Organ of Federation of Medical And Sales Representatives Associations of India

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

FMRAI N EWS

Rs.3 Vol. XII No. 4 KOLKATA 1 NOVEMBER 2012

Gearing up for General Strike

East Zone Rally at Kolkata

Andhra Pradesh Labour Commissioner Proposes Working Rules in SPE Act

Government may kindly permit to submit a detailed proposal for amendment of Sales Promotion Employees (Conditions of Service) Act, 1976 and also on framing of working rules towards more justice to the sales promotion employees whose problems are different due to their unique nature of work and many of their issues remain not addressed by the existing law. These were the proposals of the labour commissioner on 16 October (letter no. P1/9389/2009) in reply to the letter of the principal secretary of the department of labour of Andhra Pradesh government to furnish the information regarding framing of working rules for sales promotion employees with the provisions of sales promotion central Rules, 1976 and extension of provision of sales promotion employees Act, 1976 . Such proposal was in the background of the outcome of the tripartite meeting with Central Government on 12 November, 2010, where FMRAI demanded, to incorporate statutory working rules for the Sales Promotion Employees under the Sales Promotion Employees (Conditions of Service) Act, 1976; including Job Responsibility, Job Specification, Personal Office, Hours of Work, Holiday etc, Overtime, Payment of Wages, Recovery of Wages, Overtime, Appointment, Service Period, Retirement Age to which ministrys note stated, .these may be further discussed in view of the coverage of Shops & Establishments Act and The matter requires further deliberation because the Sales Promotion Employees (Conditions of Service) Act, 1976 and Shops and Establishment Act cater to different categories of employees and having same set of working rules may not be feasible. The 16 October letter of the Andhra Pradesh labour commissioner further noted, Since most of the pharmaceutical companies operate across the country and some are MNCs, recourse to remedies under A.PS&E Act, which is a State Act also poses certain implementation problems. Therefore it is required to amend the said Act and rules to provide for various matters like, conditions for terminating services of an employee, payment of subsistence allowance, classification and confirmation of employees, age of retirement, transfer, Medical Aid, submission of details of sales promotion employees to the Inspectors and also working rules regarding hours of work, job specification, personal office, weekly off, national festival and others holidays etc., besides a separate proposal to give effect to the definition of industry under sec. 2(J) of the ID Act, 1947 already amended by the Central Govt in 1982. In pursuance of this inter alia other demands, field workers are gearing up from district rallies to state rallies and now in zonal mobilizations which will culminate in countrywide strike on 4 December. AP labour commissioners above recommendation will strengthen FMRAIs demands further.

Defying TMC governments attempt to put embargo by lastmoment cancellation of earliergranted permission; more than 3500 FMRAI members from West Bengal, Bihar, Jharkhand, Odisha, Assam and other N.E. states began their procession from Ramlila maidan, marched through central Kolkatas main streets and reached to Park Circus maidan on 8 October in pursuance of their pending demands to Central and State governments and the employers including the major demands for enforcement and amendment of laws, appointment letters in Form

A as in SPE Act, framing of working rules etc.; drug price reduction and control, for minimum wages, working time etc. West Bengal government underestimated the mood of the field workers. The administration, in tune with their character in suppressing the democratic and trade union movement, even was reluctant to permit alternative venue, suggested by FMRAI leaders. But, undaunted field workers took out the rally which was flagged off from Ramlila Maidan and culminated at Park Circus Maidan, passing through

entire CIT Road. The rally was colourful with tableau, placards, banners and red flags. Former Left Fronts labour minister and CITU leader Anadi Sahoo, WBMSRU president Rabin Dev, FMRAIs joint general secretary A. K. Banerjee, secretary Sanjay Chatterjee addressed the mass meeting. FMRAIs vice president Deepak Bhattacharjee presided over the meeting. The field workers have already organized rallies in districts and state capitals; and now zonal mobilizations and rally culminating in country-wide general strike on 4 December.

FIGHT FOR RIGHTS

Successful All India Strike in 7 Companies

CJM Summoned Cosme Farma MD

On 12 October, Chief Judicial Magistrate (CJM), Satna, passed an order that summons be issued to the accused P. Ramchandra Hegde, managing director of Cosme Farma Laboratories Limited to be present in the court in person on 29 November, 2012. Based on the complaint of MPMSRUs Satna unit of 25 October, 2009, for violation of various provisions of Sales Promotion Employees (Conditions of Service) Act, 1976 (SPE Act) and its Rules, assistant labour commissioner, Satna, filed a criminal case (number 487/12/21/02/12) before CJM and issued a charge sheet against P Ramchandra Hegde, managing director of the Company. The Company moved application for exemption from personal appearance in the court under section 305 of IPC which was rejected by the court. The court maintained that SPE Act is a special Act and under Section 10 of it, P. Ramchandra Hegde is an accused person.

Demanding settlement of pending charters of demands, constitution of grievance redressal forum as per Industrial Disputes (Amen-dment) Act, 2010, appointment letters in Form A of SPE Act to all and other company specific demands, 8289 out of total 11347 i.e. 73 % field workers irrespective of divisions and designations of ICPA, Micro Lab, AFD, Indoco, Alkem, IPCA and Alembic struck work in two phases- on 21 September and 5 October. The managements of
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An Appeal
FMRAI News requests its readers, subscribers, well-wishers and FMRAI members to send to Operational Office of FMRAI, Kolkata, in case any old photographs, video film or any other document related with field workers movement are in possession with them which may be utilized on the occasion of Golden Jubilee year Conference of FMRAI to be held at Kolkata during 4-7 February, 2013.

Infront of Indoco head office at Mumbai

NOVEMBER 2012

FMRAI NEWS
G NOVEMBER 2012 G

Editorial

FMRAI NEWS

Fix Cost-Based Prices of Essential Medicines

The Supreme Courts order this October has substantial bearing on what we stated in the editorial of FMRAI News, July, 2011 issue. In SLP Case No. 3668/2003, the Supreme Court directed the Union Health Ministry to review and expand the List of Essential Drug (LED), which is having only 74 drugs at present; submit the same in the Court and bring those under price control. Drugs and their formulations in the LED has maximum limit of 100% cost-based mark up since Drug Price (Control) Order, 1979 (DPCO, 1979). However, under influence of powerful multinational and national drug lobby, the Government, under some unsustainable plea, submitted in the Supreme Court a different list, the National List of Essential Medicines (NLEM). NLEM has since been revised in June, 2011 having 348 drugs and formulations. Unlike LED, NLEM is having no relevance with price control. Joint committee of central government and drug industry could not come to any common understanding on price control of items in NLEM as the industry is asking for complete removal of costbased price control, voluntary fixation of prices and instead of control only monitoring. (Underline added for emphasis) Ultimately, in tune with drug corporates demand, the Group of Ministers GoM proposed fixation of pricing formula of 348 essenial medicines on the basis of the weighted average price (WAP) of brands having more than 1% market share. That means the market would determine prices of medicines in the NLEM. Despite pharma companies lobbying hard to have market-basedpricing-system of essential medicines, doing away with the existing cost-based system and Manmohan Singh government submitting to it through the GoMs proposal of WAP of brands; on 11 October, a two-members-bench of Justice G S Singhvi and Justice S J Mukhopadhyay of Supreme Court directed the Central government to submit drug pricing policy on cost-based-mechanism to the Court within 27 November. A week earlier, the Court directed the government not to alter the cost-based pricing system, as in DPCO while bringing essential medicines under price control. The court warned that if government failed, it would pass interim order. Supreme Court also made critical observation on Governments proposal. Justice Singhvi said, The government can have concern for drug manufacturers but it must have substantial concern for the common man. And, The common man has no access to anyone; he has the option to buy or die. The related question is the high taxation on medicines. If drug companies are looting the ailing people, the Government is getting its share. With conversion from cost-based excise duty to MRP-based excise duty, the Central government is collecting higher tax with every increase of drug prices in the market. Next to petroleum products, the medicine, including essential medicine, is one of the highly taxed commodities. When Supreme Court ordered fixation of cost-based mechanism of essential medicines; some one should bring to the notice of Supreme Court about market-price-based-excise-duty of the same essential medicines. The super profit from drugs is being utilized by pharma corporates in heavily bribing for prescription and trade. There is an attempt to divert attention from the real reasons of high and spiraling prices of medicines due to Governments policy by making it a brand vs generic and to leave the medicine prices to be determined by the market. Field workers and their organization FMRAI have been demanding for long cost-based price control of all medicines limiting to existing 100% mark up for all essential medicines and differential caps on prices of all medicines as per DPCO, 1970 formula-; complete removal of all taxes on essential medicines and reverting to cost-based excise duty of all other medicines; to ensure availability of all life saving and essential drugs by public sector and by compulsory manufacturing. In pursuance of these demands FMRAI made several representations to the Government, to Lok Sabha Committee on Petitions and resorted to public campaign and agitation including country-wide strikes. The present direction of apex court will further expose policy deficiency of Central government and will give legitimacy to FMRAIs demands in respect drug pricing.
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OPPI and the Laws of the Land

In the past four years, big pharma multinationals like GlaxoSmithkline, Pfizer, Abbot, AstraZeneca, Johnson & Johnson, Merck, Eli Lilly and Allergen have paid about $13 billion in fines for kickbacks, off-label promotion, failure to disclose safety data and other crimes. British drugmaker GlaxoSmithKline pleaded guilty to criminal charges and alone had to pay $3 billion in fines for promoting Paxil, in July this year. Further, in 2011 alone, 438 persons died related with clinical trials in India and the culprit companies involved include Novartis, Pfizer, Bayer Healthcare, Bristol Mayer Squibb, MSD Pharmaceuticals etc. These are some of the old news available in the archive of FMRAI News. The above is the report card of the multinational drug companies mentioning their credit balance which only shows their utter disregard to the laws of the land, lives of common people and depicts ugly face of crony capitalism. The organization of these multinational drug companies in India, Organization of Pharmaceutical Producers of India (OPPI), in its 46th Annual Report, 2011-12 lamented that despite good wishes of Indian pharma industry, availability and accessibility of medicines gets undermined by restrictive provisions of the Sales Promotion Employees (Conditions of Service) Act, 1976 and Rules thereunder. The same OPPI report further mentioned the 8 hours working time for the field workers as restrictive as this would restrict the growth opportunities for the MRs and the pharma industry. (emphasis added) Due to determined and consistent struggle by the medical and sales representatives and their organization, FMRAI since early seventies; considering the justification of the demands and based on the recommendation of the Rajya Sabha Committee on Petitions, a separate legislation, SPE Act, for governing the conditions of service of sales promotion employees was enacted. Nevertheless, instead of implementing the law of the land, in utter disregard to it, went on flouting here in India too. Today, on the complaints of FMRAI, prosecution cases against Pfizer, Abbott, Merck, Aventis, AstraZeneca and some other companies are pending before judicial magistrates in Mumbai, Bengaluru, Dehradun etc. Further, due to consistent movement by state units of FMRAI, fixed working time for the field workers has become a reality today. State governments of Andhra Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Chattisgarh, Jharkhand have already issued legal notification on working time for the field workers and discussion with other state government is on. The cat is out of bag. In this neo liberal economic situation, OPPI wants to do away with all laws of the land- SPE Act, Drugs & Magic Remedies (Objectionable Advertisement) Act, Drugs and Cosmetics Act. They want a free field in pursuit of their unbridled profit. This is the ugly face of crony capitalism that OPPI advocates ruthlessly.

Abbott Backtracks Marketing Programme

Effective today, the use of brand reminders and therapy reminders is suspended until further notice. Only Abbottapproved clinical/scientific literature may be distributed to current and potential customers. No brand reminders or therapy reminders in your possession should be given to any current and potential customer and no further brand reminders or therapy reminders should be ordered.
The above is the text of the 11 October e-mail of Sudarshan Jain, managing director of Abbott Healthcare Private Limited, sent to all Abbott employees under the caption EPD Communication. Through its copies, ZBMs were requested to immediately forward this message without any changes to all ABMs / TBMs and confirm the same to your NSM. Reuters on 17 October commented Accepting gifts or travel arrangements from drugmakers is against the law in India, but enforcement is inconsistent. Despite it was approved only for seizures and bipolar mania, Abbott Laboratories aggressively promoted its blockbuster antiepilepsy drug, Depakote, on elderly dementia patients as well as in schizophrenia and had to settle all claims for $1.6 billion in US.

Nepal Medical and Sales Representatives Association

25th National Convention of Nepal Medical and Sales Representatives Association (NMSRA), held at Birgunj on 6 October unanimously elected 23 member central committee including eleven office bearers with Jeetendra Vaidya as president, Umesh G.C. as general secretary and Harish Maharjan as treasurer.

CONDOLENCE
Comrade Prabuddha Kumar Gautam
Comrade Prabudhha Kumar Gautam, 23, a field worker working in R e s p i c a r e division of G e r m a n Remedies and a member of Laheriasarai unit of BSSR Union met a tragic road accident and died on spot on 29 Septem,ber, He left behind his two younger brothers and parents. FMRAI mourns the untimely death of Comrade Prabudhha Kumar Gautam and sends heartfelt condolence to the bereaved members of the family. Pharma and a member of North 24 Parganas district unit of WBMSRU, passed away on 24 September at Kolkata. She was suffering from Dengue fever and admitted in a private clinic where she died. She left behind her parents, elder brother and sister. FMRAI mourns the untimely death of Comrade Jhuma Debnath and conveys heartfelt condolence to her bereaved family members.

Comrade Jhuma Debnath

Comrade Jhuma Debnath, 24, a women field worker of Yash

FMRAI NEWS

NOVEMBER 2012
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Settlement in Geno Pharmaceuticals

Wage settlement between the management of Geno Pharmaceuticals and FMRAI for the field workers working in the company was signed on 12 October. This was the 4th bipartite settlement in a row and was signed under the provisions of Industrial Disputes Act, 1947. The settlement is for three years, effective from 1 April, 2011. The settlement will derive minimum benefit of Rs. 2600 and Rs. 4400 being the maximum, based on service seniority, per field worker per month, as on the date of signing. Rs. 800 and Rs. 1100 were added in the entry points of first and second grade respectively with corresponding rise in the rate of increment ranging from Rs. 20 to Rs. 30 in different steps. Existing fixed dearness allowance of Rs. 2000 was upwardly improved to Rs. 2200 per month. Upto index 4246 of AICPI, Rs.2.00 and beyond index 4246, field workers shall be entitled to Rs. 2.50 as per point neutralization rate in variable dearness allowance. The existing 12% house rent has also been upwardly improved to 15% of basic and personal pay. Rs. 50 has been added to all other allowances and with effect from 1 April, 2011 field workers would be paid Kit and stationary Rs. 300, medical Rs. 400, vehicle maintenance Rs. 450, education Rs. 350 and storage Rs. 150 per month. The existing head quarter, ex-head quarter and out station allowances have been improved to Rs. 150, Rs. 165 and Rs. 200 respectively. Field workers would contribute 2 days salary with equal amount by management in benevolent fund in case of death or permanent disablement of a field worker. Arrears shall be paid in three installments, from November to January, 2013. On behalf of management, D R Salgaokar, C&MD, Dr. S Salgaokar, executive director, president-sales & marketing S K Dham and B. Karmakar, DGM (east & north) and on behalf of FMRAI, its general secretary D. P. Dubey, secretaries Santanu Chatterjee and Partha Rakshit and negotiating committee members- Shyamal Mukherjee, Santanu Batabyal, S. Bedekar, M. Srivastava, Biju R. D. and S. S. Rao signed the settlement. A memorandum of understanding on day to day work was signed separately on that day.

COUNCIL NEWS

Golden Jubilee Flag March

East Zone Convention of Drakt Field Workers

29 out of 41 FMRAI members from West Bengal, Bihar-Jharkhand, Odhisa and North East states, working in Drakt International, a Kolkata based company having regional marketing, met in a zonal convention on 7 October at WBMSRU office at Kolkata. FMRAI secretary Sanjay Chatterjee inaugurated the convention. All participating members discussed on the report placed by Shubrangshu Bhattacharyya. The convention also discussed the tripartite wage settlement for the field workers working in the company. A resolution was adopted in the convention demanding finalization of pending grievance committee minutes and settlement of the demands of upward revision of daily allowances and per kilometer travel fare. Other council leaders- Pradeep Kumar Verma, Subrata Chatterjee and Sunil Kumar Shukla also addressed the convention.

Two days strike in USV

USV field workers, differently designated and working in multiple divisions of the company, will resort to two days strike on 28 and 29 November demanding grievance committee for all, regularization of jobs of franchisee field workers and opposing victimizations, illegal wage cuts, imposition of indiscriminate working conditions including reporting system and on other pending demands. The USV all India council committee meeting, held on 19 September in New Delhi noted that USV management was non-responsive towards FMRAIs efforts of resolution of issues bilaterally which compelled the field workers of the company to resort to industrial actions. On strike days, massive demonstrations will be organized in front of companys establishments throughout the country.

Foundation day of WBMSRU

Foundation Day of WBMSRU was observed in its all 19 units in West Bengal on 23 September. Around 3000 WBMSRU members participated in various programmes on the day by way of hoisting Unions flag, blood donation, popular lecture by eminent speakers, and felicitation of the wards of the members for their academic excellence and family get together. 832 WBMSRU members have donated blood on that day. Popular lecture was arranged by many district committees including 24 Parganas (North), Purulia, Birbhum, and Murshidabad.

A.K.Padmanabham, FMRAI president R.Vishwanathan, its secretary R.P. Singh and working committee member Amitava Guha. DSMRO general secretary T.K.Mitra concluded the meeting. From Delhi, the flag was carried to Haryana by R Viswanathan and R P Singh and was handed over to Gurgaon unit secretary on the following day, 18 Septemebr. The flag then moved in Rohtak , Hissar and Rewari. In all the places more than 200 members participated in the unit general meetings which were addressed by Haryana state co-ordination committee leaders Vijay Malik, Prashant Madan, Sunil Dalal, Manoj Kumar, Balvinder Singh, Atul Kumar besides FMRAI leaders. Haryana state CITU general secretary Surender Malik addressed at Rohtak. From Haryana on its way to Himachal Pradesh, Golden Jubilee flag reached Chandigarh and was hoisted at Cheema Bhawan on 24 September by unit president S. D. Agnihotri. CITU state general secretary Raghunath singh and state president Vijay Misra attended and congratulated FMRAI for fifty years of relentless struggle for the field workers cause. PCMSRU general secretary Shiv Awasthy also addressed on this occasion. In Himachal Pradesh, FMRAI secretary, R.P.Singh handed over the Golden Jubilee flag to HPMRA president Hukam Sharma on 2 October. Following hoisting the flag by Shimla unit president Chaman Thakur, a general body meeting was held at Kali Bari, which was attended by 121 members. CITU leaders, HPMRA general secretary Jagdish Thakur, its vice president P.K.Sharma, secretary Narendra Kaushal; FMRAI secretary R. P Singh and leaders of other f r a t e r n a l organizations addressed the meeting. Shimla unit, on this occasion, also organized a blood donation camp which was inaugurated by the Mayor of Shimla, Sanjay Couhan. Around 81 units of blood donated by HPMRA members. From Shimla the flag was taken to Mandi by general secretary Jagdish Thakur and Simla similar programme was organized there next day. Golden Jubilee flag then moved to Hamirpur, Kangra, Dhramashala and ended at Jassur on 6 October. R.P.Singh and Sanjeev Mahajan brought the Golden Jubilee flag From Jassur to Srinagar on 7 October and handed over to the Jammu and Kashmir co-ordination committee members Mohd. Khursheed and Mufti Moin in presence of Srinagar based council leadership. FMRAI secretary Sanjeev Khandelwal was also present on the occasion. The flag then moved to Sopore in the morning and in the evening to Anantnag on 8 and to Jammu on 9 October. In all the places, general body meetings took place, attended by around 400 field workers and were addressed by CITUs J&K state general secretary, Ohm Prakash, FMRAI secretary R. P. Singh, PCMSRU leader Sanjeev Mahajan and co-ordination committee leaders Md. Khursheed, Md. Samiullah, Arun Basotra, Paramdeep Singh and Ravi Kumar. In all the places, members took the pledge to increase membership to achieve FMRAIs one lakh membership objective.
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Bload donation at Kolkata

On 23 September, 1984, two organizations in West Bengal, WBCRU and WBSSRU were merged and formed WBMSRU, a single organization for the field workers in West Bengal, under the guidance of CITU and FMRAI. Since then, the day is being observed as Foundation Day by WBMSRU throughout the state.

Cross section of RMSRU members

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Registration No. WBENG/2001/6430

... Strike in 7 Companies

FMRAI NEWS

Postal Registration No. KOL RMS/106/2010-2012

these companies remained insen-sitive to the democratic aspirations of the field workers and their reluctance to concede the just demands which forced the field workers of these seven companies to resort to strike. Based on common features and to take common movemental appro-ach, councils are grouped by FMRAI. FMRAIs charters of demands are pending in nine including these seven companies. Strike notices were not served in Intas and Macleod due to some developments at bilateral level.

Golden Jubilee Flag March

Following 16 days flag march in Rajasthan the FMRAIs Golden Jubilee flag reached Delhi and was handed over to DSMROs joint general secretary, N.P.Saini on 17 September. A general body meeting was held at BTR Bhawan, which was addressed by CITU president

AFD
The strike in AFD was total in West Bengal, Bihar, Jharkhand, Odisha, North East states, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Kerala and was partial in Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra and Tamilnadu on 21 September. Out of total 247 field workers of the company, 220 abstained from field on that day. Dharnas and demonstrations were held at Howrah, Patna, Jaipur, Trissur, Bengaluru and Guntur in front of companys establishments.

Guntur Srinagar

& Kashmir, Punjab & Chandigarh, Bihar, Jharkand, MICRO LAB 1411 field workers differently designated of Micro Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Lab, across all divisions of the company from Jammu Chhattisgarh, West Bengal, North East states, Odisha, Maharashtra, Tamilnadu, Kerala and Andhra Pradesh struck work on 21 September. Massive dharna and demonstrations were held in front of companys establishments at Kolkata, Patna, Vijaywada, Bhubaneswar, Guwahati and Cochin. Memoranda were also submitted. In Srinagar, demonstration could not be held because of curfew. However, 15 Micro field workers assembled at a place on the strike day.
Vijaywada

ICPA
The strike in ICPA on 21 September was successful. Out of 198 field workers, 144 abstained from the field on that day ignoring threats of the line managers. Dharnas and demonstrations were held in front of company s C&FA at Patna, Cuttack, Kolkata, Hyderabad, Guwahati, and Kochi.

INDOCO
Out of 1433 field workers of Indoco Remedies, 1206 field workers throughout the country abstained from field on 5 October. On the strike day, a massive demonstration was organized in front of companys head office at Mumbai. Dharnas and demonstrations were also held in front of companys establishments at Kolkata, Guwahati, Patna, Cuttack, Jaipur, Ambala, Ernakulam, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Raipur and Indore.

Gurgaon

ALKEM
Out of total 1754 field workers, 1658 were off from the field and made the strike in Alkem on 5 October a grand success. In front of companys head office at Mumbai, massive dharna was held and was inaugurated by FMRAI working committee member T V Shridhar. A delegation met the management and handed over a memorandum. During discussion, management informed the delegation that shortly they would call eight member committee for discussion. Dharnas were held at Kolkata, Guwahati, Jaipur, Ernakulam, Bengaluru, Vijayawada and Hyderabad. FMRAI and state leaders including Bijan Das, Alok Ganguli, Paul Verghese, L. M. Peshwa, A Nageshwar Rao, P R K Reddy and Alkem council leaders including Mohan C. Nair, A Laxmi Narayan addressed the gate meetings. In Tamilnadu, district
Delhi

Inaugration of RMSRU State Office at Jaipur

In front of head office at Mumbai

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committees of TNMSRA staged dharnas with striking field workers in front of companys distributors. Because of curfew, dharna could not be organized in Jammu & Kashmir. However, 30 out of total 31field workers resorted to strike.

IPCA
The 5 October strike in IPCA was unprecedented. Dharnas and demonstrations were held in front of companys establishments at Kolkata, Nagpur, Nasik, Patna, Ranchi, Cuttack, Hyderabad, Simla, Chennai, Lucknow, Varanasi, Guwahati, Agra, Trivandram, Jaipur and Kochi.

Ravindra Shukla inaugurating. Seen-J S Majumdar, S Khandelwal, H Syal, R Galav, Anjani Sharma and others
In a colourful function, the State office of Rajasthan Medical and Sales Representatives Union (RMSRU) was inaugurated by CITUs Rajasthan state general secretary Ravindra Shukla on 28 October at Jaipur in presence of entire state leadership of RMSRU, all 15 unit secretaries, Rajasthan based FMRAI general council members and hundreds of Jaipur unit members. J.S.Majumdar, former FMRAI general secretary was the chief guest. Leaders from different fraternal organizations including CITU, AIDWA, DYFI, AIIEA, Roadways Union, Janwadi Lekhak Sangh, University Teachers federation were present on this occasion. After ribbon cutting, RMSRU flag was hoisted by its president. Later, public meeting was addressed by R. Shukla, J.S. Majumdar apart from RMSRU president H.Syal and general secretary S.Khandelwal. This office is situated in a prime location, 2 kilometre away from Jaipur railway station. This is the third own office premises of RMSRU after Kota and Jodhpur. After the inaugural function, a trade union class was held, which was attended by 45 leaders including state office bearers, extended state committee members and council leaders.
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Alembic
73 % Alembic field workers, 1550 out of total 2115, abstained from field and made the 5 October strike successful. The strike was total in West Bengal, Bihar, Jharkhand, Odisha, North East states, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Punjab, J&K, Madhya Pradesh, Chattisgarh, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Kerala. Strike was successful in Maharashtra except Mumbai city and was partial in Gujarat, Delhi, and Tamilnadu. Dharnas was staged and gate meetings were organized in front of companys establishments at Kolkata, Cuttack, Patna, Guwahati, Jaipur, Raipur, Indore, Mumbai, Cochin, Bengaluru, Hyderabad and Vijayawada. Leaders of FMRAI, state units and Alembic councils addressed those meetings.

Mumbai

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 Satyajug Employees 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