The Extended Circle Executive Committee meeting of BSNLEU, Assam circle, was held at Guwahati today the 09.08.2019. Apart from circle executive committee members, a large number of branch secretaries, from all over Assam, attended the meeting. The meeting was presided over by Com.Gakul Borah, Circle President. Com.M.R. Das, President, Reception Committee welcomed everyone. Com.Bijoy Deka, Circle Secretary, initiated the discussion. Com.P.Abhimanyu, GS, addressed the meeting and spoke elaborately about the present financial condition of BSNL and also about the ways and means to come out of it. He also explained about the decisions of the AUAB in respect of the revival of BSNL. Quoting today's ET Telecom report, based on BSNLEU's press release, the General Secretary demanded that BSNL's lands should not be undervalued, while transferring to the SPV.

BSNLEU is holding it’s Central Executive Committee meeting at Ghaziabad on 12^th & 13^th instant. The meeting will review the just concluded 8^th Membership Verification, most importantly about the roadmap for revival of BSNL. Com.A.K.Padmanabhan, Vice President of CITU, has kindly consented to inaugurate this CEC meeting. 

Decision has already been taken for holding the next CEC meeting in Gujarat circle. The All India Centre meeting held today, decided that the CEC meeting will be held at Vadodara (Baroda) on 06^th & 07^th March, 2020. All the circle secretaries and central office bearers are requested to book their tickets early. As usual, no visitor will be entertained in the CEC meeting.

Com. George Mavricos, General Secretary of the World Federation of Trade Unions (WFTU) has issued the following statement, on the Corona Virus Disease - 2019 (COVID-2019). While congratulating all the workers of Health sectors, who are waging a heroic struggle to treat the patients, at the risk of their own lives, the General Secretary, WFTU, exposes the thirst for profit of the capitalists, utilising this human tragedy.

The employees of Aurangabad, Maharashtra circle, under the leadership of Com.John Verghese, AGS, BSNLEU, Com. Ranjan Dani, CS, NFTE, Com.Datta Dubile, DS, SNEA, Shri Dinesh Satdive, DGM, Shri Arvind Newre, AGM, Shri Sunil Chandorikar, AGM, Shri R.S. Gaikwad, AGM, and many others, took the initiative through the Whatsapp Group to collect donations from employees, both working and retired, to financially help the contract workers, who are suffering due to non-payment of wages. An amount of Rs.1.75 lakh has been collected from 51 persons. Out of this, Rs.1,000/- is being distributed to 141 identified persons. The CHQ of BSNLEU heartily congratulates the leaders and officers who played the leadership role, as well as the employees who have donated for this noble cause.

सर्किल और लोकल कॉउंसिल्स का गठन- सर्किल और डिस्ट्रिक्ट सेक्रेटरीज कृपया संज्ञान लें...

यह देखा गया है कि अभी तक कुछ सर्किल कॉउंसिल्स और बड़ी संख्या में लोकल कॉउंसिल्स का गठन नही किया गया है। यह सही है कि कोविड-19 के दौरान सर्किल और लोकल कॉउंसिल्स की मीटिंग करना कठिन है। फिर भी, यह सुनिश्चित करना हमारी जिम्मेदारी है कि मैनेजमेंट अविलंब सर्किल और लोकल कॉउंसिल्स का गठन करे, जिससे कि स्थिति सामान्य होते ही शीघ्रता से मीटिंग की जा सके। मैनेजमेंट द्वारा सर्किल और लोकल कॉउंसिल्स का गठन सुनिश्चित हो इस हेतु CHQ को नॉमिनेशन्स भेजना होंगे। अतः, सभी शेष सर्किल और डिस्ट्रिक्ट सेक्रेटरीज से अनुरोध है कि वें यथाशीघ्र, सर्किल/ लोकल कॉउंसिल्स के नॉमिनेशन्स CHQ को ई मेल या व्हाट्सएप के माध्यम से प्रेषित करें। CHQ द्वारा नॉमिनेशन्स तत्काल अनुमोदित कर  वापस प्रेषित कर दिए जाएंगे। यह भी निवेदन किया जाता है कि सर्किल सेक्रेटरीज, लोकल कॉउंसिल्स के नॉमिनेशन्स डिस्ट्रिक्ट यूनियन्स से प्राप्त होते ही शीघ्रता के साथ CHQ को भेजें और इस संबंध में किसी भी प्रकार का विलंब नही किया जाए।

Earlier, BSNLEU was having a quarters at Gole Market. Since it was taken over by the government, we were allotted two small quarters at Atul Grove road. We told the Management that BSNLEU being the Major Recognised Union, it should be allotted with a Type IV quarters. Management accepted our demand, but there was delay in re-allotment. Today, CHQ received letter from the Management, stating that BSNLEU is allotted with a Type IV quarters in Kalibari Marg. We thank the Management.

BSNLEU strongly condemns the steps reportedly being taken by the government to gradually privatise the Indian railways. This measure is reportedly being started by handing over the running of the prestigious and heritage trains linking the hill stations. Quoting railway officials, ‘Economic Times’ has reported that the routes linking Kalka and Shimla, Siliguri and Darjeeling and the Nilgiri mountains with the plains, Neral and Matheran and the Kangra valley railways would be among the first to be handed over to the private operators including foreign companies. It has reported that the private companies, including the foreign corporates will not only run the trains but also maintain the lines and the stations and also own the station on these lines. They will reportedly be allowed to decide the fares after the approval of the Rail Development Authority of India that is going to be constituted. 

The CEC meeting of BSNLEU, held at Agartala, has made serious deliberations on various important issues, and has taken decisions.  All the Circle and District Unions are requested to implement these decisions, within the time frame, as set by the CEC meeting.

The CHQ has already announced it's decision to join the "Worker - Peasant Rally", ( Mazdoor - Kisan Sangarsh Rally) to be held at New Delhi on 05-09-2018. Trade unions and peasant's organisations, which are fighting against the Neo-Liberal Policies of the government, are organising this massive rally. The All India Centre meeting of the Union, held yesterday, has fixed the quota for each circle union, for mobilising workers to the Rally. Nearby circles are given the major share for the mobilisation. At the same time, all the circle unions have to fulfill their quota. CHQ is sending  letters to all the circle unions, informing about their quota. Let us make the Worker - Peasant Rally a historic success.

BSNLEU has already written to the CMD BSNL, demanding re-engagement of the contract workers, who were recently retrenched as per the directive of the BSNL Corporate Office. The Union has suggested that on re-engagement, these contract workers can be redeployed in the sales and marketing area. The Union has also suggested that this will be a win-win situation both for the retrenched contract workers and the Company. BSNLEU has discussed this issue with the CMD BSNL and the Director (HR). In today’s meeting held with the  CMD BSNL, the representatives of BSNLEU enquired about the status of this issue. The CMD BSNL informed that the suggestion of the Union is being looked into, and that a decision in this regard would be taken soon.

BSNLEU wishes to inform all the circle and district unions that the agitational programme of the AUAB is taking place as per the schedule. There is no postponement of the agitational programme. As usual, the Corporate Office has made an appeal for the calling off of the agitation. This is a routine affair. The representatives of the AUAB discussed about the developments today, and have decided to go ahead with the agitation. All the circle and district secretaries are requested to organise tomorrow’s dharna programme in the most effective way.

The historic two day General Strike started today, against the anti-people and anti-worker policies of the Modi government. As per media reports the strike has made very big impact throughout the country. CHQ has received reports that the strike is effective in BSNL. Many circles have sent photos. All circle unions are requested to send a brief report. CHQ conveys it’s revolutionary greetings to all the comrades participating in the strike.

CITU, the spearhead of the Indian working class movement, is celebrating the 50^th anniversary of it’s foundation, on 30.05.2019. CITU was founded on 30.05.1970, at Kolkata. To mark the beginning of the year long celebrations, a meeting is being organised in the Mavalankar Hall at New Delhi, at 2:30 pm, on 30.05.2019. BSNLEU has been invited to participate in this celebration.

श्री पी के पुरवार, CMD BSNL, BSNL की जमीनों को बेहद न्यूनतम दरों पर SPV को स्थानांतरित करने को किस तरह उचित बता रहे हैं ?....
आज के ET टेलीकॉम ने BSNLEU द्वारा प्रेषित प्रेस विज्ञप्ति के संबंध में, जिसमें यूनियन द्वारा BSNL की जमीनों को बेहद न्यूनतम दरों पर SPV को स्थानांतरित करने का आरोप लगाया लगाया गया है, पर एक लेख प्रकाशित किया है। इस पर प्रतिक्रिया देते हुए श्री पी के पुरवार, CMD BSNL ने यूनियन के आरोपों का खंडन किया है। उन्होंने कहा है कि "इस तरह के आरोप निराधार और गलत है क्योंकि कैबिनेट नोट बनाने के लिए जमीनों का मूल्यांकन सांकेतिक आधार पर किया गया है।"

अपनी प्रेस विज्ञप्ति में BSNLEU ने स्पष्ट रूप से उल्लेखित किया है कि  वर्ष 2013 में ही केरल सरकार द्वारा तिरुअनंतपुरम में स्थित BSNL RTTC की जमीन खरीदने के लिए रु 15 लाख प्रति सेंट की दर से भुगतान किया गया था। जबकि, 9 वर्ष के अंतराल के पश्चात, BSNL मैनेजमेंट ने RTTC तिरुअनंतपुरम की 1 सेंट जमीन का मूल्य रु 10 लाख आंका है। अब यह श्री पी के पुरवार, CMD BSNL पर निर्भर करता है कि वें 2013 में रु 15 लाख प्रति सेंट की दर से बेची गई जमीन का मूल्यांकन 2019 में रु 10 लाख प्रति सेंट किया जा सकता है, इसे कैसे उचित साबित करेंगे।

Reliance Jio, which introduced unlimited free voice calls, has decided to charge it’s customers  6 paisa per minute, for the calls going to other mobile operators. In a statement issued yesterday, Jio has announced that it is compelled to charge 6 paisa per minute, since it has to pay hefty IUC charge to other operators. In the statement, Jio has also stated that, it had paid Rs.13,500 crores as IUC charges to other operators, during the last 3 years. Whatever may be the reason, the era of giving unlimited free voice calls to the customers is gone. Charging 6 paisa per minute is undoubtedly a steep increase in the tariff. This development indicates that the brutal tariff war unleashed by Reliance Jio, to eliminate other operators, has come to an end. The Reliance Jio has been forced to raise it’s tariff and naturally, this will be followed by the other operators also.

The All India Centre meeting of BSNLEU was held today. The meeting has taken decisions for the last leg of preparations to be made for organising the General Strike to be held on 08.01.2020. Circle secretaries are requested to ensure that the decisions are implemented effectively.

Telecommunications is an essential service like Health Care, Electricity and Water Supply. These services have to remain operational, so that people do not suffer. Hence, BSNL's field staff have to work, to keep our networks operational. In this process, the danger of our staff getting infected with Corona Virus is very much there. So, taking care of the health of our employees is as important as keeping our networks operational. Keeping this in mind, the Vijaynagar Branch of BSNLEU, Bengaluru Telecom District, has come out with the programme of supplying masks to the field staff, providing sanitisers in the CSC and displaying a banner to educate the customers as to what they should. CHQ congratulates the comrades of Vijaynagar, BGTD and Karnataka circle. CHQ desires that our entire comrades throughout the country should take similar proactive steps. This is the need of the hour, to help the nation.