BSNLEU had taken the initiative for the implementation of a Health Insurance Scheme. The MoU signed between BSNL and the New India Assurance did not take off. Again, quotations were called for and the quotations submitted by Oriental Insurance Company Ltd. is the lowest. The Director (HR) has issued a letter today stating that, the Health Insurance Scheme with Oriental Insurance Company Ltd. is getting implemented and details of the same would be informed by the Admin Branch of the Corporate Office. 

Com.Ali Riza Kucukosmanoglu, General Secretary of the Trade Union International (Transports, Ports, Fisheries and Communications) has written letter to Com.P.Abhimanyu, GS, expressing his thanks for the hospitality extended to Com. Erdem Ilhami, a leader of the Trade Union International (TPFC), who came from Istanbul, Turkey, to attend the 10^th All India Conference of BSNLEU. Com.Ali Riza has congratulated Com.P.Abhimanyu, for his re-election as the General Secretary of BSNLEU. He has also conveyed his red salutes to all the members of BSNLEU, wishing the Union great success in it’s militant and class oriented struggles. Com.Ali Riza has also expressed his thanks to BSNLEU for paying 700 US dollars as fee to the Trade Union International (TPFC). The letter of the General Secretary, TUI (TPFC), is enclosed.

Shri Devusinh Chauhan, Hon’ble Minister of State for Communications, has told the Rajya Sabha that, the government has deferred the merger of BSNL and MTNL. The Hon’ble Minister has also told the Parliament that, this decision has been taken due to financial reasons. It is important to note that, BSNLEU has already written letter to the Hon’ble Prime Minister of India, strongly protesting against the merger of BSNL and MTNL. BSNLEU has demanded that, the government should take over the debt of MTNL amounting Rs.26,000 crore, if at all the government wants to proceed with the merger of BSNL and MTNL. Without that, the merger of MTNL will do irreparable damage to BSNL, stated BSNLEU in it’s letter to the Prime Minister. BSNLEU's letter against the merger of BSNL and MTNL was widely been reported in the media.   

[Source: timesofindia.com dated April 6, 2022]

1. Payment of special concessions/facilities to the employees working in Kashmir Valley. 

Extension of the special concessions/facilities to the employees working in Kashmir Valley was already discussed with the PGM(Estt) last month. Since no action has been taken, Com.P.Abhimanyu, GS, once again discussed this issue with the PGM(Estt) today.  It was replied by the PGM(Estt) that, action is being taken on this issue. The General Secretary requested for speedy action.

2. Implementation of the CCL for single male parent. 

The DoP&T has already issued letter, stating that, Child Care Leave( CCL) can be availed by single male parents also.  However this DoP&T letter is not yet endorsed by the BSNL Corporate Office. This issue is also already discussed with the PGM(Estt) last month. Today, once again Com.P Abhimanyu, GS, discussed this issue with the PGM(Estt). It was replied by the PGM(Estt) that, speedy action would be taken on this issue also.

The CHQ has written letter to the CMD BSNL today, communicating the list of office bearers, elected in the 10th All India conference of BSNLEU, held at Guwahati, from 2nd to 4th April,2022, with the request to grant trade union facilities to the newly elected office bearers.

The BSNL corporate office has issued letter, cutting down the annual ceiling for reimbursement of outdoor treatment expenses of the retired BSNL employees. The ceiling has been cut down from 15 days’ pay to 12 days’ pay. This reduction in the ceiling for the reimbursement of the outdoor medical treatment expenses, is totally unjustified. BSNLEU has written to the CMD BSNL, demanding to increase the ceiling to 15 days.

Com.Biju and Com.Pradeesh are the two pillars of the CHQ office of BSNLEU at Patel Nagar, New Delhi. Com.Biju is the office secretary and Com. Pradeesh is the computer operator. They play an important role in the day to day functioning of the CHQ office. Every body appreciated the functioning of the CHQ of BSNLEU, during the Covid-19 pandemic period. Even during the lockdown period, the CHQ of BSNLEU carried out it’s normal day to day functioning, taking up the issues of the employees, by writing letters to the BSNL Management, as well as to the government. Especially the website of BSNLEU was well maintained, by making daily updatings. Both Com.Biju and Com.Pradeesh have played a key role in helping the CHQ to maintain it’s normal functioning. With the view to acknowledge their services to the Union, Com.P.Abhimanyu,GS, honoured both the comrades in the Guwahati All India Conference by offering shawls.

The historic 10th All India conference of BSNLEU is held jubilantly at Guwahati, from 2nd to 4th April, 2022. Serious deliberations were held regarding the future of the Company, as well as the issues of the employees. After serious and constructive deliberations, election of office bearers has been held unanimously. A team of office bearers, with Com. Animesh Mitra, as the President, Com.P.Abhimanyu, as the General Secretary and Com. Irfan Pasha(Karnataka) as the Treasurer, has been elected. The entire delegates hailed the election of office bearers by raising thunderous slogans. The list of office bearers is enclosed.

The 10th All India conference of BSNLEU, which started on 2nd April, 2022, got successfully concluded today. In the marathon deliberations which took place in the conference, 91 delegates participated and placed their views. The deliberations were constructive taking the present realities into consideration. Constructive views were expressed by the delegates to strengthen BSNL, BSNL Employees Union and also for settling the important issues of the employees. Ultimately, Com.P.Abhimanyu,GS, delivered the summing up address. In his address, the general secretary clarified the issues raised by the delegates and also outlined the strategy to be adopted by the union for the next three years. Thereafter the election of office bearers took place unanimously and in a very cordial atmosphere. The newly elected office- bearers were introduced on the dais and thereafter the Conference got concluded with the raising of slogans. This Conference has strengthened the unity of the organisation, getting it ready to face the new challenges.

The 10th All India conference of BSNLEU is going on for the 2nd day today. Discussion on the report submitted by the General Secretary yesterday, is going on. Delegates who have come from various parts of the country, are actively participating in the deliberations.

The 10th All India conference of BSNLEU started enthusiastically today at the Pragjyoti ITA Centre, Machkova, Guwahati. Sharply at 9 AM, the flag hosting ceremony took place. Dr.Dinesh Baishya, Chairman, Reception Committee, hoisted the National Flag. Com.P.Abhimanyu, GS, hoisted the Union Red Flag. At 9:30 AM the inaugural session. The delegates and observers were welcomed with a welcome song. Com.K.Hemalata, President, CITU, delivered the inaugural address. In her educative speech, Com.K.Hemalata, explained in-depth about the wrong economic policies of the government. Thereafter Com. Erdem Ilhami, leader of the Trade Union International, who had come from Istanbul, Turkey, addressed. Com.VAN.Namboodiri, former General Secretary, greeted the conference. Com.Chandeswar Singh, GS, NFTE, Com.Veerabhadra Rao, president, AIGETOA, Com.K Sebastien, GS, SNEA, Com.V. Shaji, GS AIBSNLEA, Com.Suresh Kumar, GS, BSNL MS, Com. Suresh Kumar, GS, SNATTA, Shri P.K.Pahi, CGM, Assam, Com.M.R.Das, AGS,AIBDPA, Com. Swapan Chakraborty Dy. GS, BSNLEU, Com.G.Talukdar,  convener, JCTU, addressed. The marathon inaugural session got concluded at 02: 50 p.m. However, the delegates maintained discipline and listened to the speakers with rapt attention. After the lunch break, the delegates session started and is going on.

Two day Nationwide General Strike of Workers on 28-29 March 2022

Receives Tremendous Response

The Farmers, Students, Youth, Women came in Support

 The Joint Platform of the Central Trade Unions and the independent Sectoral Federations and Associations congratulates the workers of all sectors, organised and unorganized,  the govt. departments,  the public sector, the private establishments, small-medium-micro enterprises, rural and urban working people, having participated in different ways, made a grand success of this two day general strike. The participation crossed 20 crores facing all odds, ESMA, intimidation, and obstructions of all kinds including the high handedness of police in some cases and high court order in Kerala prohibiting strike for BPCL and Govt. employees.

The workers and employees in banks, insurance companies did not enter their work places anywhere in India. The coal, Vizag steel, oil and LPG plants, powergrid, copper, telecom sector, cement sector workers struck work in a big way from the morning of 28th March. Electricity Workers went on strike in all the states, including in Maharashtra, where the Government had invoked ESMA. The port workers at Tuticorin and Paradip also struck work. The Kerala state unions began strike action from midnight of 27-28 March itself. The employees of Railways and Defence sector are reported to have organized militant demonstrations at more than one thousand places across the country. The Anganwadi, ASHA, Mid-day Meal and Domestic Workers, Construction, Beedi and Agricultural Workers, Hawkers-vendors joined the strike and participated in protest actions in several hundreds of spots in Chakka jam, road roko, rail rook programmes in various parts of the country. The Road Transport workers in Haryana began their strike by picketing at Depots from early morning of 28th March, also in defiance of ESMA and continued on 29^th. Private sector industrial units including many MNCs witnessed massive strike action on both the days in Maharashtra, Karnataka, Tamilnadu, Telangana and Haryana. Hydel power projects also witnessed massive strike in Assam, Himachal Pradesh, Uttrakhand and Jammu & Kashmir.

There is bandh like situation in the states of Tamilnadu, Kerala, Puducherry, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Tripura, Assam, Haryana, Jharkhand and also in many districts in other states. The strike is substantial in the industrial areas in the states of Goa, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh, Punjab, Bihar, Rajasthan, West Bengal, Meghalaya and Arunachal Pradesh. The Security Workers even in Sikkim have gone on strike. The Industrial areas of Delhi, HP, Gujarat, J&K, are reported strike. 50000 Government employees picketed Central Government offices in 300 places in Tamilnadu. Central Govt employees in postal deptt, Income Tax audit, GSI and others too have joined the strike in a massive way. Even Fishermen did not venture into sea in the morning.

The Farmers have mobilized in rural areas as per the decision of the Samyukt Kisan Morcha, in favour of the Strike action, pressing for their six demands, along with the support to workers demands. The farmers and agricultural workers also participated along with striking workers in organizing road-blockade including many national highways and Rail-blockade actively.

The protesters were addressed by those leading the strikers and the protesters. They alleged that the national resources and the national assets including infrastructure, all has been put on sale by BJP led govt. at Centre for the benefits of the Corporates of Indian and foreign brand. The working class, which creates national wealth, is being made defenceless with draconian changes in Labour laws, weakening their trade unions, taking away their right to strike, doing away with factory inspections, and so on. The voice of workers will be stifled. They expressed their worries that the unemployment level has reached 12 percent and the youth below 25 years of age are the majority among the unemployed as per govt's own statistics. The prices of petrol, diesel and gas are once again rising post elections in five states. National Monetisation Pipeline project is being pushed through to hand over all infrastructure PSUs virtually free to private corporates.Emboldened by the results of election in five states the policy of selling out of land of the Central Public Sector enterprises has been rolled out, the interest rate on the provident fund of workers has been brought down from 8.5 to 8.1 percent, the privatisation of banks is being talked about vigorously, selling of substantial portion of LIC funds, the talks of report of Supreme Court committee on farm laws is being in the air.

The unions in Delhi organized a protest demonstration at Jantar Mantar on 29^th March 2022 addressed by the Central leaders of the Central Trade Unions (CTUs) among others.

Those who addressed the gathering included Amarjeet Kaur (AITUC), Harbhajan Singh Sidhu (HMS), Tapan Sen (CITU), R K Sharma (AIUTUC), G Devrajan (TUCC), Lata (SEWA), Rajiv Dimri (AICCTU), Mohan (LPF), Suresh Dagar (UTUC), Santosh (MEC), Narender (ICTU).

Binoy Viswam, Member of Parliament-Rajya Sabha and Hannan Mollah on behalf of SKM also addressed the gathering.

The unionists recognised that the demand of time is to strengthen the workers- peasants unity to put up vigorous struggle against tyrant regime at Centre which has not only failed the nation but is also letting loose the vicious divisive agenda in detriment to the core values of Indian constitution and harmonious living of Indian people with diverse religious beliefs, cultures, languages.                                                        

        INTUC                     AITUC                    HMS                     CITU                       AIUTUC

          TUCC                SEWA                      AICCTU                     LPF                    UTUC

                              And Independent Sectoral Federations/Associations.

The two day General Strike has been successfully organised throughout the country, by the Central Trade Unions and the sectoral trade unions, including BSNLEU. The Indian working class has recorded a strong protest to the pro-corporate and anti-worker policies of the Modi government. The CHQ of BSNLEU heartily congratulates all the comrades who have participated in the strike. The CHQ also appreciates the circle and district unions for taking pains to organise this General Strike.

The Corporate Office issued letter on 08.03.2022, advising the Chief General Managers to sanction Special Casual Leave for the CEC meeting and All India Conference of BSNLEU, to be held at Guwahati. However, in that letter, the date of the CEC meeting is not mentioned. Today, the Corporate Office has issued letter, for the sanctioning of Special Casual Leave for both the CEC meeting and the All India Conference.