The Extended Central Executive Committee meeting of BSNLEU was held to the utmost satisfaction of all the district secretaries, circle secretaries and the Central Office bearers. The Maharashtra circle union has made excellent arrangements with regards to the meeting hall, accommodation and food. The excellent arrangements has enabled the participants to deliberate in a very conducive atmosphere and for taking fruitful decisions. It is also important to mention that this is the 3^rd Extended Circle Executive Committee meeting, being hosted by Maharashtra circle union. CHQ of BSNLEU heartily thanks and congratulates the Maharashtra circle union under the able leadership of Com.N.K. Nalawade.

On 24^th September 2019, the coal workers  have gone on strike against the decision of the Modi government, to allow 100% FDI through the automatic route, in extraction and sale of coal. The BJP government has allowed 100% FDI in coal mining through the automatic route. According to this, the foreign companies can not only extract coal from our coal mines but also sell them at market prices, including exporting it. The government allowed these profits to be siphoned off to their countries. By going on a total strike against this, the coal workers have once again proved that it is they, as part of the working class, who are really determined to protect the interests of the nation. BSNLEU salutes the coal workers.

Com.P.Abhimanyu,GS and Com.Swapan Chakraborty, Dy.GS held discussions with Shri Saurabh Tyagi, Sr.GM(Estt.) today and discussed the following issues:-

1. Granting of financial upgrdation under NEPP – impact of disciplinary cases which come up after the due date of upgradation.

BSNLEU has already written to the BSNL Corporate Office, demanding that, the disciplinary cases which come up after the due date of financial upgradation under NEPP, should not affect the upgradation. The Corporate Office has already issued a guideline in this regard, in respect of the Executives Promotion Policy (EPP). BSNLEU has demanded that a similar guideline should also be issued in respect of the NEPP. The Sr.GM(Estt.) replied that action in this connection is already taken and that, the needful guideline would be issued within a day or two.

2. Issuing of Presidential Order to the TSMs who were directly promoted as Telecom Technicians (Erstwhile Telecom Mechanic).

Some of the TSMs have been directly promoted as Telecom Technicians (Erstwhile Telecom Mechanic), without getting regularised as RMs. BSNLEU has demanded that Presidential Orders should be issued to them also at par with those TSMs who were regularised as RMs after 01.10.2000. The Sr.GM(Estt.) replied that the case is already taken up with the DoT. He further stated that the DoT has sought certain clarifications, which would be replied shortly.

It was on this day, two years ago, Com.Sisir Battacharjee, fondly called as Sisir da, passed away. The sacrifices and contributions of Com.Sisir da, together with leaders like Com.K.G. Bose, Com.Moni Bose, etc., have laid a strong foundation for the present day Postal and Telecommunications trade union movement. Similarly, many rights and benefits being enjoyed today, by the postal and telecommunications employees, are the fruits of the struggles, inspired and led by comrades like Com.Sisir da. BSNLEU pays it’s respectful homage to Com.Sisir da and vows to march forward in the path shown by him.

CHQ has already reported that the Modi government is taking swift measures to privatise the Indian Railways and to hand it over to the Indian and multinational corporates.  Recently the government has decided to hand over 109 pairs of high-speed passenger trains to the private. 

The government has invited “Request For Qualification (RFQ)” from Indian and foreign corporates, for operating these 109 trains. Privatisation of the Indian Railways is not only an issue related to the Railway employees, but to the entire  people of the country. Under this situation, the CITU has given call for protest demonstrations against the privatisation of Indian Railways. This programme will be organised on 16th or 17th July, 2020, in front of railway stations, etc. The CHQ calls upon our comrades to participate in this programme.

Neglecting the stiff opposition of the entire employees of BSNL, the DoT / Government is moving fast to make the Subsidiary Tower Company operational from the 1^st of April, 2018. We oppose the formation of the Subsidiary Tower Company because, it will be the end of road to BSNL. Having failed to weaken BSNL through various means, the government is finally trying to kill BSNL by taking away it’s near 70,000 mobile towers. BSNL’s mobile towers are it’s life-line. If the mobile towers are taken away, BSNL will certainly become a skeleton. The IAS officer, who has been appointed by the DoT as the CMD of the Subsidiary Tower Company, will definitely not come under the control of BSNL’s Board of Directors. Thus, formation of Subsidiary Tower Company is a day-light robbery, being done by the government, to steal BSNL’s mobile towers. If the Subsidiary Tower Company is formed, soon BSNL will become a scrap. Hence, CHQ calls upon the entire circle and district unions to massively mobilise the employees for the demonstration to be held on 27.03.2018, in consultation with the other constituents of AUAB. Negligence, lethargy and complacence on the part of our circle and district unions on this matter will not be permitted. Photos and report of the programme should be sent immediately to the CHQ, only through CHQ e-mail ID - bsnleuchq@gmail.com. Comrades are requested not to send the photos on Whatsapp to the General Secretary.

Today’s Times of India has reported that a Muslim man from Gopalganj district, Bihar, broke his roza (fasting) to save the life of an 8 year old Hindu boy. The boy, Punit by name, is suffering from Thalassemia for the past 7 years. He needs blood transfusion once in every 15 days. So far, friends and relatives of the boy’s family were donating blood. On last Tuesday, Punit suddenly experienced a drop in his haemoglobin level and required immediate blood transfusion. There was no one to donate A +ve blood to him. Alam Jawed, is a clerk working in the District Education Office, who is a member of the District Blood Donors’ team, with A +ve blood group. When Punit’s father approached Alam Jawed for blood donation, he willingly came forward to donate his blood. For this, he had to break his roza (fasting). “Believing in religion is one thing, but humanity is a bigger thing”, said Alam Jawed after donating blood. At a time when some people are becoming mad in the name of religion, and killing each other, there are good hearted people like Alam Jawed, who consider that humanity is bigger than religion.

Com. P. Abhimanyu, GS, met Shri Sourabh Tyagi, GM (Estt.), today and discussed the following issues:-

1. Granting first promotion under NEPP, on completion of 4 years, to the TSMs regularised after 01.10.2000.

BSNLEU is continuously demanding implementation of the court judgement that, the TSMs regularised as RM on or after 01.10.2000, should be granted their first promotion under NEPP, on completion of 4 years. Even though the Corporate Office has accepted BSNLEU’s proposal in principle, no settlement of the issue has come, since the Corporate Office has called for inputs from circles, and that most of the circles have not sent the required inputs. In today’s meeting, the General Secretary, insisted that the Corporate Office itself should issue order on this matter, without waiting for the inputs from the circles. During today’s discussion, the GM (Estt.) informed the General Secretary that the matter was simultaneously referred to the DoT, since it involves the element of pension also. It seems the DoT has raised certain objections. The GM (Estt.) told that Corporate Office is working on this issue and assured to try it’s best for the early solution of the issue.

2. Issuing of Presidential Orders to the TSMs who directly became Telecom Technicians.

BSNLEU is continuously demanding that the TSMs who directly became Telecom Technicians should be issued with Presidential Orders. Even though the Management has already accepted this, the circles have been asked to inform the number of such candidates from their respective circle. In today’s meeting the GM (Estt.) informed that, still the inputs are awaited from some circles, such as Madhya Pradesh and UP (East). He assured to gather the information from the remaining circles also, so that the cases would be forwarded to the DoT, for the issuing of the Presidential Orders.

The AUAB, Tamil Nadu circle, organised a very effective joint meeting at CGM office today. Com.Natarajan, CS, NFTE & Chairman, AUAB, presided over the meeting. Com.S.Chellappa, AGS, BSNLEU & Convenor, AUAB, welcomed the leaders and the gathering. Com.P.Abhimanyu, GS, BSNLEU & Convenor, AUAB, Com.Chandeswar Singh, GS, NFTE & Chairman, AUAB, Com. Sivakumar, President, AIBSNLEA and Com. Rajan, Treasurer (CHQ), SNEA addressed and explained the decisions reached in the meeting held between the Hon'ble MoS(C) and the AUAB, on 03-12-2018. The leaders explained the issues fully and also replied the questions raised in the meeting.

A National Convention of Workers, organised by Central Trade Unions, is held at Constitution Club Annexe at New Delhi today. It was presided overby Com.Vijaylakshmi, INTUC, Com. Hemalata, CITU and the Presidents of AITUC,HMS,AIUTUC,TUCC,SEWA,AICCTU,LPF and UTUC. At the outset, the convention observed one minute's silence and paid homage to the 42 CRPF jawans, killed by the extremists at Pulwama. Based on the draft resolution placed in the convention, leaders from central trade unions addressed. Com Ashok Singh, INTUC, Com Amarjit Kaur, AITUC, Com Tapan Sen, CITU and other leaders from central trade unions addressed the convention. Finally, the convention approved a 43 point workers charter and unanimously decided to raise those issues during the 17th general election and to ensure that the anti-worker and anti-people BJP is defeated.

The State Bank of India has once again become profit making. For the 3 months quarter ended in March 2019, the State Bank of India has made a net profit of Rs.838 crore. It must be remembered that, State Bank of India ran into a loss of Rs.7,718 crore in the corresponding quarter of the previous year. State Bank of India went into loss, mainly because of the writing off of the bad loans. The big corporates take loans from the public sector banks and never repay them. The government, instead of making the corporates to repay the loans, write them off. During the last five years, the Narendra Modi government has written off bad loans to tune of Rs.5 lakh crore. 

The entire BSNL contract workers of Tamil Nadu circle have started a 3 day strike, commencing from today the 26th September, 2019. The call is given by the Tamil Nadu Telecom Contract Workers Union (TNTCWU). The demands of the strike are immediate payment of wage arrears of the past 8 months and withdrawal of the Corporate Office orders on retrenchment of the contract workers, as well as reduction of their working hours. The strike is total in Tamil Nadu since 100% of the BSNL contract workers have joined with strike. The striking workers have organised demonstrations in many places. Further, they are also meeting the Hon’ble Members of the Parliament and submitting memorandum to them. They also met Com.Sitaram Yechury, General Secretary, CPI(M) who is on a visit to Puducherry, and submitted a memorandum to him.

The unified trade union movement of BSNL, under the single banner of “The Unions and Associations of BSNL”, is taking on the government today, demanding settlement the 3rd wage revision and to stop the formation of Subsidiary Tower Company. Today's demonstration is only a wake up call to the government. It has to ensure peaceful settlement of the issues, by accepting the justified demands. Otherwise, the employees of BSNL will be left with no other option, but to intensify the struggles. Settlement of both the demands, is a must for the future of the employees, and for the prosperity of the BSNL. Hence, CHQ calls upon our leaders and active comrades to leave no stone unturned, for the total success of the struggles. Unity is the only weapon in our hands, while the government has many weapons. Hence, all our comrades are requested to take utmost care and efforts to strengthen unity.

BSNL has made a tie-up with the Tata Communications, for providing unlimited data, through Wi-Fi hotspots to it’s customers while on international roaming. With this tie-up, BSNL’s customers can get access to 44 million Wi-Fi hotspots in various countries world over. This facility will be provided by BSNL at fixed tariff, priced at Rs.999/- for three days, Rs.1,599/- for 15 days and Rs.1,999/- for 30 days. BSNL is the first mobile operator in India to provide such a facility to the customers going abroad. Tata Communications has a global network of submarine cable and provides connectivity to more than 240 countries.