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60-A Charu Avenue • Kolkata-700 033 • Phone : (033)24242862 • Fax : (033)24244943 • www.fmrai.org • E-mail : fmrainews@gmail.com, fmrainews@indiatimes.com

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������������������� for Legal Identity and Recognition

Tripartite Meeting Called on FMRAI’s 5-Point DemandsOn 27 December, thousands of medical and sales representatives marched from Ranibagh of Byculla

to historic Azad Maidan in the city of Mumbai for a massive rally before the Government of Maharashtrademanding recognition of their legal identity by effective enforcement of SPE Act for all sales promotionemployees, by whatever name they are called.

Coming from all over India, field workersof 76 Maharashtra-based organized sectorpharma companies assembled for theprocession at Ranibagh which was flaggedoff by CITU’s all India vice president K. L. Bajaj.Marching five kilometers thorough mainstreets of Mumbai city the processionculminated into a rally and public meeting atAzad Maidan which was addressed by K. L.Bajaj; CITU’s Maharashtra state secretary P.R. Krishnan; state government employees’federation’s president R. G. Karnik; NicholasEmployees Union president C. V. Chavanand by FMRAI’s leaders.

A delegation of FMRAI met the labourminister Hassan Mushriff and submittedmemorandum. The memorandum contains5-point demands to the government, whichwere adopted in the resolution of its nationalworking committee meeting, including to (i)ensure issuing legally amended appointmentletters in Form-A under the Act to all existingand future differently named sales promotionemployees without altering their service andworking conditions; (ii) give direction to thepharma companies to suspend salespromotion work till compliance of the law; (iii)urgently call state tripartite meeting and givethe employers one month’s time for

implementation of the provisions of SPE Act;(iv) failing which the Government shouldprosecute them and (v) constitute statetripartite industrial standing committee for salespromotion employees in Central governmentpattern.

Responding to the demands, the labourminister announced calling state tripartitemeeting with representatives of 76 organizedsector pharma companies of Maharashtra andof FMRAI. The meeting was initially fixed on12 January which is now postponed to 9February in view of municipal election.

In preparation of March to Mumbai, country-wide campaign was launched with wearing ofdemand badge on 7 December, publicdistribution of handbills, mass signaturecampaign, holding of trade union conventionsin districts, submission of memoranda toMaharashtra chief minister through districtgovernment authorities etc.

After successful 17 August country-widefield workers’ strike, FMRAI’s workingcommittee gave call- ‘Chalo Mumbai – Marchto Mumbai’ - the commercial capital of India,citadel of pharma industry, fort of drug MNCs,centre of FMRAI’s council movement and thearea of major confrontation between themanagements and field workers of the country.

Marketing field activities inAlkem laboratories was completelyhalted during 9-13 Januarycountry-wide state-wise relay strikeby Alkem field workers demandingnegotiation and settlement of theirlong pending charter of demandspending since August, 2008; forgrievance redressal forum;appointment letters in Form-A; andprotesting against victimizations,

illegal wagecuts andarbitrarydeductions inexpensestatements.Strikingworkers stageddharnas beforecompany’sestablishmentin depots / c&f

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places and gate meetings wereheld which were addressed bycouncil, state and FMRAI leaders.

Initial report states total strike inWest Bengal, Uttar Pradesh -Uttarakhand, Kerala, AndhraPradesh, Rajasthan, Maharashtra,Jammu-Kashmir, Tamilnadu,Himachal Pradesh and successfulin Karnataka, Bihar-Jharkhand,Madhya Pradesh-Chattisgarh,

See page-4

At Kolkata

FMRAI's delegation submittting memorandumto Hassan Mushriff. (L to R-Secretary, T. K Rao,General Secretary D. P. Dubey and PresidentR. Viswanathan

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It was the second historic rally of FMRAI at Mumbai on 27 December, 2011.Exactly 14 years before, on 29 December, 1997 FMRAI staged its first historic rallyin Mumbai. Both these rallies- the rally in December 1997 and the rally in December,2011- have significance in the field workers movement in evolving and advancingits trade union tactics in the current situation.

Beginning in 1996, FMRAI held its zonal protest rallies against the new type ofattacks following the new liberal policy drive of the Government of India and readjustingtheir positions by multinational and Indian drug monopolies. As the situation wasexisting in 1997, FMRAI’s conference in 1998 in Kollam explained the situation asfast changing, difficult and complex for the field workers and their movement. In sucha situation the conference came to the conclusion that FMRAI’s old tactics in respectof general movement and council movement were insufficient to meet the newsituation and the new challenges. It is in that context, which Mumbai rally of 1997focused, FMRAI broadly prepared its first Agenda of Action as the current tradeunion tactics at that time which continues to remain the basic tactical approach in thepresent phase of neo-liberal drive. The burning common problems of the fieldworkers were further concretized in Bengaluru GCM in 2002 identifying the area ofconfrontation and resistance as three burning problems i.e. rapid elimination ofunionized sections through illegal sales officers category; ‘sales’ as a part of jobcondition connected with disciplinary issues and work systems not commensurate toworkers status with increasing workload replacing bilateralism, as the basis of dayto day work input. With these formulations, FMRAI reoriented its organization andmovement with rapid advancement despite increasing attacks. To make it moreprecise with time-bound action plan, FMRAI prepared its annual work plan knownas Road Map for concrete work in different areas of movement and organization.This is the significance of historic Mumbai rally of 1997 and before this Mumbai rallyof 2011.

Mumbai rally, 2011 has its own background and was a natural outcome ofseries of developments. Since 2010, policy related movement developed significantly– holding national tripartite meeting re-affirming and extension of SPE Act with strongground to strengthen it further. The issue was raised in the Parliament and with sixstate governments. The major state in respect of pharma industry which is the trendsetter is the Maharashtra and Mumbai its capital. On record, the government ofMaharashtra fully agrees on FMRAI’s position in respect of appointment letter inForm A to all existing and new sales promotion employees, by whatever name theyare called. State governments of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Uttarakhandaccepted that position and on that basis, initiated prosecution.

Appointment letter in Form A is the legal identity of the sales promotion employeesand is a central piece of legal recognition. Provisions of SPE Act and Rules and alsoother labour laws revolve round this central piece. Hence, the struggle between thepharma companies and FMRAI, the field workers and the managements, haveconcentrated in this area. Despite setbacks for the drug companies, their exposureand even prosecution; they are carrying on their desperate attempts to implementtheir own line because pharma industry’s sales promotion strategy depends ontheir very basic understanding that the sales promotion employees shall be out sidethe purview of any labour law; that, their job profile shall be casual in nature andthat, the sales promotion employees shall always be under threats of loosing theirjobs. High attrition rate of the field workers of the country, both in multinational andIndian sector shoes the very basic formulation of employers’ strategy.

On the other side, the very survival of the field workers, as a profession of salespromotion employees, their job protection as permanent employees, their protectionunder law, their social securities and remuneration depend on their organisationalunity and united battle for legal identity in Form A followed by logical extension toother provisions of SPE Act.

It is in this context, Mumbai rally in 2011 is potent with future significance.Maharashtra government is committed to call the tripartite meeting specifically onthese issues of appointment letters in Form A and other provisions of law.Developments in Mumbai will be trend setter for the country.

The incoming general council meeting of FMRAI has, therefore, the priorityresponsibility to determine and implement the future drive of movement of unitedcouncils to complement the efforts with the government and in the legal forums. In thepresent context, Mumbai rally 2011 has bestowed responsibility collectively on thegeneral council members of FMRAI to concentrate the united battle tactics of group-wise council movement and OSG movement aiming at to give the final push toconclude the agenda with victory of legal identity of the sales promotion employees.

Nonetheless, the significance of the state related movement, be it on legalnotification on 8 hours work, be it photo identity card, be it minimum wages, be itsales closing etc. each of these complement the main struggle as pointed above. Allthese are backed by powerful movement on policy issues.

Let the incoming general council meeting come out concretely its agenda of finalassault on recognition of legal identity of sales promotion employees. Then, andonly then, we can write Mumbai rally 2011 as ‘second historic Mumbai rally ofFMRAI’.

STATE NEWS

Demanding of the management toimplement the agreement with Orchid Keralacouncil committee on reinstatement of aKottayam based field worker, againstdeduction in expense statements and forremoval of hardship created due to emailreporting, 37 Orchid field workers of Keralastruck work and staged dharna in front of thecompany’s depot at Kuttanelur, Trichur on 7

MAHARASHTRA

197 delegates from 27 units of MSMRA,Maharashtra state unit of FMRAI, attended its 56th

conference at Nanded during 9-11 December. Acolourful procession was taken out from DawaBazar culminating into a rally in front of collector’soffice which was addressed by FMRAI generalsecretary D. P. Dubey and CITU’s Nanded districtpresident Vijay Gabhane.

After welcome speech of receptioncommittee’s chairman Vijay Gabhane, theconference was inaugurated by district CITUsecretary M. S. Shaikh. Nanded chemist &druggist association president Ashok Gunjiwar;leaders of SFI, other trade unions, SanskruitikAaghadi and Nanded unit secretary of MSMRAalso addressed.

46 delegates participated in the discussionon the general secretary and treasurer’s reports.Both reports were adopted unanimously afterdiscussion.

The conference elected 17 office bearers and30 working committee members with S. R.Nalavde as president, D. M. Deshpande asgeneral secretary and Vishal Joshi as treasurer.

Closing session was addressed byMaharashtra state CITU president and ex- MLANarsaiya Adam calling upon the delegates forsuccess of 27 December Mumbai rally and 28February industrial strike. The conferenceadopted a resolution appreciating the hard workdone by the members of Nanded unit for thesuccess of the conference.

Conference of MSMRA

UTTAR PRADESH - UTTARAKHAND

Blood Donation Camp in VaranasiUPMSRA’s Varanasi unit organized a blood

donation camp on 20 and 21 November inBanaras Hindu University Hospital Blood Bank.UPMSRA members were joined by membersfrom DYFI, of other organisations and some local

people. Prof. (Dr.) K. K. Gupta inaugurated thecamp.

Altogether 48 units of blood were collected.The camp was widely covered by print andelectronic media.

MADHYA PRADESH - CHHATTISGARH

MPMSRU’s New Unit at KhargoneA new unit at Khargone was inaugurated

by MPMSRU on 4 December by a senior fieldworker Chandrapal Tomer deliveringintroductory speech and by general secretaryof MPMSRU Shailendra Sharma addressingthe local field workers on this occasion.FMRAI’s general secretary D. P. Dubey alsoparticipated through tele-conferencing from

Kolkata congratulated the field workers ofKhargone. Jyoti Sharma also addressed theparticipants. The meeting elected SunishDharne as president, Neeraj Gupta as vicepresident, Bharat Wagh as secretary, PrakashGupta and Lalit Dongre as joint secretaries andAshok Patel as the treasurer of the newly formedunit.

KERALA

Strike in Orchid in KeralaDecember. 60 members of KMSRA, Trichurunit joined them in solidarity. CITU’s Ollur areasecretary K. P. Paul inaugurated the dharna.KMSRA’s secretary K. Venugopal, treasurerK. O. Vincent, Trichur district president K. V.Sugathan and state committee member U.Satheeshkumar addressed the gate meetingparticipants. District secretary S Gopalakrishanpresided.

JAMMU & KASHMIR

In a general body meeting on 12 Decemberand in presence of about 450 field workers fromSrinagar and Sopore, the leaders of KashmirMedical Representatives’ Association (KMRA)

KMRA affiliates to FMRAIdeclared to affiliate theorganisation to FMRAI. Thislargely attended meeting wasalso attended and addressedby president and vice presidentof Jammu, presidents andsecretaries of Srinagar andSopore, CITU’s Kashmir stategeneral secretary Ohm Prakashand PCMSRU’s workingcommittee member SanjeevMahajan. FMRAI’s secretary R.P. Singh and workingcommittee member AmitavaGuha attended, addressed and

guided the meeting assuring KMRA and itsmembers full support from FMRAI for buildingup a strong state unit in Kashmir. See page-3

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Memorandum submission at Gwalior

Demonstration at Cuttack

Signature campaign at Shyamnager, West Bengal

�������������Comrade Vijin (26), a field worker of Torrent

Pharmaceuticals and a member of KMSRA’sKottayam unit passed away on 21 October followinga massive cardiac arrest at Ahmedabad duringcompany’s training programme. He left behind hisparents and sister.

FMRAI mourns the premature death and conveysheartfelt condolence to the bereaved family ofComrade Vijin.

���������������������Comrade Arpit Rastogi (23), a field worker of

Biochem and a member of Moradabad unit ofUPMSRA, died in a road accident on 26 October.Comrade Rastogi was traveling with his friend in atwo wheeler and both of them died on the spot. Heleft behind his parents and a brother.

FMRAI mourns the premature death of ComradeArpit Rastogi and conveys heartfelt condolence tohis bereaved family members.

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Comrade Anurag Gautam, a fieldworker working in Micro and a memberof Rewa unit of MPMSRU met with atragic road accident and died on spoton 29 December. He left behind hisinfant daughter, wife and parents.

FMRAI mourns the prematuredeath of Comrade Anurag Gautam and sendsheartfelt condolence to his bereaved familymembers.

CONDOLENCE

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��� ������ �����Responding to FMRAI’s letters, senior executives of

Bharat Serum and Vaccines Ltd, Mumbai – its generalmanagers Sashi Chaudhry of HRD and D. P. Sathpaty ofmarketing and sales - had purposeful discussion withFMRAI’s leaders – its joint general secretary Alok Banerjeeand secretary Partha Rakshit along with all India convenerSandeep Ghosh and joint all India convener VerghesePokaddan - at Kolkata on 15 December.

Though agenda of the meeting was on unilateral changeby the management in the travel policy of the field workerscausing hardship and loss to them; the discussion alsoincluded other areas like grievance committee, collectivelynegotiated service conditions, implementation of SPE Actparticularly issuing appointment letters in Form-A and bonus.It was agreed to discuss these in future. In respect of travelpolicy, it was agreed that FMRAI would send proposalsconsidering the prevailing pattern in the industryaccommodating management’s concern of safety of the fieldworkers on long road traveling and finalizing the same inthe next meeting.

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�����After discussion with OSRU leadership at Cuttack and

FMRAI leadership at Kolkata and as per mutualunderstanding, the vice president – HRD (field) of Intas gavea letter to the affected field worker of the company atBhubaneshwar informing him about 7 days ‘off work’(suspension) of the culprit manager and requesting him toclose the issue legally.

65 Intas field workers of all divisions in Orissa went onlightening strike on 18 November protesting against physicalattack on a field worker by a manager (FMRAI News,December, 2011). In solidarity with Orissa Intas field workersand in response to FMRAI’s call of staging demonstrationbefore company’s establishments in all state capitals on 2December, demonstrations were staged at Ernakulam,Kolkata, Patna, Ranchi, Hyderabad and Chennai.

������������ ��� ��� �Negotiation on the 6th charter of demands of the field

workers though progressed, yet differences exist. So far 6rounds of discussion took place, last being 14-15 December.In the meantime, Dey’s All India Council (AIC) meeting, heldon 16 December decided to hold conventions of west andsouth zone field workers on 22 January and of east andnorth zone field workers on 5 February to review theorganizational position and for its further consolidation. TheAIC meeting was participated by 21 AIC members including9 from all India committee and 12 state council conveners.

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"����The deputy commissioner of labour-I, Hyderabad,

issued once again notice to Zydus Cadila on 31December to report compliance within a week onmaintaining registers under Section 7, Rule 23; payscales with annual rate of increment and dearnessallowances are not maintained in the appointmentorder as prescribed in Form-A, maintaining registersin Form-C and Form-E; for wrongful computation ofprivilege leave entitlement violating Rule 14 and fornot providing weekly off day in violation of Rule 7under the Sales Promotion Employees (Conditionsof Service) Act, 1976. The notice further directed themanagement to report compliance failing which legalactions might be initiated against the company.

Earlier, on 16 December 2010, for violation of SPEAct, a criminal complaint was filed in the XII thAdditional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Court,Hyderabad, STC no. 818/2010 where theZydus management admitted guilt and paid a penalty.

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STATE NEWS

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A senior field worker of USV, joint convener of USV statecouncil and president of Bhopal unit of MPMSRU Feroz Zafarrejected management’s individual offer of money whileFMRAI’s charter of demands is pending. Since then he startedgetting mysterious communication from USV management.He received 2 letters from the management both dated 10November, 2011; both signed by the same HR manager andboth concerning his service conditions.

By one letter management informed him to ignore thedirection of the Assistant Labour Commissioner, Bhopal ofthe Government of Madhya Pradesh and proceed on transferto Tamilnadu. Strangely, by the second letter under headingFull and Final Settlement the management informed Zafarthat his resignation letter was accepted by the company andthat full and final settlement of his accounts with the companywould be initiated shortly.

Perplexed, Zafar filed a police complaint withHanumanganj police station at Bhopal stating that he did notsubmit resignation letter to the company and that it was aforgery case where some persons in the management wasinvolved. Police assured investigation and filing FIR underspecific charges.

ODISHAFree medical camp at

BalasoreOSRU’s Balasore district committee organized a free

medical camp in a school in a remote village Sindhia inBalasore district in memory of late Comrade BhagyalochanSahu, a field worker of Torrent Pharma and a member ofOSRU. This was 7th Bhagyalochan Swastha Mela organizedsince his death eight years ago. 7 important doctors ofBalasore town including IMA’s district secretary attended thiscamp. More than seven hundred patients were treated in thecamp with free medicines. 27 members of the OSRUunit attended the programme and served the patients. Familymembers of Comrade Bhagyalochan Sahu and members ofBarabati Jawan Club also participated in the camp andextended their whole hearted support and cooperation. Treeplantation was undertaken in the school campus in memoryof Comrade Sahu.

NORTH EASTBlood donation camp at

Jorhat and Sibsagar40 members of Jorhat unit and 15 members of Sibsagar

unit donated their blood on 1 December to commemorate 4th

anniversary of 8 hours work in Assam. Organised by theJorhat district committee of CRU, the programme at JorhatMedical and Hospital was attended by the deputysuperintendent of the medical college, head of thedepartment of pathology and in charge of the blood bank. Allof them congratulated CRU members for the noble cause.Jorhat drug dealers association’s secretary and an eminentpharma stockist also donated blood during the occasion.Sibsagar unit, also under Jorhat district committee, organizedthe programme at Sibsagar on the same day.

Demonstration in frontof district court

More than 50 members of Jorhat district committee ofCRU organized a demonstration on 27 December in front ofthe district court protesting against a notorious Act of theAssam government to merge 13 courts, including the labourcourt and the industrial tribunal with district and sessioncourts. The Assam government enacted this through anotification ignoring peoples’ opinion. It is apprehended thatthis unilateral and undemocratic decision of the Assamgovernment will adversely affect the interests of the workersand common people.

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Printed by D P Dubey, published by D P Dubey on behalf of Federation of Medical and Sales Representatives’ Associations of India and printed at SatyajugEmployees Co-operative Industrial Society Ltd. 13 Prafulla Sarkar Street, Kolkata-700 072 and published at 60-A, Charu Avenue Kolkata-700 033

EDITOR : D P DUBEY

Registration No. WBENG/2001/6430 Postal Registration No. KOL RMS/106/2010-2012�������� !"

369 USV field workers, including 10 women field workers, coming from differentparts of the country staged a massive day long dharna in front of the head office ofUSV Ltd. at Govandi, Mumbai on 26 December. Gate meeting was addressed byFMRAI’s general secretary D. P. Dubey, its president and all India convener R.Viswanathan, secretary R. P. Singh, working committee members T. V. Sridhar andVivek Sawant and USV’s Delhi state convener Seema Bajaj. Successful dharnawas staged in protest against violation of law and agreement and other unfairlabour practices of the management

After their failed attempt to prevent the dharna by calling field workers’ meetingsin all zones, cancellation of leave, intimidation on phone etc, and being afraid offacing the agitating employees during dharna and the reality in respect of violationof law: the management deserted from their own head office handing it over to alarge contingent of police, on payment. The memorandum was pasted in absenceof the receiver.

Same evening, an all India convention of USV field workers was also held. 27members participated in the discussion. The convention suggested futureintensification of agitation.

USV field workers are pursuing their demands legally and agitationally includingcountrywide successful strike on 24 June. FMRAI lodged complaints with labourlaw enforcement authorities of Maharashtra against the management for not issuingappointment letters in Form-A; against breach of settlement for non-payment ofannual increment and special allowance for three years; against violation of Section9A of ID Act in respect of unilateral change in service conditions. Different stateunits of FMRAI filed petitions before contract labour advisory boards in theirrespective states for regularization of jobs of sales promotion employees workingunder the contractor - franchises; and against victimizations of leading functionariesincluding transfers.

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All sales promotion employees ofAstraZeneca, named differently, willresort to a country-wide strike on 25January demanding appointment lettersin Form-A, against violation of theunderstanding of October, 2006 withregard to annual and gradual increasein the number of PSRs; against rapidreplacement of PSRs through forcibleand illegal conversion in the so calledofficer category, against harassment,humiliation; against violation ofunderstanding on travel policy; againsttorture of TBMs, SDMs, KAMs and PSRsand against victimizations.

On that day, OSG platform of FMRAIalong with Astra field workers will stagedemonstrations before the district labouradministration for prosecution of themanagement for the violation of the lawand will resort to public campaignthrough handbills and posters.

Earlier, FMRAI’s state council subcommittees staged demonstrations

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before company’s establishments atKolkata, Cuttack, Guwahati, Patna,Ranchi, Lucknow, Dehradun, Jaipur,

Warrant of arrestfor violation of SPEAct to M.D. of Astra

A warrant of arrest is issuedagainst the managing director ofAstraZeneca Anandh Balasun-daram to appear before the court ofchief judicial magistrate, Dehradunon 29 February on the criminalcomplaint case No. 1199 of 2011under Section 9 of SPE Act forviolation of various provisions of theAct.

���������������������North East region, Orissa, Punjab andChandigarh. Ignoring management’sattempt of creating blockade, dharnaand gate meetings were held atKolkata, Bengaluru, Hyderabad,Ernakulam, Lucknow, Ghaziabad,Dehradun, Jaipur, Guwahati, Nagpurand Pune. Dharna could not be stagedbut gate meetings were held atChennai, Madurai and Cuttack as

police denied permission.Alkem field workers have patiently

been pursuing the legitimatedemands through submission of jointmemoranda, resorted to mass casualleave and strikes and even madeattempts to open dialogue with thehead office management. Alkem allIndia council committee meeting scalled to review and for future courseof action.

From page-1

Chandigarh, Ahmedabad, Ernakulam,Vijayawada and Chennai protestingagainst forcible conversion andviolations of the understanding.

86 delegates representing Johnson &Johnson field workers from BSSRU,WBMSRU, UPMSRA, MSMRA, MPMSRU,GSMRA, APMSRU, KSM&SRA, KMSRAand TNMSRA attended their 3rd all Indiaconference at Mumbai on 26 Decemberand resolved to strengthen councilmovement to defend workers’ rights. Theconference also called upon all Johnson& Johnson field workers of the country toactively work and participate in the 28February strike called by all central tradeunions. Inaugurating the conference,CITU’s Maharashtra state president K. L.Bajaj appreciated the role of FMRAI foruniting the sales promotion employees ofthe country for joining the mainstream ofthe working class movement and expected

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Johnson & Johnson field workers to remainin the forefront of all struggles of FMRAI.All India convener S. K. Chowdhury placedreport on which 14 delegates participatedin discussion. Releasing a souvenir on thisoccasion FMRAI’s general secretary D. P.Dubey called to remove organizationalweaknesses and to build powerfulorganisation. FMRAI’s joint generalsecretary A. K. Banerjee called uponcouncil members to take active part in theactivities of their local units. FMRAI’streasurer Alok Ganguli also attended theconference. The conference felicitatedzonal convener of west and negotiatingcommittee member S. K. Soni who is goingto retire shortly. Joint zonal convener ofsouth Krishnanand gave vote of thanks.

In a major breakthrough in pharmaindustry on 7 December, negotiationbegan with FMRAI’s committee on thecharter of demands for the sales promotionemployees named as Professional SalesOfficers (PSOs) of Diabetix division ofFranco Indian. With this, all, about 800field workers of all divisions of FrancoIndian, called both as MedicalRepresentatives and Professional ServiceOfficers, are accepted as bargainableemployees through negotiated conditionsof service between the management andthe union. Earlier, after mutual discussion,management absorbed all 120 FMRAImembers of closed subsidiary companyPrincep Pharmaceuticals in Main andDiabetix divisions of Franco Indian.

Franco Indian council also expandedin Diabetix division, joint all Indiaconference was held and, for the first time,charter of demands was submitted for them.By separate letters, management invitedboth the negotiating committees for Mainand Diabetix divisions for negotiation. AllIndia convener Deepak Bhattacharya, jointall India convener V. V. Raja and jointgeneral secretary of FMRAI K. B. Kadamare common members in both negotiatingcommittees with Rakesh Pandey,

Sheshnath Tiwary, Santanu Dattaguptaand Jaiganesh for Main division and withAbhra Chakravorty, T. P. Nikhil, Md. SoebKhan and Vikash Misra from Diabetixdivision.

FMRAI’s Road Map mandated rapidexpansion of council and its movement innew companies, new divisions and fordifferently named categories particularlythose who are called as sales officers.There is substantial advancement inFranco Indian in this regard.

On 5–6 December, meeting was heldbetween the management and FMRAI’sconsultative committee (grievancecommittee). First round of negotiations oncharters of demands were held for Diabetixdivision on 7 December and for Maindivision on 8-9 December.

In the CC meeting, understandingwas reached that de-pooling-relatedproblems would be discussed andresolved locally at Mumbai and Kolkata;ki lometer travel pol icy would bediscussed in the next meeting; excessdeducted amount for 17 August strikewould be refunded; 4 suspension caseswere also discussed for being resolvedand some other issues were alsodiscussed and resolved.

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