The Narendra Modi government has undemocratically passed new three Farm Acts, in the last session of the Parliament. Through these Acts, the protections that the farmers had all along been getting, like the Minimum Support Price, etc. have been cancelled and they have been thrown to the looting of Indian and Foreign corporates. Hence, the farmers of many States, particularly Punjab and Haryana, are agitating, demanding the repealing of the three Farm Acts. On 26-11-2020, the farmers tried to enter into Delhi and organise their massive protests. However, the Delhi Police did not permit them and used force to disperse them. The  farmers on the other hand, are determined to take their agitation into the National Capital. BSNLEU strongly supports this justified struggle of the farmers. Cancellation of the new Farm Acts was one of the 7 demands on which the Central Trade Unions  ORGANISED the General Strike on 26-11-2020.

Com.D.K. Bakutra, the Gujarat circle secretary of BSNLEU, is retiring on superannuation today. After the untimely and sudden death of Com.A.N. Patil, leadership of Gujarat circle was taken over by Com.D.K.Bakutra. It was a critical period, but, Com.D.K. Bakutra, with his total dedication, led the Gujarat circle union in an appreciable manner. Prior to becoming the Gujarat circle secretary, he had been the district secretary of Junagad for many years. Under his leadership, the Gujarat circle union successfully organised the Central Executive Committee meeting of BSNLEU and the BSNL WWCC All India Committee meeting at Vadodara, in March, 2019. Com.D.K. Bakutra, is a simple, honest and dedicated comrade. CHQ heartily congratulates him and wish him a long happy and peaceful retired life.

The BSNL Management has massively outsourced the works related to the maintenance of landline and broadband connections. However, serious complaints are being brought to the notice of the CHQ,  connected with the poor maintenance of landline and broadband connections. News are also appearing in the media, about the large scale surrendering of BSNL’s landline and broadband connections.

Hence, the CHQ has raised RTI questions through it’s RTI Cell, regarding the “Mean Time To Repair”, “Repeat Fault Percentage”, “Revenue Collections” and “Disconnection Details”. BSNLEU’s RTI Cell, consisting of Com.C.K. Gundanna (Convenor), Com.Mihir Dasgupta and Com.M.K. Dave have taken necessary action in this regard.

CHQ is shocked to know that Com.D.N. Tripati, Circle President, BSNLEU, UP(East), has passed away. Com.D.N. Tripati, who was Kanpur based, had been affected with COVID-19. He was admitted to Regency Hospital, Kanpur, but succumbed to the dreaded disease. Com.D.N. Tripati, had retired on superannuation only on 31^st July, 2019. CHQ pays it’s respectful homage to the departed leader. CHQ also conveys it’s heartfelt condolences to the family members of the departed leader, as well as to the UP(East) comrades.  

A solidarity demonstration, in support of today’s General Strike of the Indian Working Class, is organised in Istanbul, the capital of Turkey. The demonstration is organised by the Nakiliyat-Is, which is affiliated to the TUI Transports & Communications, as well as to the WFTU. The programme is organised in front of the Indian High Commission at Istanbul. Com.Ali Riza Kucukosmanoglu, General Secretary of the TUI Transports & Communications addressed the demonstration. A letter, supporting the General Strike in India, is handed over to the Indian High Commission.

On one side, the Modi government is privatising the Public Sector banks. On the other side, it is going to allow Ambani and Adani to start banks. 

The Reserve Bank of India (read Modi government) has decided to permit industrial houses like Mukesh Ambani, Gutam Adani, Tatas, etc. to start banks. This is nothing, but allowing the big corporates to loot people’s money, deposited in the banks. Former Reserve Bank Governor, Raghuram Rajan, and Deputy Governor, Viral Acharya have vehemently opposed the government's move. Their views are reported in the Business Standard dated 23.11.2020 as follows:-

“Giving licenses to industrial houses will concentrate economic powers to these corporates. When the industrial houses would need financing, they would get that without any question from the banks floated by them. Banks in India are rarely allowed to fail, which helps them garner huge deposits. If they are owned by industrial houses, it can lead to bad lending, the duo reasoned.”  

Tarun Gogoi.

The three time Chief Minister of Assam and also the face of the Congress Party in the state, Shri Tarun Gogoi, passed away on 23.11.2020. He was 86 years old and had been affected with COVID-19. BSNLEU pays it’s respectful homage to Shri Tarun Gogoi.

Shri Ahmed Patel.

One of the senior most leaders of the Congress Party, as well as the Rajya Sabha MP, Shri Ahmed Patel, passed away yesterday the 25.11.2020. Hailed from Gujarat state, Shri Ahmed Patel had been the crisis Manager of the Congress Party, as well as a close aide of Congress President, Smt. Sonia Gandhi. BSNLEU pays it’s respectful homage to Shri Ahmed Patel.

Diego Maradona.

Football legend, Diego Maradona, passed away yesterday the 25.11.2020, due to heart attack. He was 60 years old. The football super star from Argentina, shot to fame by winning the 1986 Football World Cup for Argentina. Maradona was also a friend of Fidel Castro, the late revolutionary leader of Cuba. BSNLEU pays it’s respectful homage to Diego Maradona.

The historic 20^th General Strike is successfully being organised in the country today, against the pro-corporate, anti-worker and anti-people policies of the Narendra Modi government. In BSNL, BSNLEU and seven other unions and associations have given the call for this General Strike. The strike is successfully taking place in BSNL. As per the call of the CHQ, the striking employees have organised demonstrations, raising slogans against the demolition of the public sector by the Modi government, demanding the pro-employer Labour Laws and the anti-peasant Farm Act.

The AUAB organised powerful demonstrations throughout country yesterday, condemning the freezing of three instalments of IDA by the Modi government. Some views of the demonstrations are already uploaded on the website yesterday. More views of the programme are given in this attachment.

The BSNL Corporate Office, vide it’s letter number BSNL/20-6/2019-SR dated 25.11.2020, has issued instruction for providing details of deduction of union subscription to the unions / associations. It is also instructed that the details of the subscription deducted from members should be provided in the prescribed format, to the Circle Secretary and General Secretary of the unions / associations by 7^th of every month. All circle secretaries are requested to make note of this and to ensure that the details are furnished to the union every month. 

The Executives and Non-Executives of BSNL organised powerful demonstrations throughout the country today, condemning the Modi government's decision to freeze 3 instalments of IDA and demanded to drop the decision. The call of the All Unions and Associations of BSNL (AUAB) for organising the lunch hour demonstrations received inspiring response from the employees. The constituents of the AUAB, viz., BSNLEU, SNEA, AIBSNLEA, FNTO, BSNL MS, SNATTA, BSNL ATM, TEPU and BSNL OA had taken good efforts for organising this programme. We heartily congratulate all the constituents of the AUAB, for making the call of the AUAB a tremendous success. 

The unions and associations in BSNL are continuously fighting for the past two decades, to protect BSNL from the pro-private and anti-BSNL policies of the successive governments that came to power at the centre. Previously the Joint Forum, the umbrella organisation of the fighting unions and associations, spearheaded these struggles. Presently, the AUAB is spearheading these struggles. 

All the militant and major trade unions and associations are participating in these struggles. Only through these united struggles, BSNL has been safeguarded from disinvestment and privatisation and the Company still remains as a 100% government company. We are proud to say that only because of the united struggles, as well as the campaigns conducted among the general public, BSNL has been able to get 4G spectrum free of cost. When this being the situation, the AIGETOA, which has become the recognised association recently, has written to the General Secretaries of BSNLEU and NFTE, explaining about the need for united actions. Hence, BSNLEU has written to AIGETOA to give the true picture and to put the record straight. 

The government is creating roadblocks in BSNL’s 4G launching. It has cancelled BSNL’s 4G tender. BSNL is being told by the government to procure equipments from domestic vendors, through s System Integrator. 

Former top officials of the DoT and BSNL, including Shri R. Chandrashekhar, former DoT Secretary, have expressed concerns over the government’s direction that BSNL should procure 4G equipments from domestic vendors. They have stated that so far domestic vendors have not commissioned the core network of any telecom operator in the country. Forcing BSNL to do this experiment will increase the cost of the Company and it will face disadvantage in it's competition with other operators.

This intervention made by the former top officers of the DoT and BSNL vindicate the stand taken by BSNLEU and the AUAB on this matter. 

Modi government has frozen three instalments of IDA, due from 01.10.2020, 01.01.2021, 01.04.2021. The AUAB has called on to organise protest demonstrations throughout the country tomorrow the 25.11.2020, protesting against the IDA freezing. Circle and district secretaries are requested to approach SNEA, AIBSNLEA, FNTO, BSNL MS, SNATTA, TEPU and BSNL OA and to organise these lunch demonstrations powerfully. Report and photos may be sent to the CHQ.

Eight unions and associations of BSNL are participating in the countrywide General Strike, to be held on 26.11.2020. CHQ has already given direction to all the circle and district unions to organise this strike successfully. 

The eight unions and associations have also directed to organise massive demonstrations at 10:00 am on 26.11.2020. Media coverage may also be arranged to highlight these demonstrations and our strike to the general public sufficiently. 

CHQ calls upon all the circle and district secretaries to take all out efforts to successfully organise the General Strike and also protest demonstrations. Photos of the protest demonstrations may be sent to the CHQ. 

BSNL pensioners have to submit their life certificate in November, 2020. However, in view of the COVID-19 pandemic, senior citizens are not advised to go out of their residences.  In view of this, the DoP&T has issued a letter yesterday the 23.11.2020, informing that the last date for submission of Life Certificate is extended up to 28.02.2021. The letter of the DoP&T is attached herewith for the perusal of our comrades.