A meeting was held today, between Shri Anshu Prakash, Secretary, Telecom and the representatives of the unions and associations of BSNL. Shri P.K. Purwar, CMD BSNL and Shri Arvind Vadnerkar, Director (HR), BSNL, was also present in the meeting. Com.Animesh Mitra, President, represented BSNLEU. At the outset, representatives of the unions and associations thanked the Secretary, Telecom, for his efforts to get BSNL’s revival plan approved by the Cabinet. The Secretary, Telecom, stated that the BSNL’s revival package approved by the Cabinet has sent the right message to the market, as a result of which the EB customers are showing their interest to avail BSNL’s services and also banks will hereafter come forward to extend loans to BSNL. He also explained about the salient features of the VRS. As regards, the monetisation of BSNL’s assets, he stated that efforts should be taken to generate maximum revenue by renting out BSNL’s fibre, towers, buildings, etc. Replying to the query raised by the representatives about the 3rd Pay Revision, the Secretary, Telecom, replied that the Company’s financial position has to be improved, so that a settlement on the 3rd Pay Revision could come. At the same time, he stated that pension revision is not possible without pay revision.

Mobile numbers in India may become 11 digits soon. The TRAI has released it’s recommendations for developing a unified numbering plan. This is to ensure the availability of adequate numbers for fixed line and mobile services in the country. This will lead to a change in the current phone numbers. As per the proposals, “Zero” should to be prefixed for calling mobile numbers from landline connections. 

[ Source: gadgets.ndtv.com dt. 29-05-2020] 

AIBDPA, Chennai circle distributed relief to the contract workers at Chennai. The programme was organised yesterday the 05-08-2020, in the Anna Road, Telephone Exchange Complex. Com.E. Manibalan, Circle Vice President of AIBDPA, presided over the programme. Com.V.Kuppan, Circle Secretary, AIBDPA, as well as many leaders of the AIBDPA, and BSNLEU, participated in the programme. An amount of Rs.45,000/- was distributed as relief to the contract workers.

Senior journalist, Shujaat Bukhari, was gunned down by terrorists at Srinagar yesterday. Shri Bukhari was 49 years old, and was the editor-in-chief of the english daily, Rising Kashmir. This killing, which is an act of cowardice, has taken place even when the cease fire announced by the government was in force. BSNLEU strongly condemns this murder and conveys it’s heartfelt condolences to the family members of the slain journalist.

The Tamil Nadu circle union enthusiastically conducted it’s executive committee meeting at Madurai today. Com.S.Chellappa, circle president and AGS, delivered the presidential address. Com.Babu Radhakrishnan, CS, welcomed everyone and presented the report on activities. Com.P.Abhimanyu, GS, elaborately addressed the executive committee meeting, and explained about the issues on which the 5th September ‘Mazdoor Kisan Sangarsh Rally’ is taking place at New Delhi. He also explained about the current issues of wage revision, pension revision, subsidiary tower company, pension contribution on actual basic pay and allotment of 4G spectrum. The issues of the Non-Executives, which are currently under settlement, were also explained by the GS. Thereafter, the circle executive committee members participated in the deliberations. It is revealed from the deliberations that 260 comrades are attending the 5th September Delhi rally from Tamil Nadu. The meeting also resolved to send 30 comrades for the All India Young Workers Convention, to be held at Bhopal.

दीर्घ अवधि की अनिश्चितकालीन हड़ताल के लिए तैयार रहें - AUAB के चेयरमैन व कन्वेनर का कर्मचारियों से आव्हान

आज नई दिल्ली में रैली खत्म होने के बाद पार्लियामेंट स्ट्रीट पर हुई मीटिंग में AUAB द्वारा अनिश्चितकालीन हड़ताल पर जाने के AUAB के निर्णय की घोषणा AUAB के चेयरमैन व कन्वेनर द्वारा की गई। दोनों ही लीडर्स ने दीर्घ अवधि की अनिश्चितकालीन हड़ताल हेतु कर्मचारियों से तैयार रहने का आव्हान किया। हड़ताल लंबी अवधि तक चलने की संभावना है। कॉम पी अभिमन्यु, कन्वेनर ने विश्वास जताया कि BSNL कर्मी दीर्घकालीन हड़ताल करने में सक्षम है। उन्होंने उदाहरण प्रस्तुत करते हुए बताया कि पूर्व में कर्मचारी 3 नवंबर, 1990 से 21 दिन की हड़ताल कर चुके हैं। इसी प्रकार 03 दिसंबर 2018 से शुरू होने वाली हड़ताल भी लंबी अवधि की होगी,कन्वेनर ने कहा। कॉम चंदेश्वर सिंह, चेयरमैन, AUAB ने कर्मचारियों से अनुरोध किया कि वेज रिवीजन व पेंशन रिवीजन के माध्यम से अपने भविष्य को बेहतर बनाने के लिए ज्यादा से ज्यादा दिनों के वेतन नुकसान के लिए कर्मचारियों को तैयार रहना चाहिए।

On the eve of the World Economic Forum meeting at Davos, the Oxfam International has released it’s report, explaining how drastically the gap between the rich and the poor had widened in India in the year 2018. The report says that 18 new dollar billionaires have come up in 2018. With this the total number of dollar billionaires in India has gone up to 119. Everyday, the wealth of the Indian billionaires has grown by a staggering Rs.2,200 crores in 2018, says the report. It further points out that, the wealth of Indian dollar billionaires was $3.25 billion in 2017, and it increased to $440.1 billion in 2018. This is the single largest annual increase since the world economic crisis started in 2008, says the report.

05.04.2019 को होने वाले मार्च टू संचार भवन में शामिल होने वाले साथियों की वेतन कटौती नही की जा सकती है...
बीएसएनएल कॉर्पोरेट ऑफिस के एस आर ब्रांच  द्वारा 26.03.2019 को सभी CGMs  को मार्च टू संचार भवन में शामिल होने वाले कर्मचारियों पर " नो वर्क नो पे " लागू करने के निर्देश जारी किए गए हैं। रैलीज में शामिल होने पर वेतन कटौती करने का BSNL में कोई नियम नही है। 28.03.2019 को CMD BSNL और डायरेक्टर (HR) के साथ सम्पन्न AUAB की मीटिंग में इस संबंध में चर्चा की गई थी। डायरेक्टर (HR) ने AUAB के प्रतिनिधियों को बताया कि पत्र उनके संज्ञान में लाए बगैर जारी  किया गया है। CMD BSNL और डायरेक्टर (HR) ने आश्वस्त किया है कि इस प्रकरण का संज्ञान लिया जाएगा। अतः, CHQ द्वारा सभी साथियों को सूचित किया जाता है कि मार्च टू संचार भवन में सम्मिलित होने पर कोई वेतन कटौती नही होगी।

The Joint Committee for change of designations had already recommended the new designation of Attendant, for the left out Non-Executives in NE1 to NE 3 pay scales. Thereafter, the proposal went for the approval of the Management Committee. Now, it is learnt that the Management Committee has approved the change of designation.

The 8th Membership Verification campaign meetings were held at GM office, Tirupathi and at GM office, Kadapa on 28.08.2019.  The meeting was addressed by Com. J. Sampath Rao, AGS. He explained in detail about the present financial crisis of BSNL and charged that the Government is solely responsible for it.  He also explained the issues of allotment of 4G spectrum, extending soft loan to BSNL, land monetization, 3rd PRC and other pending demands of the Non-Executives. The meetings were addressed by Com. P. Asoka Babu, Circle Secretary A.P. Circle, P Akbar Basha and Com. L Ramesh Babu, ACS, Com. Venkatadri, District President, Tirupati, Com. Y.S.Raju, District Secretary, Tirupathi, Com.Sudhakar, District President, Kadapa, Com. A. Subba Rao, District Secretary, Kadappa. Finally, the leaders appealed to vote enmasse for BSNLEU. 

The speech delivered by Shri P.K. Purwar, CMD BSNL, yesterday, among the Corporate Office employees, has drawn wide spread criticism. CHQ is receiving calls and messages from a lot of comrades expressing their anguish about the CMD’s speech, which is totally in the negative tone. The CMD BSNL has stated that:-

1. The type of conduct and behaviour of the BSNL employees, seen today, cannot continue.
2. All the employees who are of more than 50 years of age, should take VRS and go.
3. Any employee who cannot contribute twice of what he / she is doing today, cannot continue in BSNL and should say good bye to BSNL.

The above mentioned statements of the CMD BSNL are high handed, unacceptable and deplorable. He has insulted the BSNL employees, who have ensured the survival of BSNL, through their dedication and hard work. The Hon'ble Minister of Communications has stated that the VRS will be purely voluntary and no one will be forced to go on VRS. However, violating this, the CMD BSNL has stated that all the employees of more than 50 years of age, should take VRS and go. This type of high-handedness cannot be tolerated.  BSNLEU wishes to inform all our comrades that the CHQ is in touch with the other constituents of the AUAB, for taking appropriate action on this issue. 

Due to the implementation of VRS, 50% of the employees are retiring on 31.01.2020. Correspondingly, the membership of unions and associations will also be reduced. Hence, CHQ has already requested the circle secretaries to inform the district wise membership of BSNLEU. From February, 2020, onwards, Telecrusader and BSNL Swar will be despatched only based on the membership after 31.01.2020. Hence, all circle secretaries are requested to immediately send their district wise Membership. This may be treated as very urgent.

1) Com Mahesh Sharma, Indore - Rs.1,000/-

2) Com Shakil Khan, DS, Dewas - Rs.1,000/-

3) Com Dilip Singh Nayak, Dewas - Rs.2,100/-

4) Com B M Sonparate, DS, Betul - Rs.1,100/-

5) Com R K Sthapak, Jabalpur - Rs.1,000/-

6) Com Vinodini Lande, Dewas - Rs.500/-

7) Com Sandip Solanki, Dewas - Rs.500/-

8) Com Ramsakal Yadav, Dewas - Rs.500/-

9) Com Sarla Mamgai, Jabalpur - Rs.1,000/-

10) Com Prakash Mehkarkar, DS, Chhindwara - Rs.1,000/-

11) Com V M Parate, Neemuch - Rs.1,000/-

12) Com Jagdish Singh, Jabalpur - Rs.1,000/-

13) Com S N S Chauhan, Jabalpur - Rs.1,000/-

14) Com R K Jain, Jabalpur - Rs 1,000/-

15) Com Anil Jain, Jabalpur - Rs.1,000/-

16) Com Rakesh Tiwari, Jabalpur - Rs 1,000/-

17) Com Hanumant Patel, Jabalpur - Rs.1,000/-

18) Com Manoj Chaurasia, DS, Raisen - Rs.500/-

19) Com Pushpendra  Singh,  DS, Rewa - Rs.1000/-

As per the call of the CHQ, the collection of donations for "Contract Workers' Relief Fund" has been carried out in Kolkata Telephones circle. As a part of providing relief to the contract workers, distribution of food materials was organised on 30^th May, 2020, at Telephone Bhawan, Kolkata. Totally, 55 contract workers received the food materials. Com.Sisir Kumar Roy, CS, Com.Debasis Dey, Treasurer, Com.Swapan Bharati, DS, Planning, Com.Sukanti Mukherjee, DS, CNTL and Com.Loknath Gosh, Organising Secretary, CTTMU, were present in the programme.

The AUAB leaders of Visakhapatnam met Shri M.V.V. Satyanarayana, MP Visakhapatnam today and presented the memorandum. The representatives of the AUAB urged upon Shri M.V.V. Satyanarayana, to use his good office, for the early launching of BSNL’s 4G service, as well as the company’s revival. The MP assured to do the needful.

The meeting of All Unions and Associations of BSNL, held at New Delhi on 14-11-2017, has decided that meeting of circle secretaries of all unions and associations should be held in each and every circle, on 18-11-2017. This decision is taken to ensure elaborate preparations for the human chain programme, as well as for the two day strike, and also to ensure better coordination between all unions and associations at the circle level. CHQ requests the circle secretaries to take the initiative to hold the meeting.

As per the decisions of the CEC meetings, BSNLEU's circle and district unions should take up the problems of the contract workers. CHQ is getting information from various circles that payment of contract workers wages are being inordinately delayed in many circles. As per the Act, wages of contract workers has to be paid by 7^th of every month. In Tamil Nadu, wages for the month of November is still not paid. BSNLEU, Tamil Nadu circle union, together with the contract workers union (TNTCWU) have conducted a two day dharna. On discussion with the officers in the Corporate Office, it has come to be known that funds are not being allotted by the Corporate Office, since Tamil Nadu circle has already spent Rs.6 crores more than their budget estimate. CHQ has handling this issue. Similarly, wherever payment of wages of contract workers is delayed, circle and district unions are requested to discuss with the Administration. If the intervention of the CHQ is required, then the matter may please be brought to the notice of the CHQ with all details.

In reply to a question raised in the Lok Sabha on 07-02-2018, (Unstarred Question no.830) Shri Manoj Sinha, Hon'ble Minister of State for Communications has stated that there is no proposal for the merger of BSNL and MTNL for the time being. Here, the words "time being" should be noted. Actually, the MTNL Board is making serious efforts for the merger. It should also be noted that the Joint Secretary(Admn.), DoT, is a member of MTNL's Board of directors. So, we understand that, whatever efforts being taken by MTNL Board, has got the backing of DoT. Recently, this Joint Secretary(Admn.), DoT, has also become member of BSNL Board. So, the merger of MTNL and BSNL, is still high on the agenda of the government. The All Unions and Associations of BSNL has written to the Prime Minister, demanding fulfilment of certain conditions, including delisting of MTNL from the share market, buying back MTNL's shares already sold in the market, taking over of MTNL's debt by the government, etc., before considering merger of MTNL and BSNL.

BSNLEU conveys best wishes and warm greetings to all, on the occasion of Eid ul-Fitr. Let the festival bring peace and prosperity to all.