As all are aware, BSNLEU had taken efforts continuously, for implementing a Group Health Insurance Scheme for the employees. Based on this, an MoU was signed between BSNL and the New India Assurance Company. However, this MoU was not approved by the Corporate Office of New India Assurance Company. Thereafter, based on the request of the Union, the Corporate Office once again called for the quotations afresh from various insurance companies. Three companies, viz., the United India Insurance Company Ltd., The New India Assurance Company Ltd., and the Oriental Insurance Company Ltd., submitted their quotations. In this, the quotations of the Oriental Insurance Company Ltd. are the lowest, which are as follows (for Rs.5 lakh policy)

(1)   Option 1 - Without parents – Rs.16,041/-

(2)   Option 2 - With 1 parent  - Rs.25,814/-

(3)   Option 3 - With 2 parents  - Rs.35,804/-

Since, the amounts quoted are very high, the BSNL Corporate Office tried to negotiate with the Oriental Insurance Company Ltd. for reducing the premium amount. Today, Com.P.Abhimanyu, GS, discussed this issue with Shri S.P. Singh, GM(Admn.), who replied that the Oriental Insurance Company is not prepared to reduce the premium amount any more. There is a deadlock on this matter. Now, we have to advise the Corporate Office either to proceed and sign the MoU based on the quoted amount or to drop the proposal of implementing Group Health Insurance Scheme for the employees. CHQ requests the circle secretaries and central office bearers to immediately convey their views to the CHQ, so that, BSNLEU can give it’s suggestion to the Corporate Office. 

CHQ is shocked to know that, Com.J.V.Keshav, former Circle Treasurer of BSNLEU, Karnataka circle, has passed away at Bengaluru on 15.01.2022. He had a massive heart attack while at home and was rushed to the hospital, where he was declared as ‘brought dead’. Com.J.V.Keshav had functioned as the Treasurer of our Karnataka circle union for long years. Above all, he served as the Treasurer of the Reception Committee of the 09^th All India Conference of BSNLEU, held at Mysuru and had relentlessly worked for the success of the Conference. Com.J.V. Keshav was a thorough gentleman, friendly to all and had dedicated his life to the trade union movement. He was only 65 years old and is survived by his wife and a daughter. The CHQ of BSNLEU pays it’s respectful homage to Com.J.V.Keshav and conveys it’s heartfelt condolences to all his family members, comrades and friends.

On 11.01.2022, Corporate Office has issued certain guidelines for the treatment of employees affected with COVID-19. But, nothing is mentioned regarding the sanctioning of medical advance to the employees / dependents who are affected with the COVID-19. BSNL Empanelled hospitals are not offering cashless treatment, due to the non-payment of bills by BSNL Management. Last year, the Director (HR) issued letter for the sanctioning of medical advance to the hospitalised employees at the rate of Rs.1 lakh / Rs.2 lakh / Rs.3 lakh. Hence, BSNLEU has written to the CMD BSNL today to issue instructions to the CGMs for the sanctioning of similar medical advance to the COVID-19 affected employees / dependents. 

The Superannuation Pension Scheme (SPS) for BSNL’s Directly Recruited employees is implemented from 05.05.2016. LIC is the Fund Manager for this SPS. The Corporate Office has issued guidelines today, for claiming the payment of the Superannuation Pension, by the retired/ families of deceased Directly Recruited employees. Forms to be filled up by the beneficiaries for claiming the Superannuation Pension Scheme are also enclosed. The filled-up forms, received by the Corporate Office will be forwarded to the LIC, who will release the Superannuation Pension to the beneficiaries. This information may be taken to the notice of the superannuated Directly Recruited employees as well as to the families of the deceased employees. 

The Corporate Office has issued letter, for stopping the deductions from the salary of employees, on account of LIC, PLI, Society, Clubs, etc. We are at loss to understand the rationale behind this decision of the Management. Every naya paisa is being deducted from the salary of the employees, by the Management and the same is being remitted to the concerned organisation. As such, what is the problem of the Management? Hence, BSNLEU has written letter to the CMD BSNL, demanding immediate withdrawal of this instruction.

अखिल भारतीय कृषि कामगार संघ-All India Agricultural Workers Union को दान-donation के रूप में प्रत्येक सदस्य से 5 रुपये एकत्र करें ।

अखिल भारतीय केंद्र-All India Centre ने निर्णय लिया है कि पहली आम हड़ताल-first General Strike की 40वीं वर्षगांठ-40th anniversary मनाने के अवसर पर प्रत्येक सदस्य से 5 रुपये का चंदा वसूला जाना चाहिए। यह राशि दान के रूप में अखिल भारतीय कृषि कामगार संघ-All India Agricultural Workers Union को सौंपा जाएगी। इस दान के संग्रह का उद्देश्य कामगार किसान एकता-Worker peasant Unity को मजबूत करना है, जो सरकार की श्रमिक विरोधी-anti worker, किसान विरोधी-anti peasant और कॉर्पोरेट समर्थक-pro corporate  नीतियों-policies  को हराने के लिए आवश्यक है । पूरा विवरण CHQ परिपत्र-Circular संख्या 01/2022 दिनांक 06-01-2022 में समझाया गया है ।  अखिल भारतीय केन्द्र-All India Centre ने निर्णय लिया है कि यह दान सर्कल/जिला संघ निधियों-Circle/District Union Funds से नहीं भेजा जाना चाहिए, बल्कि प्रत्येक कर्मचारी से एकत्र किया जाना चाहिए ताकि उन्हें कामगार कृषक एकता-worker peasant unity के महत्व के बारे में शिक्षित किया जा सके । इस दान का संग्रह 19.01.2022 को शुरू होगा, लेकिन जब तक प्रत्येक सदस्य से दान एकत्र नहीं किया जाता है तब तक जारी रहेगा। 

दिनांक 19.01.2022 को  पहली आम हड़ताल-first General Strike की 40 वीं वर्षगांठ-40th anniversary मनायें।

दिनांक 19-01-1982 को हुई पहली आम हड़ताल-first General Strike की 40 वीं वर्षगांठ-anniversary को मनाने के लिए केवल 5 दिन और बचे हैं । अखिल भारतीय केंद्र-All India Centre ने केंद्रीय ट्रेड यूनियन नेताओं-Central Trade Union leaders के साथ-साथ एलआईसी-LIC जैसे साथी संगठनों-sister organisations को आमंत्रित करते हुए दिनांक 19-01-2022 को जिला स्तरीय सामान्य सभा की बैठकें-district level General Body Meetings आयोजित करने का आह्वान किया है । बैठक में सीएचक्यू परिपत्र संख्या-CHQ Circular No. 01/2022 दिनांक 06-01-2022 में दिए गए पहले सामान्य हड़ताल-first General Strike के विवरणों-details के बारे में बताया जाना चाहिये । इसके अलावा, बैठक-Meeting का उपयोग राष्ट्रीय मुद्रीकरण पाइपलाइन-National Monetisation Pipeline के खिलाफ अभियान-campaign  चलाने और 23 और 24 फरवरी, -February 2022 को आयोजित होने वाली आम हड़ताल-General Strike के आयोजन के लिए भी परिपत्र के विवरण-Details of Circular का प्रयोग किया जाना चाहिए। उस दिन अखिल भारतीय कृषि कामगार संघ-All India Agricultural Workers Union को हमारे ओर से दान के रूप में प्रति सदस्य 5 रुपये-Rs. 5 per member की दर से देने के लिये सभी साथियों से दानराशि प्राप्त भी शुरू किया जाना चाहिए । सीएचक्यू-CHQ ने सर्कल-Circle और जिला सचिवों-District Secretaries से इस कार्यक्रम को प्रभावी ढंग से आयोजित करने की पहल करने का आह्वान करता है । 

Only 5 more days are left for the observation of the 40^th anniversary of the first General Strike, which took place on 19-01-1982. The All India Centre has given call to conduct district level general body meetings on 19-01-2022, by inviting Central Trade Union leaders, as well as the Sister Organisations like the LIC. Details of the first General Strike, as provided in the CHQ circular no. 01/2022 dated 06.01.2022, shall be explained in the meeting. Further, the meeting should also be utilised to campaign against the National Monetisation Pipeline and for organising the General Strike to be held on 23^rd & 24^th February, 2022. On that day, collection should also be started at the rate Rs.5/- per member, as our donation to the All India Agricultural Workers Union. The CHQ calls on the circle and district secretaries to take the initiative of organising this programme effectively. 

The All India Centre has decided that, on the occasion of observing the 40^th anniversary of the first General Strike, a donation of Rs.5/- should be collected from every member. This donation will be handed over to the All India Agricultural Workers Union. Collection of this donation is aimed at building the worker peasant unity, which is essential for defeating anti-worker, anti-peasant and pro-corporate policies of the government. The All India Centre has decided that, this donation should not be sent from the circle / district union funds, but should be collected from each and every employee, with the view to educate them about the importance of the worker peasant unity. The collection of this donation shall be started on 19.01.2022, but shall continue till donation is collected from each and every member. 

The Corporate Office has issued letter today, cancelling the Wage Negotiating Committee meeting scheduled for 19-01-2022. The letter states that, the meeting is cancelled in view of COVID 19 pandemic and the Administrative restrictions and that the date of the next meeting would be informed in due course.

The Co-Ordination Committee (CoC) of BSNLEU, AIBDPA and BSNLCCWF held it’s meeting online on 06.01.2022 and has decided to organise black badge wearing demonstrations massively on 25.01.2022, demanding immediate settlement of the following issues. It is also decided that, memorandums would be submitted to the GMs and CGMs on that day. 

(1)   The BSNL Management is deliberately delaying payment of the frozen IDA arrears to the Non-Executives. The CMD BSNL is taking revenge and not paying the IDA arrears, since BSNLEU had dragged him to the Hon’ble Kerala High Court, against the freezing of the IDA.

(2)   Blatant discrimination is being meted out to the retired employees, by the BSNL Management, in the matter of payment of medical bills. The CMD BSNL is intentionally delaying the payment of medical bills to the retired employees, with the view to force them to leave the BSNL MRS and migrate to the CGHS. Payment of Medical Allowance to the retired employees had also been stopped.

(3)   The BSNL Management is adopting a lackadaisical attitude in the matter of holding the LICEs of the Non-Executives. By delaying the holding of the LICEs, the Management is jeopardising the promotional prospects and the future of the young BSNL employees.

(4)   Management is not paying the wage arrears of the contract workers. In many places, wages are not paid to the contract workers even up to 18 months. This is also nothing but the vindictive action of the CMD BSNL.

The CHQ of BSNLEU calls on the circle and district unions to coordinate with AIBDPA and BSNL CCWF and to organise the programme successfully.

In continuation of the Circle Conference of UP(West) circle, held at Meerut on 28.10.2021, the Circle Executive Committee meeting was held at Ghaziabad on 02.01.2022. In this Circle Executive Committee meeting, Com.Puneet Kumar, JE, Ghaziabad, is unanimously elected as the Circle Secretary and Com. Upendar Singh Teotia, is elected as the Assistant Circle Secretary. The CHQ has written to the CGM, UP(West) circle, communicating the unanimous decisions of the Circle Executive Committee meeting.

The All India Centre of BSNLEU, met online on 05.01.2022. The meeting decided that the 40^th anniversary of the first General Strike, which falls on 19^th January, 2022, should be organised befittingly. The All India Centre has decided that, district level conventions should be organised on this day. Leaders of the Central Trade Unions and sister Organisations should be invited to address this convention. Apart from recollecting, the historic first General Strike held in 1982, this convention should also be utilised to campaign against the National Monetisation Pipeline and also for mobilising the employees for the two day General Strike to be organised on 23^rd & 24^th February, 2022. The All India Centre has also decided that, an amount of Rs.5/- should be collected from each member, which will be handed over to the All India Agricultural Workers Union. CHQ has issued a circular explaining the decisions of the All India Centre. Non-Hindi speaking circles may translate this circular in regional languages and circulate widely. All the circle and district unions are requested to successfully implement the decision of the All India Centre.

Com.P.Abhimanyu, GS, and Com. Anand Kumar Singh, AGS, met Shri P.K. Purwar, CMD BSNL, yesterday the 05-01-2022 and discussed the important issues of the employees.

At the outset the GS and the AGS thanked the CMD BSNL for the early releasing of funds for the payment of salary for the month of December, 2021 and also to a certain extent, for the payment of the medical bills of the retired employees. Thereafter, the following issues are discussed in detail.   

Payment of IDA arrears.

The IDA increase from 01.10.2020 up to 30.06.2021 was frozen by the government. BSNLEU went to the Hon’ble Kerala High Court and in February, 2021, the Hon’ble Court gave order against the freezing of the IDA. However, BSNL Management delayed the payment. Initially, BSNL put the blame on the DPE. But, even after the DPE announced the rates of IDA increase, the Management has not made the payment of the IDA arrears. It is going to be one year after the Hon’ble Kerala High Court gave the order for the payment of IDA. Still the BSNL Management is dragging it's feet and delaying the payment. In yesterday’s meeting, the GS and the AGS told the CMD BSNL that, this is a great injustice to the Non-Executives.  They expressed their strong disapproval of the extreme delay and demanded that, the IDA arrears should be paid immediately.

Extreme delay in holding the LICEs.

In the meeting held on 27-10-2021, between the AUAB and the CMD BSNL, it was agreed by the Management that, the notification for holding the LICEs of the Non-Executives would be issued by 30.11.2021. Thereafter, the Establishment Branch has called for some details from the CGMs. Apart from this, the Management has not taken any concrete step for holding the LICEs of Non-Executives. In yesterday’s meeting, the GS and the AGS expressed their unhappiness over the delay and strongly demanded that, the LICEs should be held at the earliest.

Pay scale upgradations.

The Central Executive Committee meeting of BSNLEU, held on 22.10.2021, has demanded that, the pay scales of JE, Sr.TOA and TT cadres should be upgraded. In yesterday’s meeting with the CMD BSNL, the GS and the AGS explained about the justifications for the upgradations of the pay scales and demanded that this should be considered by the Management. For example, the GS and the AGS explained how 99% of the DR JEs are engineering graduates and are working in the high-tech areas and thus, justified the demand for upgradation of the pay scale. 

Promotion under NEPP - removal of discriminations between the absorbed and Directly Recruited employees.

Under the NEPP, the first promotion to the absorbed employees is being given on completion of 4 years and second upgradation is being given on completion of 7 years. However, for the Directly Recruited employees, the first and second promotions are given only after completion of 8 years each. BSNLEU has already written a letter to CMD BSNL, demanding to remove this discrimination. In yesterday’s meeting, the GS and the AGS strongly demanded that, this discrimination should be removed. Especially, they pointed out how the DR JEs are greatly demotivated due to this discrimination and demanded that, the discrimination should be removed soon.

Considering request transfers under Rule 8.

BSNLEU has already discussed with the Director (HR) that, the Rule 8 transfer requests of the DR JEs are being delayed inordinately. BSNLEU had already submitted a list of 56 DR JEs to the Director(HR), who had applied for Rule 8 transfer, but not considered. The Management has not taken any action on this. In yesterday’s meeting, the GS and the AGS pointed out that, the BSNL Board has already finalised the Restructuring of BSNL's Manpower. As such, all the Rule 8 applications of the DR JEs should be considered without delay.   

It is painful that, the reply of the CMD BSNL for all the above issues was in the negative. The GS and the AGS told the CMD BSNL in strong terms that, the BSNL Management is neglecting and discriminating the Non-Executives, which will not be tolerated. They told that, BSNLEU will be forced to go on agitation, if the issues are not settled. 

कॉर्पोरेट्स कार्यालय-Corporate Office ने सेवानिवृत्त कर्मचारियों-Retired Employees के चिकित्सा बिलों के भुगतान-payment of Medical Bills के लिए  सर्कल-Circle को धन-fund आवंटित किया है।

बीएसएनएलईयू-BSNLEU लगातार प्रबंधन-Management पर दबाव बना रहा है कि वह सेवानिवृत्त कर्मचारियों-Retired Employees के मेडिकल बिलों-Medical Bills के भुगतान-payment के लिए फंड-Fund आवंटित करे। बीएसएनएलईयू-BSNLEU ने इस मुद्दे पर कई पत्र-letters लिखे हैं। समन्वय समिति (सीओसी)-Coordination Committee ने इस मुद्दे पर कई आंदोलनों का आयोजन किया है। अंत में बीएसएनएलईयू-BSNLEU और सीएमडी बीएसएनएल-CMD BSNL के बीच दिनांक 24.12.2021 को हुई बैठक-Meeting में सेवानिवृत्त कर्मचारियों-retired employees के मेडिकल बिलों-Medical Bills का भुगतान-payment न करने पर गंभीरता से चर्चा की गई। उस बैठक में सीएमडी बीएसएनएल-CMD BSNL ने आश्वासन दिया था कि जनवरी-January  के पहले सप्ताह में धनराशि-Fund आवंटित कर दी जाएगी। इसी के अनुसार सेवानिवृत्त कर्मचारियों-Retired Employees के मेडिकल बिलों के भुगतान-payment of Medical Bills के लिए धनराशि-fund सर्कल-Circle को आवंटित किए गए हैं। हालांकि, यह राशि अपर्याप्त-insufficient है, क्योंकि मार्च 2019-March 2019 के बाद से बिल लंबित-bills pending हैं। बीएसएनएलईयू-BSNLEU प्रबंधन-Management पर दबाव बनाना जारी रखेगा ताकि जल्द से जल्द पूरे बैक लॉग-back log को क्लियर किया जा सके ।