The process of changing union membership, by submitting authorisation forms, is going on from 16.06.2020. The last date is 15.07.2020. Some of the employees, who want to change union membership, may not be able to handover their forms to their concerned DDOs, if the DDO is posted in some other station. With the view to overcome this difficulty, the Corporate Office has issued letter today, stating that, in such cases, the District Secretary of the Union / Association can forward the membership form to the DDO, through e-mail / fax. In such a case, deduction of union subscription, based on the new form, will be done provisionally, till the receipt of the original copy.

The online Circle Executive Committee meeting of Haryana circle was held yesterday the 14-09-2020. Com.Naresh Kumar, Circle President, presided over. Com.M.S. Kadian, Circle Secretary, welcomed. Com.P.Abhimanyu, GS and Com.Swapan Chakraborty, Dy.GS attended the meeting from the CHQ. Circle Office bearers, as well as the District Secretaries of all the major districts were present in the meeting. Com.P.Abhimanyu, GS inaugurated the meeting and explained about the decisions taken in the Central Executive Committee. Com.Swapan Chakraborty, Dy.GS, explained about the anti-BSNL steps being taken by the government, as well as the attacks being made on the public sector. A very good discussion took place on the organisational as well as on  staff issues. Com.P.Abhimanyu, GS, replied to the All India level issues raised by the comrades. Thereafter, Com.M.S. Kadian, Circle Secretary, summed up the discussion. Finally, Com.Naresh Kumar, Circle President, addressed the meeting and concluded with vote of thanks.

It is already informed through the CHQ circular and the website that, an All India Convention of Central Public Sector Workers is being held at New Delhi on 30.05.2018. This convention is going to take important decision with regards to the vital issues of wage revision and disinvestment / privatisation in Public Sector. CHQ has already allotted quota to various circle unions for mobilising delegates to this convention. It is intimated that the convention will be held from 13:00 hrs. to 17:00 hrs. on 30.05.2018. Venue of the convention is Ghalib Institute, opposite to Mata Sundri College, ITO. All comrades are requested to reach the venue on time.

On 23.07.2018, Com. P. Abhimanyu, GS and Com. Swapan Chakraborty, Dy.GS, met Ms. Sujata T. Ray, Director (HR), and invited her attention to the non-implementation of the Corporate Office orders, in respect of contract workers in UP (circle). The Director (HR) has taken the complaint very seriously. When the GS and CS, UP(East) met the CGM, UP(East) today, it was reported by the latter that, two officers of the Corporate Office are in UP(East) presently, and are making inspection in various SSAs, with regards to the implementation of Corporate Office orders. BSNLEU heartily thanks the Director (HR) for taking prompt action on the complaint.

BSNLEU is continuously pressing the Management for the re-engagement of the 30% contract workers, who are retrenched as per the direction of the Corporate Office. The matter has already been discussed with the CMD BSNL and Director (HR), as a result of which the Corporate Office has written to the CGMs, referring the letter written by GS, BSNLEU, and calling for their reviews. Com. P. Abhimanyu, GS, met Shri Manish Kumar, GM (Restg.) today, and discussed this issue. He pointed out that calling for the views of the CGMs on this issue, is a futile exercise, since no CGM will respond. The General Secretary insisted that the Corporate Office should give a direction to the CGMs for the re-engagement of the retrenched contract workers and for redeploying them in sales and marketing activities.

Acute financial crisis is being faced by the field units, due to the non-allotment of funds by the Corporate Office, to the circles. Disconnection of EB connections due to non-payment of bills, non-payment of wages to the contract workers for months together, non-payment of medical bills since August, 2018, are some of the serious problems. At the same time, the Corporate Management has also been trying to solve this issue. Com. P.Abhimanyu, GS, communicated with Shri Anupam Shrivastava, CMD BSNL, today. The CMD BSNL has replied that all Capex and Opex requirements would be cleared by 31st December, 2018. We hope that the problems being faced at the field level will soon ease.

TUI ऑफ ट्रांसपोर्ट एंड कम्युनिकेशन्स की 14वीं कांग्रेस का सफलता पूर्वक समापन...

TUI ऑफ ट्रांसपोर्ट एंड कम्युनिकेशन्स की इस्तांबुल कांग्रेस का आज सफलता पूर्वक समापन हुआ। कांग्रेस कल शुरू हुई थी। इसमें विभिन्न राष्ट्रों में ट्रांसपोर्ट और कम्युनिकेशन्स सेक्टर की वर्तमान स्थिति पर चर्चा की गई। श्रमिकों के जीवनयापन की स्थिति की दुरावस्था, बढ़ता कार्यभार, वेतन में रुकावटें, पेंशन और सामाजिक सुरक्षा के मापदंडों में कटौती जैसी समस्याएं सभी राष्ट्रों में व्यापक रूप से विद्यमान है। कांग्रेस ने इन सभी मुश्किलों से निपटने के लिए रूपरेखा (ब्लू प्रिंट) तैयार की है।

TUI की 23 सदस्यीय सेक्रेटेरिएट के चुनाव सर्वानुमति से सम्पन्न हुए।टर्की के कॉम अली रिजा और चिली के कॉम रिकार्डो और क्रमशः महासचिव और अध्यक्ष निर्वाचित हुए। कॉम पी अभिमन्यु, जीएस का निर्वाचन कम्युनिकेशन्स सेक्टर के कन्वेनर के रूप में हुआ।

The Supreme Court of India has upheld the reservation to SC/ST employees in promotions. A Bench of the Supreme Court, with justices U.U.Lalit and D.Y. Chandrachud, has given this judgement. The court has told that the quota for SC/ST in promotions is not against merits. The Supreme Court has said that merit must not be seen in a narrow perspective. The court has said, “merit must not be limited to narrow and inflexible criteria such as one’s rank in an exam, but rather must flow from the actions a society seeks to reward, including the promotion of equality in society…..” 

 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.