Dear comrades, the threat of Corona Virus is spreading fast. The massive infection and large scale deaths, being witnessed in countries like Italy, China, France, Spain, etc., are highly disturbing. We wish, the same should not happen in India also. Hence, the CHQ of BSNLEU calls upon the entire BSNL employees in general and the functionaries and leaders of BSNLEU in particular, to take all precautionary measures to avoid getting infected and also to strictly follow the instructions of the health department authorities. All meetings, where gatherings take place, must be avoided for the time being. All conferences, circle, district and branch, may be postponed, till the situation improves.

BSNLEU Tamil Nadu circle union and Tamil Nadu Telecom Contract Workers Union (TNTCWU) organised dharna in 40 places of Tamil Nadu on 08-05-2020, by maintaining social distancing, demanding settlement of the issues of the contract workers. The demands are:-

1) Stop the new tender system. 

2) No retrenchment of Contract workers.

3) Immediate payment of Contract workers wage arrears.

The dharna successfully took place in 40 places in 14 SSAs. 

A meeting of the AUAB will be held online at 15:00 hrs on 25-07-2020. The agenda for the meeting will be the following:-

1) Government's proposal to monetise BSNL’s towers and fibre. 

2) Review of the government's decision to monetise BSNL's lands. 

3) Review of the Black Flag demonstration, held on 16-07-2020.

4) Review of the ongoing programme of submitting memorandum to the MPs. 

5) Planning of the Twitter campaign to be held on 05^th August, 2020. 

6) Any other item with the permission of the chair. 

The meeting was held at Hyderabad and 350 have attended from Hyderabad & all Districts in Telangana. The Circle Secretaries of All Unions & Associations have presided & CHQ Office bearers of Al Unions & Associations have addressed. From BSNLEU, Com J.Sampath Rao CS was in the presidium and Com P.Asokababu Vice President (CHQ) has addressed. The meeting resolved to make the two days strike a grand success.

The BJP government, which is taking all out efforts to kill the public sector, has now taken decision to induct 10 of it’s party people, as the independent directors on the boards of top public sector companies. The NDA’s Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC), has taken decision to this effect.

These include, party’s Delhi unit Vice President Shazia Ilmi; Gujarat IT cell convenor Rajika Kacheria; minority face of the BJP in Gujarat Asifa Khan; former BJP MLA candidate from Odisha Surama Padhy and former Bihar MLC Kiran Ghai Sinha.

They are to be inducted as independent directors of Navaratna PSUs that include Engineers India Ltd (EIL), Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Ltd (HPCL), Bharat Heavy Electricals Ltd (BHEL) and the National Aluminium Company Ltd (NALCO). 

[Source: The Indian Express dated 27.01.2017]

Diesel price is increased to a record high in our country. The reason cited is, the increase in the price of crude oil in the international market. Diesel price in Delhi presently is Rs.64.58 per litre and the price of petrol is Rs.73.73 per litre. The price of crude oil in the international market is only $70 per barrel at present. It may be recollected that crude oil was sold at $100 per barrel some years ago. Even in those days diesel price was not so high in India. The real fact of the matter is that, government of India is minting money, by raising taxes on petrol and diesel, citing the slight price rise of crude oil in the international market. This is nothing but looting the working masses of this country, for showering benefits to the corporates.

It is reported from many circles, including Gujarat, Haryana and Punjab that employees are not getting GPF payment. They are told that this is due to the non-remittance of employees’ GPF contribution to the DoT, by BSNL. The matter is taken to the notice of the Director (HR) and the GM (BFCI). The Director (HR) has assured BSNLEU that needful action would be taken.

As has already been reported, the DoT has already prepared a Cabinet Note, for the allotment of 4G spectrum to BSNL, and has sent it for Inter-ministerial consultation. Under these circumstances, some media has reported that the Niti Aayog has objected to the allotment of 4G spectrum to BSNL. This news is being extensively circulated in the social media. If this news is correct, the AUAB will definitely take the necessary steps for getting 4G spectrum to BSNL. Comrades are requested not to become panicky.

The AUAB is continuously demanding that the recommendations of the 2^nd PRC, in respect of the Superannuation Benefits of the DR employees of BSNL, should be totally implemented. This issue was discussed between the AUAB and the CMD BSNL on 02.12.2018. The CMD BSNL agreed to increase the Management’s contribution to the Pension Fund by 4% within March, 2019, and the remaining portion subsequently. However, no record of discussion was issued for this. The AUAB had been continuously pressing the Management to issue the record of discussion. The Corporate Office has issued letters today in this regard, and also regarding constitution of an internal committee to review the Employer’s contribution to the Pension Fund.

Defying deployment of heavy security personnels and Delhi Police as well as the cordoned off main gates of BSNL Corporate Office by the Management, the AUAB organised a lunch hour demonstration in the Corporate Office. A large number of both Executives and Non-Executives have participated in the gate meeting. The meeting was presided over by Com.R.S. Chauhan, CS, BSNLEU, NTR & Convenor of AUAB, NTR. The meeting was addressed by Coms.Swapan Chakraborty, Dy.GS, BSNLEU, Islam Ahmed, President, NFTE BSNL, K. Sebastin, GS, SNEA and Com.K.G. Jayaraj, GS, AIBDPA. The leaders explained in detail the present developments going on in BSNL and mis-propaganda from certain sections of media and government on BSNL Revival. They clarified the stand of AUAB on BSNL Revival and also explained 4 point demand of the AUAB, sent to the Secretary, DoT, as well as to the CMD BSNL for immediate actions, so that BSNL overcomes the present unprecedented crisis. They also appealed to the workers to make a total unity among the workers for further struggles on BSNL’s revival.

It is shocking to note that a case of sedition (deshdroh) has been booked against 49 intellectuals, including Aparna Sen, Mani Ratnam, Adoor Gopalakrishnan, Ramachandra Guha, etc. All these 49 intellectuals have signed a letter, sent to the Prime Minister, Naredra Modi, in July this year, expressing their deep concern about the mob lynchings taking place in various parts of the country. All these 49 intellectuals have now become deshdrohis, for the simple reason that, they wrote a letter to the Prime Minister, drawing his attention to an important issue. We do not no whether we are living in a democratic country or living under dictatorship. If a sedition case can be booked for writing a letter to the Prime Minister, then, where is the democracy in this country?

On the issue of improving efficiency and productivity in BSNL, a brief but significant discussion took place between BSNLEU and Shri P.K. Purwar, CMD BSNL, when the GS and Dy.GS of BSNLEU met the latter on 17.12.2019. In that meeting, CMD BSNL, sought the co-operation of BSNLEU for improving efficiency and productivity in BSNL, so that BSNL could become profit earning at the earliest. The representatives of BSNLEU told the CMD BSNL that, they are fully with him on the issue of improving efficiency and productivity of BSNL. In fact, the unions and associations of BSNL have already launched many movements like “Customer Delight Year”, “Service With A Smile (SWAS)”, etc., to improve the quality of service, customer satisfaction and work culture, they pointed out. It was emphatically conveyed to the CMD BSNL that efficiency and productivity of the employees could be improved only by motivating them. GS pointed out a popular saying in English:-

“a captain orders, but a leader inspires”.

It was told that the CMD BSNL, being the leader of the Company, should inspire the employees for improving efficiency and productivity. Thus, BSNLEU indirectly conveyed to the CMD BSNL that, the type of Deepawali speech, made by him, to the Corporate Office staff on 25^th October, 2019, would not help to improve efficiency and productivity in BSNL, rather he should inspire and motivate the employees for improving efficiency and productivity. In this context, BSNLEU also recollected the positive role played by the erstwhile CMD BSNL, Shri Anupam Shrivastava.  

On 4th May, 2020 BSNLEU and AIBDPA, Siliguri District distributed Food materials to 35 Contract Workers of Siliguri district. Com. Mukul Seal, DS, BSNLEU, Com. Amal Jana, ADS and Com. Ram Kedar Yadav(AIBDPA) along with other leaders, were present.  

BSNLEU, Telecom Factory, Kolkata, distributed relief to 21 Security Guards of Telecom Factory, Kolkata, yesterday the 8th May, 2020. This includes Alipur, Gopalpur and Kharagpur  factories. The security guards were paid Rs.2,000/- each. In this programme, Com. Animesh  Mitra, President, Com. Om Prakash Singh, Circle Secretary, Telecom Factory, Kolkata, along with other leaders were present in the programme.

While all other private operators have started 4G service, BSNL has not yet started the same. This is the age of data, and BSNL cannot sustain in the market without providing 4G service. For providing 4G service, spectrum is required. BSNL has requested the government to allot 700 MHz spectrum for this purpose. BSNLEU, in it’s 8th All India Conference held recently, has demanded that the government should allot 4G spectrum to BSNL, free of cost.  

Com. Barmeshwar Singh, elder brother of Com. Chandeswar Singh, GS, NFTE, passed away at Patna today. He had been unwell for quite some time. Com. Barmeshwar Singh retired as a TTA from BSNL in 2009. He was former CHQ Assistant Treasurer of E3 union. BSNLEU pays homage to Com.Barmeshwar Singh, and conveys heartfelt condolences to Com.Chandeswar Singh and his family.

The issue of allotment of 4G spectrum to BSNL, is also raised in the Parliament. The question raised by Shri Binoy Viswam, MP and the reply given by Shri Manoj Sinha, Hon’ble MoS(C) are enclosed for the information of our comrades. From the reply, it could be understood that the Hon’ble MoS(C) has avoided giving a direct reply to the question.

वेतन भुगतान नही होने के मुद्दे को ले कर आज AUAB की आकस्मिक मीटिंग होने जा रही है...

कल वेतन भुगतान नही किए जाने के मुद्दे को ले कर कॉम पी अभिमन्यु, GS, BSNLEU एवं कॉम चंदेश्वर सिंह, GS, NFTE ने CMD BSNL से मुलाकात की कोशिश की। किन्तु CMD BSNL का स्वास्थ्य ठीक नही होने से उनसे मिलना संभव नही हुआ। अतः दोनों महासचिव, डायरेक्टर (HR) श्रीमती सुजाता रे से मिले और उन्होंने वेतन भुगतान में हो रहे विलंब पर विस्तार से चर्चा की।  चर्चा के दौरान डायरेक्टर (HR) ने लीडर्स को बताया कि आज बोर्ड ऑफ डायरेक्टर्स की आकस्मिक मीटिंग होने जा रही है। चर्चा के दौरान यह भी महसूस किया गया कि फरवरी 2019 के  वेतन भुगतान की संभावनाएं क्षीण है। इस परिप्रेक्ष्य में  AUAB की एक आकस्मिक मीटिंग आज 14.00 बजे होने जा रही है।

The process of consolidation of SSAs into Business Areas is taking place in the remaining circles, where it is not completed so far. As a result of the consolidation of the SSAs into Business Areas, the accounting and planning activities will be centralised at the Head Quarters of the Business Area. Comrades of Tamil Nadu and Karnataka circles have brought certain issues to the notice of the CHQ, connected with this issue. Com.P.Abhimanyu, GS, held a detailed discussion today with Shri Manish Kumar, GM(Restg.) at the Corporate Office. In this discussion, the GM(Restg.) informed that, except in 7 or 8 circles, this work is already completed. The General Secretary has raised the following issues:-
 

1. It is reiterated that Non-Executives should not be transferred out of their present SSA, consequent to this consolidation into Business Areas.
2. Management should make suitable arrangements to handle the extra workload that arises out of the transferring of the accounts and planning activities to the Head Quarters of the Business Area.
3. The status of the district unions, as existing at present at the SSA levels, should continue.
4. The functioning of local councils as at present, at the SSA levels, should continue as it is.

The GM(Restg.) assured to look into the points.

The Department of Telecommunications is moving a Cabinet Note for the Revival of BSNL. One of the components envisaged in the Revival Package is to make BSNL a debt-free Company, through transfer of BSNL’s bank loans to a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV). Identified land parcels of BSNL will also be transferred to the SPV, to be sold by the latter, for the repayment of the loans. BSNL Management has already finalised a list of 63 land parcels, located in major cities and towns, to be transferred to the SPV. In this process BSNL has also fixed the value for these land parcels.

It is shocking to know that these land parcels are grossly undervalued. In the name of monetisation of lands, for the purpose of making BSNL a debt-free Company, BSNL’s lands are being transferred to the SPV at a “throw-away price”. It must be noted that BSNL’s vacant land parcels are mostly situated in the prime locations of India’s metro cities, as well as in other big towns. According to our information, the market value of these land parcels is very high. However, in the name of book value, these land parcels are going to be transferred to the SPV at dirt cheap price.

Despite all the setbacks being faced by BSNL, the Company has provided 13,54,090 connections in the month of September, 2019. Jammu & Kashmir circle has achieved 159% of it’s target, while Chennai circle has achieved 100% of it’s target. BSNLEU congratulates all for this achievement.