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.

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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. 

So far as the spread of Corona Virus disease, India has become the number one country. In a single day yesterday, India witnessed 94,397 new Corona Virus cases. Whereas, the US witnessed 13,950 new cases only. Brazil witnessed 8,058 new cases and Russia witnessed 5,670 new cases. It is important to note that China witnessed only 12 new cases yesterday. It appears that the per day increase in India will soon cross the one lakh figure, and also India is going to become the country with the highest number of COVID-19 cases in the world soon.

The call given by the AUAB, for conducting demonstrations throughout the country today, demanding implementation of the commitments given by the Hon’ble MoS(C), on wage revision, pension revision, 4G spectrum and pension contribution, was organised successfully. As per the report received from various circles, the Non-Executives and Executives throughout the country have participated in the demonstration enthusiastically. The CHQ of BSNLEU heartily thanks all the constituents of the AUAB for the excellent response. Photos of the programme, received from various circles will be uploaded on CHQ website tomorrow.

The Staff Side of the Joint Wage Negotiating Committee is taking maximum care to ensure that none of the Non-Executive should face the problem of stagnation, after the 3^rd Wage Revision. The CHQ of BSNLEU is doing extensive home work in this regard. A lot of live cases are being studied in this regard. It is being ensured that even Non-Executives in the top most pay scale, i.e., NE-12, and also with long years of service, do not suffer the problem of stagnation. We are providing two such sample cases, for the information of our comrades. Even at this stage, CHQ requests our comrades to send live cases if any, wherein the problem of stagnation is expected to arise.

The Circle Executive Committee meeting of BSNLEU, Punjab Circle, was held at Ludhiana on 11-02-2019. Com. A.K Verma, Vice President presided over the meeting. Com. Balbir Singh, circle secretary, welcomed all and explained in detail about the three day strike. The necessity of three day strike and the apprehensions striking the minds of the workers, were  clarified. Implementation of AIC decision to participate in the General strike conducted as per the call of central trade unions, was seriously reviewed. Critical financial position of BSNL, anti public sector policies of the Government, including BSNL were also discussed in detail. After a lively debate, Circle Executive Committee meeting decided to organise joint meetings of AUAB, Punjab in all districts, to make the three days strike call a grand success in Punjab circle.

After running it’s services for 25 years, Jet Airways closed down it’s operations last night. The last flight took off at 22:30 hrs last night from Amritsar to Delhi via Mumbai. In a statement issued by the Jet Airways Management it is stated “with immediate effect we are compelled to cancel all our International and Domestic flights. The last flight will operate today.” It may be recollected that at one point of time, Jet airways operated 600 flights daily. This is the second airways to close down it’s services after the Vijay Mallya owned Kinghfisher.

Former top Executives of France Telecom, including the company’s CEO, Director (HR) and Deputy Executive Director are undergoing trial in France. The charge against them is that, they created a hostile work environment, as a result of which 35 telecom employees committed suicide between 2007 and 2010. France Telecom was privatised in 2003. In 2007, an aggressive plan was implemented to cut down the strength of the employees. Accordingly, 22,000 employees, out of the total 1,30,000 workforce, were retrenched. Consequent to this, the workload of the employees increased tremendously. Further, the employees were also subjected to humiliation, accuses Solidaires Unitaires Democratiques, a French trade union. For example, a 28 year old employee hanged himself in 2009, after being transferred. The day before he killed himself, the employee had worked a 12 hour shift, with a single 30 minute break. In 2013 France Telecom was re-branded as Orange. If found guilty, the top Executives will get jail term upto one year and a fine of 15,000 euros as fine.

Whatever happened in France Telecom appears to be repeating in BSNL. As a cost cutting measure, the government wants to retrench 40,000 employees through VRS and by rolling back the retirement age from 60 to 58. The young employees of BSNL are welcoming the government's move to implement VRS and reduction of retirement age. But they do not know what will happen in BSNL thereafter. What exactly happened in France Telecom, between 2007 and 2010 is likely to repeat. The youngsters have to think about it.

[Source: Business Insider – 10th July, 2019]