The National Convention of Workers held at New Delhi on 08.08.2017, organised by the Central Trade Unions and independent trade unions, including BSNLEU, has decided to organise a massive dharna at New Delhi from 09^th to 11^th November, 2017. The dharna is to oppose the anti-worker and anti-people policies of the government and also demanding settlement of the 12 point charter of demands of the Central Trade Unions. The venue of the dharna is Parliament Street. All comrades coming to participate in the dharna are requested to reach the area near Parliament Street police station.

Model poster for the Satyagraha and Work According to Rule struggles has been prepared. Circle and district secretaries are requested to print copies and use for organising the struggles.

 

The Circle Executive Committee meeting of UP(West) circle was held at Ghaziabad today. The meeting is specially organised for the mobilisation to be made for the Mazdoor Kisan Sangarsh Rally, to be held at New Delhi on 05th September, 2018. Com. Ansar Ali, Circle President, presided over the meeting. Com. Upendar Singh Teotia, Circle Secretary, welcomed everyone and addressed the meeting. Com. P. Abhimanyu, GS, addressed the meeting and spoke at length about the anti-public sector and pro-private policies of the government. He urged upon the district secretaries to do the maximum mobilisation for the 5th September Mazdoor Kisan Sangarsh Rally. The General Secretary also explained about the current issues of wage revision, Subsidiary Tower Company and progress in the issues of the Non-Executives. Com. S. Chellappa, AGS, was also present in the meeting. The meeting unanimously decided to mobilise not less than 800 comrades for the Mazdoor Kisan Sangarsh Rally.

After yesterday’s talks with the Secretary, Telecom, was over, the GS, BSNLEU and GS, NFTE BSNL, told the CMD BSNL that a deadlock has arisen in the wage revision talks of the Non-Executives, since the Management Side did not want to give HRA revision. They pointed out that Staff Side cannot accept the proposal of the Management Side to freeze HRA as of 31.12.2016. Both the General Secretaries requested the CMD BSNL to intervene in this matter and to give appropriate directions to the Management Side members, so that the wage revision agreement could be signed without delay. The CMD BSNL listened to the view of the Staff Side and told that he would look into it.

The issue of granting Group B status and pay scale to the Senior Accountants is lying pending for a long time. The issue was discussed by Com.P. Abhimanyu, GS and Com. Swapan Chakraborty, Dy.GS, with Ms. Smita Choudhary, GM (EF) today. The GM (EF) told that BSNL had already written to the DoT in respect of issuing fresh Presidential Orders to the Senior Accountants and also about the applicable pay scale. She told that the reply is still awaited from the DoT. She also informed that the case in the Hon’ble High Court of Allahabad on this issue, is still to be disposed off.  BSNLEU will take efforts to expedite the speedy disposal of the court case and will also persue the case with the DoT.

Jet Airways, which was the biggest Indian airways company some time back, is in a deep financial crisis. It’s pilots have not been paid salary for the past 3 months. They have threatened to go on strike from 1^st April, 2019, if the salary is not paid. Jet Airways is having a loan of one billion US dollars. The company is operating only 140 flights per week now, whereas, it was operating 600 flights per week, some time back. The important development that we should note on this issue is that, the government has conducted an emergency meeting yesterday to bail out Jet Airways. Today’s Economic Times (20.03.2019) has reported that the government is pressurising the banks to extend loans to Jet Airways. We appreciate the care that the government is taking for Jet Airways, which is a private company. But what about BSNL, which is the government’s own company? BSNL is crying and pleading to the government to permit it to take bank loans to overcome it’s financial crisis. But the Hon’ble Minister and the government are not coming to the rescue of BSNL. Whereas, in the case of Jet Airways, the government has conducted an emergency meeting and is pressurising the banks to extend loans to it.  No more example is required to explain the government’s pro-private and anti-public sector policies. It is these policies which have ruined BSNL. Together with the AUAB, BSNLEU is continuously fighting against these anti-BSNL policies of the government. However, amongst us, we have some great brains, who are giving experts opinion that, we should not fight against the government.

The 8th Membership Verification campaign meeting was held at the GM office, Tirunelveli, today, the 19.08.2019. Com.S. Rajagopal, District President, presided over. Com.N. Soosai Maria Antony, District Secretary, welcomed everyone. The meeting was addressed by Com.P.Abhimanyu, GS, Com. S. Chellappa, Circle President & AGS and Com.A. Babu Radhakrishnan, Circle Secretary, Com. Raju, DS, Nagercoil, Com.Panneerselvam, DS, Tuticorin and Com. Samuthrakani, circle org. secretary. The leaders explained about the reasons for the financial crisis for BSNL and also explained about the ways and means for the revival of the Company. Further, the leaders explained about the achievements of BSNLEU, after the last Membership Verification. The meeting condemned the efforts being made, to hand over BSNL’s precious landed property, to the corporates, in the name of Land Monetisation. BSNLEU members from Tuticorin, Nagercoil, Tirunelveli and Virudhunagar attended this meeting. 

The AUAB has issued notice for holding hunger strike at the Corporate Office, Circle and SSA levels on 18.10.2019. In this connection, Shri Arvind Vadnerkar, the Director (HR) has invited the AUAB for discussing the issues contained in the charter of demands. This meeting will take place at 10:00 am tomorrow the 17.10.2019. The General Secretaries of all the constituents of the AUAB will be attending this meeting.

1) Com. Indira and Com. Palanichamy - Rs. 6,000/-

2) Com. S. Chellappa, AGS  - Rs. 5,000/-

3) Com. Babu Radhakrishnan, CS, Tamil Nadu - Rs. 5,000/-

4) Com G.V.Bharath DR TTA,  Trichy- Rs.5,000/-

5) Com. Samuthirakani VGR - RS.3,000/-

6) Com. S. Magudeeswari, Retd OS - Rs. 3,000/-

7) Com.Berlin Alice Mary, Convenor BSNL WWCC, Tamil Nadu - Rs. 2,500/-

8) Com.Seethalakshmi, Tirunelveli - Rs. 2,500/-

9) Com.V.Manian, ACS - Rs.2,500/-

10) Com. Prameelarajan, Nagercoil - Rs.2500/- 

11) Com. S. Subramanian ACS – Rs. 2,000/-

12) Com.Jayakumar DP, Virudhunagar - Rs.2000/-

13) Com. C.Rajendiran, DS, Coimbatore - Rs.2,000/- 

14) Com.Kamalasaraswathi, Rtd.OS - Rs.2,000/-

15) Com Purushothaman, DS Project - Rs.2,000/-

16) Com Purushothaman- DS, STP - Rs.2,000/-

17) Com.R.Badri Retd AOS - Rs.1,000/-

18) Com. Cyril Raj, DS, TNTCWU, CGM Office - Rs.1,000/-

CHQ conveys it's hearty thanks to all the comrades.

At the behest of the Narendra Modi government, many state governments are changing the Labour Laws, to increase the working hours from 8 hours a day to 12 hours a day. Reacting to this, the Chairman of WIPRO, Azim Premji, has stated that the Labour Laws have been changed many times over the past few decades. Diluting these laws further, will not boost economic activities but will only worsen conditions of the low wage earners and the poor. Referring to the recent Aurangabad tragedy, wherein 16 migrant workers, sleeping on the railway tracks were run over by a goods train, Azim Premji has stated that, it is an unforgivable tragedy which indicates the tremendous misery being faced by the weakest and poorest in the country. Whether these views of Azim Premji, who is a corporate, will open eyes of Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, who, before becoming the prime minister, had vowed to remove the hardships of the poor? Read the full article of Azim Premji, given below, published in the Economic Times dated 16.05.2020.

As per the call of the AUAB, the comrades of the AUAB of Barabanki, UP(East) circle submitted the memorandum to Shri Upendra Singh Rawat, MP from Barabanki and explained the situation prevailing in BSNL regarding 4G and revival issues. Shri Upendra Singh Rawat assured to do the needful.

BSNLEU started it's 2 day Central Executive Committee meeting at New Delhi, today. Com.Balbir Singh, President, is presiding. Com.Swapan Chakraborty,Dy.GS, welcomed every one. Com.A.K.Padmanabhan, vice-president, CITU, inaugurated the meeting with an inspiring and informative speech. The meeting was greeted by com.V.A.N.Namboodiri, former general secretary. Com.Gundanna, CS, Karnataka, who was recently conferred with the Karnataka state Rajyotsava Award, was honoured in the meeting. Com.V.A.N.Namboodiri, offered him the shawl and com.A.K.Padmanabhan, presented the memento. The subjects committee started with a detailed presentation of the report, by com.P.Abhimanyu, General Secretary. Deliberation by the CEC members is going on.

The call given by the "All Unions and Associations of BSNL" for submission of memorandum to the MPs, has been well responded by our comrades. It is very encouraging to note that our comrades have shown keen interest in meeting the MPs and also explaining about the wage revision and Subsidiary Tower Company issues. Explaining these issues to the elected representatives of the people, will have a big impact in the settlement of the issues. CHQ salutes all the comrades who have completed this task. At the same time, submission of memorandum to the entire MPs, is our target. Hence, CHQ calls upon the comrades to expeditiously submit the memorandum to the left out MPs also.

Reports are pouring in from various parts of the country, regarding the Satyagraha struggle that has started today. The BSNL Non-Executives and Executives are expressing their deepest anger and protest against denial of Wage Revision and attempts of the government to kill BSNL.

The Circle Conference of NTR circle is being held at CTO, Sabhaghar, Eastern Court today. A large number of members, as well as pensioners attended the Conference. Com.R.S.Chauhan, circle secretary, welcomed everyone. Com.T.C.Nagar, circle president, presided over. The Conference was inaugurated by Com.P.Abhimanyu, GS. In his speech, the General Secretary severely criticised the pro-private policies of the government. Further, he explained about the status of major issues like Wage Revision, subsidiary Tower Company, Pension Revision,etc. The General Secretary also explained the decisions taken in the recently held Agartala CEC meeting. The Conference was also addressed by Com.Animesh Mitra, Vice-President(CHQ) and Com.Ramesh Chand, Organising Secretary(CHQ). After lunch, the subjects committee started and is going on.

Rains and floods, that were not witnessed during the past 100 years, have devastated Kerala. Similar calamities are taking place in many parts of the world. Even a high school boy will tell that, this is happening due to Global Warming. However, S.Gurumurthy, an RSS ideologue and who is recently appointed as a Director of the Reserve Bank’s Board, has stated that Lord Ayyappa’s anger has caused the Kerala floods. The Supreme Court of India is hearing a petition, wherein the prayer is to allow women in the menstruating age group into the Sabarimala Temple. Judgment is yet to be delivered in this case. According to S.Gurumurthy, Lord Ayyappa does not want the women in the menstruating age group to enter his temple, and that he is angry because of the court case, and that is why floods are taking place in Kerala. On one side, the government raises the slogan of “beti bachao – beti padhao”. On the other side, people like S.Gurumurthy openly make statements discriminating women.

After yesterday’s discussion with Secretary, Telecom, the AUAB, in it’s review meeting, came to the conclusion that the progress made in the matter of wage revision is not satisfactory. Hence, it is decided to go ahead with the agitational programme, and to effectively organise rallies at Corporate Office, Circle and District levels on 14.11.2018. Circle and district unions are requested to closely coordinate with the other constituents of the AUAB and to take maximum efforts to organise the rallies. Flex boards and placards should be prepared in sufficient numbers for the rallies, for effectively conveying our message to the public during the rallies.