The working class of Kerala is liberally donating to the Chief Ministers’ Distress Relief Fund, to enable the state to overcome the crisis created by COVID-19 pandemic, landslides, etc. Com.M.Vijayakumar, AGS, BSNLEU, whose daughter's marriage has taken place some days back,  has donated Rs.One lakh to the Chief Minister’s Distress Relief Fund. CHQ heartily congratulates Com.M.Vijayakumar, AGS and his family, for their large-heartedness. 

The 10 Central Trade Unions have given the call to observe "All India Protest Day" tomorrow the 23.09.2020, to oppose the attacks being launched by the Modi Government on the public sector ,  on workers rights and on the democratic rights of the people.

 The All India Centre of BSNLEU , has called upon to organise lunch hour demonstrations tomorrow. Circle and District unions are requested to organise this programme successfully. Social distancing, wearing of masks and other precautions should be taken. 

This programme should also be utilised to organise the campaign, as decided by the CEC meeting of BSNLEU, to ensure immediate launching of 4G service by BSNL, Company's revival, etc. Report and photos of the programme may be emailed to the CHQ.

The Corporate Office has sent fund authorisation to the circles for the payment of salary. Payment of August salary will be made now.

CHQ is saddened to hear that Com.N.K. Nalawade, Vice President (CHQ) & Circle Secretary, BSNLEU, Maharashtra circle, has lost his elder sister and her husband. Both of them had been affected by the COVID-19. They had been admitted to the hospital. However, they could not be saved. CHQ expresses its heartfelt condolences to Com.N.K. Nalawade, and to all his family members.

The CEC meeting of BSNLEU, held on 10^th & 11^th September, 2020, has passed a detailed resolution, explaining how the cancellation of BSNL’s 4G tender has harmed the Company. The resolution has also emphasised the need for the employees to come together and to organise campaigns and struggles. The salient points of this resolution has been published in "The Hindu"  newspaper. 

The Financial Express, a leading daily on economic and financial matters, has published an article today, explaining how BSNL’s 4G launching, as well as it’s Financial Revival, is going to be harmed, due to the cancellation of BSNL’s 4G tender. 

The article reveals that, BSNL is going to be told by the government to build it’s 4G networks, through the “Managed Networks Model”. Under this model, hardware and software from different companies like Nokia and Ericsson would be purchased and would be assembled by an Indian company.

 While other private companies have installed their networks through “Turnkey Contracts”, where a single vendor will commission and manage the networks, it would be risky for BSNL at this stage, to undertake experiments, explains the article. 

This is exactly what is being told by BSNLEU and the AUAB. The Financial Express article very well explains how the decision of the government to cancel BSNL’s 4G tender and to direct BSNL to carry out experiments, will be suicidal for BSNL.

The CHQ of BSNLEU has called on to observe Martyr’s Day today, to pay homage to those who sacrificed their lives in the one day strike of Central Government employees, held on 19^th September, 1968. Responding to the call of CHQ, Martyr’s Day is observed throughout the country. District General Body meetings were organised and the comrades are explained about the demands and victimisations of the 1968 strike. CHQ congratulates the district unions for implementing the call.

As a prelude to observing 19^th September, 2020, as the Martyr’s Day, the All India Centre of BSNLEU has decided to organise a Facebook live programme on 18.09.2020. Com.P.Abhimanyu, GS, addressed this programme at 08:00 pm yesterday. The General Secretary elaborately explained about the demands of the 1968 strike and the repressive measures unleashed by the government to crush the strike. He also explained about the relevance of “Need Based Minimum Wage”, which was the number one demand of the 1968 strike, with reference to the present day economic situation. The speech was made in English and Hindi.

The Narendra Modi government is launching an all out attack on the public sector. Highly profit earning public sectors in the Banking, Insurance, Petroleum and Coal sectors are being disinvested / privatised. Privatisation is coming in a big way in the Indian Railways and Defence Sector also. Simultaneously, the hard worn rights of the working people are being snatched away by the Central Government as well as various State Governments. Above all, the Modi government has  launched a severe attack on the democratic rights of the people. Anyone who critises the government is being branded as anti-national (Desh drohi) and is being arrested under the National Security Act (NSA). It is sure that, the trade union leaders will also be brought under the category of Desh drohis, soon. 

Against these attacks, the 10 Central Trade Unions have jointly given call to observe National Protest Day on 23.09.2020. The CHQ calls upon the circle and district unions to organise lunch hour demonstrations and observe the National Protest Day on 23.09.2020. 

The Central Executive Committee meeting of BSNLEU has decided to launch a powerful campaign demanding 4G to BSNL, settlement of Wage Revision, Pension Revision, etc. These demonstrations to be organised on 23.09.2020 should also be utilised as an occasion for our  campaign. 

52 years ago, on 19^th September, 1968, 40 lakh Central Government Employees, went on a heroic one day strike, demanding need based minimum wage, full neutralisation for price rise, abolition of casual and contract labour system and on other demands. The participants in the strike included Railwaymen, Defence workers, P&T workers, etc. The strike was a roaring success throughout the country. However, the Central government headed by Smt. Indira Gandhi, unleashed a reign of terror to defeat the strike.  ESMO (Essential Services Maintenance Ordinance) was promulgated to crush the strike. 17 workers were killed at Pathankot, Bikaner, Bongaigaon, Mariani and Indraprasth in Delhi. 12,000 leaders and workers were arrested. 65,000 employees were served with termination notices. 40,000 employees were placed under suspension. Police firing, lathi charge, arrests, terminations and suspensions were heaped on the strikers. The workers who picketed trains were crushed to death, by running the trains over them. However, it is significant to note that, the Communist Party ruled Kerala state, headed by Com.E.M.S. Namboodiripad, refused to take any action against the strike. He refused to implement the ESMO, even when the Central Government threatened to dismiss the Kerala state government. On this day we pay red salutes to the comrades who became martyrs in that strike. We also gratefully remember the sacrifices made by other comrades in that heroic strike. It was a strike against exploitation. BSNLEU pledges to carry forward that struggle.

4G is being denied to BSNL. Revival of BSNL is becoming a distant dream and the future of the Company is becoming a very big question mark. It is the need of the hour that the entire Executives and Non-Executives of BSNL, come under a common platform, to launch campaigns and struggles, to create pressure on the government, so that BSNL can start it’s 4G service. The AUAB, in it’s meeting held on 07.09.2020, discussed this issue at length and has decided to  appeal to all the unions and associations to come forward for united action under a common platform. Accordingly, AUAB has written letters to the General Secretaries of all the unions and associations which are presently not part of the AUAB. 

A case has been filed in the Principal Bench of the CAT, New Delhi, praying for the revision of pension for the BSNL and MTNL retirees. This case, which is filed by the AIRBSNLEWA, came up for hearing in the Principal Bench of the CAT yesterday. The case has been admitted and notice has been issued to the respondents to file reply. Now, the case has been posted for hearing on 3^rd November, 2020.

https://www.facebook.com/bsnleuchqnewdelhi

On the retirement of the Sr.TOAs in Maharashtra circle, the CCA, Maharashtra, created a problem. At the time of promotion under OTBP, the Sr.TOAs were promoted from 5700 pay scale to 7100 pay scale. The CCA, Maharashtra took an atrocious decision that under OTBP, the Sr.TOAs should have been promoted only in the 6550 pay scale and not in 7100 pay scale. In accordance with this interpretation, the CCA, Maharashtra, arbitrarily downgraded the promotion already given many years ago, as a result of which the pension of hundreds of Sr.TOAs got reduced. The CHQ of BSNLEU took up this case very seriously. Com.Animesh Mitra, President and Com.P.Abhimanyu, GS, met Shri P.K. Sinha, Member (Finance), DoT on 12.02.2020. Thereafter, continuously the issue was pursued by BSNLEU, by writing letters. In the Formal meeting held with the Director (HR) on 28.08.2020, BSNLEU requested that the Corporate Office should also take up this issue with the Member (Finance). As a result of all these efforts taken by BSNLEU, the DoT issued letter yesterday the 17.09.2020, directing the CCA, Maharashtra circle, that the promotion already given to the Sr.TOAs under OTBP, in the pay scale of 7100 (NE-10 pay scale) is correct. As a result of the settlement of this case, the hundreds of retired Sr.TOAs of Maharashtra circle are benefitted.

ऑनलाइन सर्किल एग्जीक्यूटिव कमिटी मीटिंग का आयोजन- शेष रहे सर्कल्स से भी, CHQ का, उनकी मीटिंग्स शीघ्र आयोजित करने का अनुरोध....
BSNLEU के ऑल इंडिया सेन्टर ने निर्णय लिया है कि सभी सर्कल्स द्वारा उनकी ऑनलाइन सर्किल एग्जीक्यूटिव कमिटी मीटिंग आयोजित की जानी चाहिए। इन मीटिंग्स के आयोजन हेतु CHQ द्वारा डिजिटल प्लेटफॉर्म उपलब्ध कराया जा रहा है। अधिकांश सर्कल्स द्वारा मीटिंग्स की जा चुकी है या मीटिंग हेतु तारीख निर्धारित कर ली गई है। किन्तु, यह देखने मे आया है कि अभी भी कुछ सर्किल यूनियन्स उनकी एग्जीक्यूटिव कमिटी मीटिंग आयोजित करने हेतु आगे नही आई हैं। अतः, CHQ सभी शेष सर्कल्स से अनुरोध करता है कि वें तत्काल अपनी सर्किल एग्जीक्यूटिव कमिटी मीटिंग्स आयोजित करें।  

The All India Centre of BSNLEU has decided that all the circle unions should hold their online Circle Executive Committee meetings. The CHQ is providing the digital platform for holding these meetings. Most of the circles have already conducted, or fixed the date for meeting. However, it is observed that some circle unions have not come forward to hold their Executive Committee meetings. Hence, the CHQ requests all the remaining circles also to immediately hold their Circle Executive Committee meetings.

Since the Martyr’s Day is going to be observed by BSNLEU on 19.09.2020, General Secretary, BSNLEU, will address the Facebook live tomorrow the 18-09-2020, at 08:00 pm. The speech will be in Hindi and English. All the circle and district secretaries are requested to ensure that, maximum number comrades view this programme.