hawker with a knife.
Mr. Mukhia suffered grievous injuries and after preliminary treatment at Namchi, was taken to Siliguri where he is remains under medical supervision at one of the private nursing homes there.
In-Charge of All Sikkim Hawkers’ Association, Namchi Unit, Khusen Chandra Rai, while speaking to this correspondent today, informed that soon after the incident, the accused RO was taking into custody by the Police and the weapon seized.
While hawkers were assured by the Police that strong action would be taken against the accused, the hawkers were agitated when the accused was released on bail two days later. Suspecting the police of going lax, the hawkers protested and decided not to participate in the weekly haat at Namthang until they were assured complete security and convinced that the case had not been compromised.
One haat [of 29 Dec 2011] was lost to this protest, and at the meeting today, the Police assured to provide security to the hawkers, and following the request of the locals to resume the haat, the Association decided to lift their boycott and resume the weekly haat at Namthang, the ASHA Namchi-unit in-charge informs. Mr Rai also informed that the victim is recovering from his injuries at present.
Meanwhile, Police sources inform that the accused was arrested and booked under a non-bailable section and was eventually released after he secured bail from the concerned court. This was explained to the hawker representatives today.
It may be mentioned here that, Thursday is the haat day for Namthang where hawkers from Namchi, Singtam and Rangpo come to sell their goods to the people of the area.