The World Socialist Web Site invites workers and other readers to contribute to this regular feature.
Asia
Tens of thousands of public sector workers across Assam state stopped work for two days on Tuesday to demand withdrawal of the New Pension Scheme (NPS) and restoration of the previous scheme. Workers from education, law, railways, health and other departments demonstrated outside their respective state offices. They submitted a memorandum of demands to the prime minister and the state chief minister through their respective district commissioners.
Public sector workers across India have been holding demonstrations for several years demanding reinstatement of the old pension scheme which was withdrawn in 2003. It did not require a 10 percent contribution from employees’ salaries and the pension was determined by the employees’ final salary. The pension in the new scheme is reduced and there is no death benefit.
In Assam around 350,000 out of nearly 500,000 government workers have been forced into the NPS. According to the All Assam Government NPS Employees’ Association, the monthly pension for retired workers ranged between a meagre 500 and 3,000 rupees ($US36).
Workers from the Switzerland-based Rieter India textile machinery manufacturing plant in Wing, Maharashtra state, are maintaining a strike they began on...
For months, President Donald Trump and his allies have vowed to destroy progressive nonprofits, falsely claiming that they fund and support political violence and terrorism in the U.S. But this we...