The Union Cabinet has decided to privatise the profit earning Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd. (BPCL). The government has decided to sell it’s entire 53.29% stakes in BPCL. Similarly, the Cabinet has also decided to sell it’s entire 63.75% stake in the Shipping Corporation of India. Further the Cabinet has decided to sell the entire 74.23% stake in THDCIL and also it’s 30.8% stake in the Container Corporation of India (CONCOR).

Due to the lock-down imposed throughout the country from 25th March, 2020, CHQ office has also been shut down. However, the General Secretary, as well as the office staff, are working from home and the uninterrupted functioning of the CHQ has been ensured. Letters are being written to the Management on important issues and the same are being discussed with officers telephonically. Website updating is being maintained in a lively manner. However, due to the closure of the printing press, on account of the lock-down, the publishing of BSNLEU’s monthly journals, Tele Crusader and BSNL Swar, for the month of April, 2020, has been interrupted. CHQ regrets the same and assures that publication of the journals will resume after the lifting of the lock-down.

A two day relay hunger strike is organised throughout the country yesterday and today, as per the call of the BSNLCCWF. This relay hunger strike is organised, demanding immediate payment of the 13 month wage arrears of the contract workers and also opposing their retrenchment, being done through the outsourcing. After VRS, the Management has introduced outsourcing in a massive scale and thereby retrenching contract workers. However, as per the reports being received from various circles, maintenance of landlines, Broadband and FTTH connections is seriously affected after the outsourcing and that customers are leaving BSNL. The forthcoming CEC meeting of BSNLEU will seriously discuss this issue and take appropriate action on that.

Leaders of BSNL unions and associations, submitted memorandum to Hon’ble MPs, shri Anil Shirole and Smt. Vandana Chavan, Pune.

The Joint Committee on PLI was scheduled to meet tomorrow the 09-03-2018. However, the same has been postponed, since Shri Saurabh Tyagi, GM (Estt.), who is the chairman of the Joint Committee, has gone on leave.

In a major development, the government of India gave it’s approval yesterday for “Net Neutrality”. Under the principle of Net Neutrality, every Internet user must have equal access to all lawful online content, at the “same cost and speed”. The necessity for the government to announce this Net Neutrality arose because, some time back, the private operators attempted to start a system, in which those who pay extra money alone will be getting access to all the internet sites at assured speed, and others will be having only limited access and slower speed. The Telecom Secretary, Ms.Aruna Sundararajan announced yesterday that, this policy comes into effect immediately, and any violation of rules would attract severe penalties.

अंग्रेजी में एक कहावत है,

"विक्टरी हैज़ ए हंड्रेड फादर्स एंड डेफ़ीट इज ऑलवेज एन ऑर्फ़न."
तात्पर्य यह कि "जीत के सौ दावेदार होते हैं और पराजय हमेशा अनाथ सी होती है।"

यह कहावत एक बार फिर सही साबित हुई है। AUAB को BSNL रिटायरीज के पेंशन रिवीजन के संबंध में एक और सफलता मिली है। अभी तक DOT इस बात पर अडिग था कि BSNL रिटायरीज को  कार्यरत कर्मचारियों के वेज रिवीजन के बाद ही पेंशन रिवीजन मिल पाएगा। इस संबंध में DOT द्वारा लिखित में CMD BSNL को सूचित भी किया गया था। BSNLEU का यह स्पष्ट मत था कि पेंशन रिवीजन को कार्यरत कर्मियों के वेज रिवीजन से सम्बद्ध (लिंक) नही किया जाए। इसी प्रकार अन्य संगठनों ने भी इस मुद्दे पर अपनी ऐसी ही राय रखी थी। लेकिन अब यह हर कोई जानता है कि AUAB द्वारा दिए गए जोरदार झटके की वजह से ही इसका निराकरण संभव हुआ है। अगर हम इसकी पृष्ठभूमि पर दृष्टिपात करें, तो यह स्पष्ट हो जाता है कि BSNL के असंख्य एग्जीक्यूटिव और नॉन एग्जीक्यूटिव के द्वारा प्रदर्शित हड़ताल की तैयारी की वजह से ही सेक्रेटरी, टेलीकॉम ने AUAB को 02.12.2018 को चर्चा के लिए आमंत्रित किया था। और इसी मीटिंग में, संभवतः पहली बार, सेक्रेटरी, टेलीकॉम द्वारा जानकारी दी गई कि DOT ने पेंशन रिवीजन को कार्यरत कर्मियों के वेज रिवीजन से पृथक (delink) करने का निर्णय लिया है। किंतु AUAB के नेतृत्व में देश के सभी एग्जीक्यूटिव और नॉन एग्जीक्यूटिव कर्मियों के जबरदस्त प्रयासों की अनदेखी कर कुछ लोगों द्वारा इस उपलब्धि का श्रेय लूटना अपने आप में हास्यास्पद है।

The AUAB has called on the BSNL employees to gather in front of the offices at 10:00 am today, and pay homage to the CRPF brave-hearts, killed in the Pulwama terror attack. Accordingly, throughout the country, BSNL Executives and Non-Executives gathered in front of the offices and payed their respectful homage to the martyrs, and conveyed their condolences to the bereaved families.

It is reportedly told to the media, by Shri Anupam Shrivastava, CMD BSNL, that, BSNL is contemplating to lease out it’s huge optic fibre network to generate extra revenue. According to media reports, BSNL is having 7.5 lakh route kilometres of optic fibre. Reliance Jio comes next with it’s 3.2 lakh route kilometres of optic fibre. (This includes 1.78 lakh route kilometres of OFC acquired from Anil Ambani’s Reliance Communication). Airtel comes 3rd with 2.5 lakh route kilometres of OFC and Vodafone Idea comes 4th with 1.60 route kilometres of OFC.

BSNLEU and BSNLCCWF have already given call to organise dharnas on 16.07.2019, at the Corporate Office and at all circle head quarters, demanding immediate payment of the 6 month wage arrears to the contract workers and also to stop their retrenchment. CHQ once again calls upon all the circle unions to take the requisite steps for organising the 16th July, dharna massively and effectively. After successfully organising the dharna, circle unions are requested to send report to the CHQ with photos.

The private telecom companies have been representing to the government for bailing them out from the owning crisis. Based on this, the Cabinet has now decided to grant a 2 years’ moratorium for paying spectrum charges. As per this moratorium, the private telecom companies need not pay the spectrum charges for 2 years. As a result of this, payment of spectrum charge to the tune of Rs.11,746 crores of Airtel will be deferred. Similarly, payment of spectrum charges to the tune of Rs.23,920 crores by Vodafone Idea will also be deferred for 2 years.

Com.P.Abhimanyu, GS, spoke to Shri P.K. Purwar, CMD BSNL telephonically today and discussed the issue of non-payment of wages to the contract workers. The General Secretary explained about the plight of the contract workers and urged upon the CMD BSNL that funds needs to be immediately released by the Corporate Office, to ensure payment of wages to the contract workers, so that their families are saved from starvation during this lock-down period.  The CMD BSNL explained about the financial constraints of the Company. At the same time, he assured that he would try his best to release the funds.

BSNLEU has demanded a formal meeting to be held online with the Director (HR). BSNLEU has also given a 5 point agenda for discussion in the meeting. The SR Branch of the Corporate Office has informed that this meeting would be held at 16:00 hrs. tomorrow the 27.08.2020.

India has become the 6th largest economy in the world now, based on the country’s performance in 2017. India’s GDP was 2.59 trillion US dollars in 2017. Thus, India pushed back France to the 7th place, whose GDP was 2.58 trillion US dollars in 2017. It is also expected that India will soon overtake Britain, which is having a GDP of 2.62 trillion US dollars. All these news make every Indian to feel proud. At the same time it also pains to note that India is a country, with the largest number of poor people in the world.

It is already brought to the notice of the CHQ by many circles that, funds are not allotted by the Corporate Office for the payment of wages of the contract workers. As a result of this, wages are not paid to the workers for many months. The issue is already discussed with the GM (BFCI) a number of times, and he says that Corporate Office is facing acute problem in cash flow. The issue was discussed again today. The GM (BFCI) says that Corporate Office is trying to allot the funds to all the circles by next week. In case this is not done, then it will be allotted in the following week.

The 3 day strike called on by the AUAB started at 00:00 hrs. today. The entire Executives and Non-Executives of BSNL have given a tremendous response to the strike call. In almost all the circles, strike is total. This is a fitting reply given by the BSNL employees, in response to the arrogant and high-handed DoT. BSNLEU salutes all the leaders and comrades who have made the strike a grand success. Through this historic strike, the entire Executives and Non-Executives of BSNL have told no uncertain terms that, they would not allow the government to ruin BSNL, for the benefit of Reliance Jio. BSNLEU requests that the same vigour and spirit should continue for the next 2 days also.