Petrol and diesel prices have increased for the 11^th day in a row. In many cities the petrol price has crossed Rs.80/-. For example, in Mumbai the price is Rs.85.65, in Kolkata Rs.80.47, in Chennai Rs.80.80, in Hyderabad it is Rs.82.45 and so on. Taxes are a major component in the prices of petrol and diesel. Even when the price of crude oil was very low, during the past few years, the government looted the people by levying taxes to the tune of lakhs of crores of rupees. Now, when the crude oil price has started increasing in the international market, there is no other go for the government, but to immediately cut down the taxes to give relief to the common man.

The ICICI bank, which has been projected as a model of the new generation banks, has gone into loss. The bank has reported a loss of Rs.120 crore for the first quarter of 2018, ie., for the period from April to June, 2018. ICICI bank has earned a profit of Rs.2,049 crore for the same period in 2017. This is the first time that ICICI bank has gone into loss since 2002.

As per the Union Constitution, delegates for the All India Conference, will be allocated only to the district unions, based on the CHQ quota received from them. After the introduction of ERP, circles are sending the CHQ quota in bulk, without break-up figures for the quota related to the individual district unions. Hence, CHQ has been requesting the circle unions to send the break-up figures, for quota remitted by each district union. However, it is unfortunate that still the following circles have not sent the break-up figures. Hence, CHQ is unable to announce the All India Conference delegates, entitled to the district unions of those circles. Hence, the following circle secretaries are requested to immediately send to the CHQ, the details related to district wise quota remittances for the years 2016 & 2017. Otherwise, the district unions of these circles will not get any delegate for the All India Conference. CHQ requests to treat this as most urgent.

1. Bihar
2. Haryana
3. J&K
4. Rajasthan
5. Chhattisgarh
6. Jharkhand
7. NTR
8. UP(East)
9. TF Jabalpur

The campaign for the General Strike, to be held on 8^th & 9^th January, 2019 has started in West Bengal circle. On 27th December, 2018 a rally was organised in Kolkata, which culminated into a gate meeting at CGMT office. A good number of workers, both regular, as well as casual and contract, participated in the rally and the gate meeting. It was addressed by Com. Animesh Mitra, Circle Secretary, Com. Amitava Chattopadhyay, Asstt. Circle Secretary, Com. Goutam Das, District Secretary, BSNLCMU and Com. Tapas Ghosh, Circle Secretary, BSNLCMU. Flex boards, carrying the demands for the General Strike are extensively displayed at CTO building. Similar programme was organised by BSNLEU, Malda District.

As per the decisions of the CEC meetings, BSNLEU is observing International Women’s Day on 8th March of every year. CHQ has already called upon our circle and district unions to observe this year’s International Women’s Day in a befitting manner. CHQ wishes to tell that, this programme should not be observed in a routine manner. It should be utilised to highlight the ‘denial of equal right’ to women in our society. A lot of atrocities are being committed against women in our country. The Thomson Reuters Foundation, in it's report submitted on 19th June, 2018, has declared that India is the most dangerous country for women in the world, in the matters of health care, access to economic resources and discrimination, customary practices, sexual violence, non-sexual violence and human trafficking. It is the duty of the working class movement to fight against all these injustices against women. CHQ calls upon the circle and district unions to observe this year’s International Women’s Day effectively, by highlighting these issues.

There is acute delay in the payment of wages of contract workers and casual labourers throughout the country. Wages are not paid to these workers for the past 4 months, due to the non-allotment of funds by the Corporate Office. BSNLEU has already drawn the attention of the Director (Finance) in this regard, by writing a letter. In continuation of this, Com.P.Abhimanyu, GS, met Shri S.K. Gupta, Director (Finance), today, and discussed the issue at length. The GS told the Director (Finance) that the families of contract and casual workers are in starvation and requested to do the needful immediately, by releasing funds to the circles. The Director (Finance) replied that he is sympathetic to the workers, but told that the Corporate Office is having acute shortage of funds. However, he assured to look into this issue and to do the needful.

महाराष्ट्र सर्किल यूनियन का दिल से आभार...
BSNLEU की एक्सटेंडेड सेंट्रल एग्जीक्यूटिव कमिटी मीटिंग के आयोजन से सभी डिस्ट्रिक्ट सेक्रेटरीज, सर्किल सेक्रेटरीज और सीएचक्यू ऑफिस बेयरर्स पूर्णतः संतुष्ट हुए। महाराष्ट्र सर्किल यूनियन द्वारा मीटिंग हॉल, रहने और खाने की उत्कृष्ट व्यवस्था की गई थी। बेहतरीन व्यवस्थाओं की वजह से मीटिंग में शामिल साथियों के लिए बेहद माकूल माहौल में चर्चाएं करना और उपयोगी निर्णय लेना सहज हो गया। यहां, यह बताना भी जरूरी है कि महाराष्ट्र सर्किल यूनियन द्वारा तीसरी बार एक्सटेंडेड सेंट्रल एग्जीक्यूटिव कमिटी मीटिंग का आयोजन किया गया है। BSNLEU CHQ कॉम एन के नलावड़े के प्रभावी नेतृत्व में कार्यरत महाराष्ट्र सर्किल यूनियन की हृदय से आभारी है।

On 23rd September, 2019, the General Secretary and the Deputy General Secretary of BSNLEU met Shri P.K.Purwar, CMD BSNL, and suggested that the Management should immediately hold a meeting with all the unions and associations, to discuss the developmental activities. BSNLEU has also suggested that all the unions and associations functioning in BSNL should be invited for that meeting.  This suggestion was given in view of the fact that the financial condition of the Company is deteriorating fast and also the representatives of the employees are totally kept in the dark with regards to the steps being taken by the Management, to improve the financial position of the Company. The CMD BSNL was very positive to the suggestion given by BSNLEU and assured to hold such a meeting promptly. Now, BSNLEU has come to know from the SR Branch of the Corporate Office that, steps are being taken by the Management to hold the meeting in the first week of October. BSNLEU has also suggested that all the unions and associations functioning in BSNL should be invited for that meeting.

The CHQ is extremely saddened to hear that, Com.M.S. Raja, former Secretary General of Audit and Accounts Employees Federation, passed away yesterday, following a massive heart attack at his residence in Kerala.

   Com.M.S. Raja had also been the working president of the Confederation of Central Government Employees. He was one of the frontline All India leaders of the Central Government Employees movement. He has led many struggles, undergoing attacks and victimisations. He had also been actively associated with the united trade union movement at the national level and had played important role in organising the struggles called on by the Central Trade Unions.

     BSNLEU dips it’s banner and pays it’s respectful homage to Com.M.S. Raja and conveys it’s heartfelt condolences to his family members, friends and comrades.

एक बार पुनः, BSNLEU ने निर्धारित तिथि पर वेतन भुगतान की मांग करते हुए CMD BSNL को लिखा..
BSNLEU ने एक बार पुनः, CMD BSNL को, कर्मचारियों को त्वरित वेतन भुगतान सुनिश्चित करने की मांग करते हुए पत्र लिखा है। उक्त पत्र में BSNLEU ने यह भी उल्लेखित किया है कि कर्मचारियों द्वारा आंदोलन कार्यक्रम आयोजित करने के बाद ही मैनेजमेंट वेतन भुगतान हेतु आगे आता है। यूनियन ने मैनेजमेंट से यह भी अनुरोध किया है कि माह अगस्त, 2020 के वेतन भुगतान की त्वरित व्यवस्था करे और प्रत्येक माह की अंतिम तिथि को वेतन का भुगतान हो यह सुनिश्चित करें।   

Shri O.P.Saini, the special judge who is hearing the 2G scam case, has announced that the verdict in the 2G scam case would be delivered on 21^st December. Former telecom minister, A.Raja is one of the prominent accused in this mega scam. The Court will pronounce it's judgement in two cases related to the scam: one is the corruption charge and the other is the money laundering case. The court has also directed all the accused persons to be present in the court that day.

The Airtel, India’s largest telecom company, has posted a net loss of Rs.940.4 crore, from it’s India business, for the first quarter of June, 2018, ie., from April to June, 2018. It’s first quarter profit in 2017 was Rs.834.9 crore. However, Airtel has been able to post an over all net profit of Rs.97.3 crore, due to the gains that it has made from it’s Africa business.

MTNL, operating only in the two circles of Delhi and Mumbai. But, it is having a financial liability of Rs.18,000 crores. This has been reported by the ET Telecom. Government’s share holding in MTNL is 56%. Public Sector LIC is holding 19% shares and the remaining 25% shares are with the Public. The Company has now sought the approval of the government, for issuing preferential shares to the tune of Rs.6,292 crores for the purpose of launching it’s 4G service.

Endorsement of the DoP&T letter, by the BSNL Corporate Office, for the extension of special Concessions and facilities, to the BSNL staff working in Kashmir valley, is being inordinately delayed. Com.P.Abhimanyu, GS, discussed this issue with Shri Saurabh Tyagi, GM(Estt.) over phone today. The GM(Estt.) assured to release the endorsement letter within a day or two.

BSNLEU is continuously taking efforts to ensure that the MoU between BSNL and the Canara Bank and the Union Bank of India are renewed at the earliest. The General Secretary was assured by the Banking Branch of the Corporate Office last week that the MoU with both the banks would be renewed within a week. However, this did not happen. Hence, Com.P.Abhimanyu,GS, once again met the concerned officers in the Corporate Office today and discussed this issue seriously. The officers replied that the Managements of Canara Bank and Union Bank of India are demanding higher rates of interests. They also told that a new condition is being imposed that, in respect of employees who have taken loan, the terminal benefits should be paid only after getting clearance from the banks. This is not acceptable to us and the Management. The General Secretary is assured that expeditious efforts would be taken to renew the MoUs.

BSNLEU ने CMD BSNL को पत्र लिख कर कर्मचारियों के वेतन से काटी गई राशि संबंधित संस्था को जमा करने की मांग की...
BSNLEU द्वारा पूर्व में CMD BSNL को लिखा जा चुका है कि कर्मचारियों के वेतन से काटी गई राशि संबंधित संस्था को जमा की जानी चाहिए। इस संबंध में एक बार पुनः BSNLEU ने CMD BSNL को  पत्र लिखा है। पत्र में उल्लेखित किया गया है कि बैंक की EMI, LIC प्रीमियम, कोआपरेटिव सोसाइटी की किश्तें, यूनियन सब्सक्रिप्शन आदि जमा नही किए जाने से कर्मचारियों को परेशानी हो रही है। यूनियन ने मांग की है कि कर्मचारियों के वेतन से काटी गई राशि संबंधित संस्था को तुरंत जमा करवाएं और इस हेतु कॉर्पोरेट ऑफिस द्वारा सर्किल को आवश्यक फंड्स भी उपलब्ध करवाएं।

As a result of the ongoing "tariff war", triggered by Reliance Jio's predatory pricing, the revenue collections of telecom companies have fallen further. According to the TRAI report, the Adjusted Gross  Revenue (AGR), earned by the telecom companies has dropped over 10 per cent, i.e., to Rs.1,44,446 crore during 2018 from Rs.1,60,814 crore in 2017. AGR is the revenue collected by telecom companies from sale of telecom services. Spectrum Usage Charges and Licence Fee, payable to the government, are being calculated on the basis of AGR. Since the AGR of telecom companies has fallen, the Spectrum Usage Charges and Licence Fee, received by the government, has also fallen. Spectrum usage charges (SUC) has fallen by 17.74 per cent to Rs.4,186 crore in 2018, while licence fee collections has fallen by 10.2 per cent to Rs 11,641 crore.

[ Source : ET Telecom dated 26-09-2019]

Com.P.Abhimanyu,GS and Com.Swapan Chakraborty, Dy.GS held discussions with Shri A.M. Gupta, GM(SR) today and discussed the following issues:-

1. Changing the union of choice through the ERP.

BSNLEU has already written to the Director (HR), opposing the proposal contained in the BSNL Corporate Office letter dated 06^th December, 2019, regarding the changing of the union of choice through ERP, by the Non-Executives. Today, the GS and Dy.GS explained to the GM(SR) that, a good number of the Non-Executives are not conversant with computer operations, and thus changing the union of choice through the ERP should not be implemented in respect of the Non-Executives. This was agreed to by the GM(SR).

2. Holding of formal meeting.

BSNLEU has already sought a formal meeting with the Director (HR) to discuss about certain issues arising in the post VRS scenario. In today’s meeting, the GS and Dy.GS insisted upon the GM(SR) to arrange the formal meeting at the earliest. The GM(SR) assured to do the needful.

Red salutes to the martyrs - Revolutionary May Day greetings to all the comrades. 

Red salutes to the martyrs who laid down their lives at Chicago and elsewhere in the world, fighting against the exploitation of the working class. Revolutionary May Day greetings to all the comrades. On this day, let us resolve to march ahead to create a new world, which will be free of exploitation of man by man. 

As per the call of the AUAB, the programme of submitting memorandum to all the MPs, is to be organised during the period from 13.07.2020 to 31.07.2020. Accordingly, this programme should have already started. However, we regret to inform that, there is some delay in finalising the memorandum to be submitted to the MPs. The finalised memorandum will be despatched / uploaded on website by today evening. All the circle and district unions are requested to coordinate with the other constituents of the AUAB and to successfully organise the programme of submitting memorandum to the MPs.