BSNLEU, Odisha circle, conducted an extended Circle Executive Committee meeting at Bhubaneswar on 28.08.2019. All  the district and Branch Secretaries participated in the meeting. Com.S.C. Bhattacharya, CP, presided. Com. S R Das, CS, initiated the proceedings. Com. Sisir Kumar Roy, Org Secy, CHQ, explained the present situation specially financial crunch in BSNL and the role of BSNLEU to fight against the policy of the Government. He also explained the proposed revival plan of BSNL, VRS/CRS, Reduction of retirement age,   land monetization, allotment of 4G, pension contribution on actual basic pay according to the government rule, predatory pricing of Jio, soft loans for capital infusion in BSNL from Government. He also explained the Role of the AUAB, 3rd wage revision, pension revision w.e.f. 1st January, 2017, and our achievements after the last membership verification. Com. A Dhupal, veteran leader also addressed this meeting. Com. N.C. Kar, VP, gave vote of thanks.

1) Com.Md.Yasin, Retd JE, Ongole – Rs.2,000/-

2) Com. A.S.R.Murthy, TT (Retd) Nuziveedu, Krishna SSA – Rs.2,000/-

3) Com. P.Nagi Reddy TT (VRS Retd) & BS, Machavaram, Vijayawada, Krishna SSA – Rs.1,234/-

4) Com. Bh.Ramakrishna TT, Tiruvuru, Krishna SSA  – Rs.1,111/-

5) Com S.Ramachandra Prasad JE (Retd-VRS) Vijayawada, Krishna SSA – Rs.1,001/-

6) Com Ch.Apparao Rao JE-( Retd-VRS),Vijayawada, (Krishna SSA) – Rs.1,000/-

7) Com. A.Guravaiah JE (VRS retd), Branch Secretary,  Mylavaram (Krishna SSA) – Rs.1,000/-

8) Com. M.Chandrakala, CSS (VRS Retd), Vijayawada, Krishna SSA – Rs.1,000/-

9) Com.R.Venkata Reddy, TT(Retd-VRS)  Jaggaiahpeta, Krishna SSA – Rs.1,000/-

10) Com T.Gangadhara Rao TT (VRS retd), Vijayawada, Krishna SSA – Rs.1,000/-

11) Com Ch.SubbaRaju , TT (VRS Retd)  BS SDOP-II Branch Vijayawada, Krishna SSA – Rs.1,000/-

The major trade unions of the 82,000 ordnance factory employees have started preparing for an indefinite strike, against the proposed corporatisation of the Ordnance Factories Board. 41 Ordnance Factories across the country are coming under the control of this Ordnance Factories Board. The government has decided to corporatise the Ordnance Factories Board and to list it in the share market. It is needless to state that the corporatisation of the Ordnance Factories Board is the major step towards it’s privatisation. Against this move, the major federations have decided to hold strike ballot in all the factories between June, 8 and June, 17. The Federations will issue an indefinite strike notice after the strike ballot is completed. It is important to note that a few months back, the ordnance workers launched a 30 day strike against the privatisation of the ordnance factories. The strike was withdrawn after the government held talks with the Federations and gave assurance.

The All Unions and Associations of BSNL has decided an All India tour programme, to organise the 2 day strike to be held in December, 2017. The All India Centre meeting of BSNLEU held yesterday, has decided the places to be addressed by the CHQ leaders, which is as follows:-

Com. P. Abhimanyu, General Secretary                                     -   Lucknow, Patna, Pune, Ahmedabad, Jaipur 

Com. Balbir Singh, President                                                     -   Ludhiana, Bhopal     

Com. Swapan Chakraborty, Dy. General Secretary                    -   Kolkata & Guwahati

Com. P. Asokababu, Vice President                                           -  Hyderabad & Bengaluru                                               

Com.Animesh Mitra, Vice President                                           - Bhubaneswar

Com. S. Chellappa, Asst. General Secretary                              -  Chennai

The CEC meeting of BSNLEU, held recently at Agartala, has decided to conduct Young Workers Convention in all circles. The idea of conducting such a convention is to educate the young workers of BSNL about the trade union movement and also to bring them into active trade union life. This issue was discussed in the Circle Executive Committee meeting of Punjab, held at Chandigarh yesterday. It is decided in yesterday’s meeting, to implement the decision of the Agartala CEC meeting. Accordingly, decision is taken to organise a massive Young Workers Convention at Ludhiana on 27^th May, 2018.

The issue of BSNL’s buildings and office spaces being taken over by the DoT, is already taken up by BSNLEU, with the CMD BSNL. In continuation of this, com. P. Abhimanyu, GS and com. Swapan Chakraborty, Dy. GS, met Shri H.C. Pant, Company Secretary today, and discussed the issue. The legal position on this issue was explained by the Company Secretary. Necessary inputs were also taken. BSNLEU will now take up this issue with the higher level of the government.

The 8th Membership Verification campaign meeting was held at the GM office premises, Guntur, today, the 30.08.2019. Com. M.Subba Rao, District President, presided over. Com. P. Suresh,District Secretary, welcomed everyone. The meeting was addressed by Com. J. Sampath Rao, AGS & CS,Telangana Circle, Com. P Asoka Babu, Circle Secretary A.P. Circle, Com. K Rama Devi, All India Vice President, K Prabhakara Rao, Circle President and Com. L Ramesh Babu, ACS, AP Circle. The leaders addressed the meeting and explained about 8th membership verification, the financial revival of BSNL, Wage revision, Pension revision, Land monetisation, VRS, 58 years, Casual Contract labour issues and Role of BSNLEU in the struggles of AUAB and our achievements during the last 3 year etc., a large number of comrades especially women employees from Guntur District participated in this meeting. Finally the leaders appealed all to vote enmasse for BSNLEU.

Consequent to the decision taken by the Cabinet on 23.10.2019, to implement VRS in BSNL and MTNL, the DoT has constituted a committee, for finalising general conditions, rules and by-laws for the Voluntarily Retirement Scheme. Apart from officers of the DoT, the Director (HR) of BSNL and the Director (HR) of MTNL are also members of the Committee. It has been also decided that the Committee should submit it’s report by 30th October, 2019 itself.

A formal meeting between BSNLEU and the Director (HR), was held on 14.01.2020, to discuss the agenda items given by the Union. From BSNLEU, Com.Animesh Mitra, President, Com.P.Abhimanyu,GS and Com.Swapan Chakraborty, Dy.GS attended. From the Management Side, Shri Saurabh Tyagi, Sr.GM(Estt.), Shri A.M. Gupta, GM(SR), Shri Manish Kumar, GM(Restg.) and Shri Jagdeesh Kumar, CLO, also attended the meeting. Shri Arvind Vadnerkar, Director (HR) responded positively to most of the issues taken up in the meeting. BSNLEU heartily thanks him and other officers who attended meeting. A gist of the discussion is given in the attachment.

1) Com. Jogita Das, Asst. Treasure, NE -1Circle ,Shillong - Rs.1,000/-

2) Com. Lipika Deka, Treasure, SDE (T) Branch , Shillong  - Rs.1,000/-

3) Com. Surya Pyngrup, Br. Secy. (Phones) Branch, Shillong  - Rs.1,000/-

4) Com. Bindeswar Ray, TT, Shillong - Rs.1,000/-

5) Com. Santosh Kr.Singh, ATT, O/o CGMT, Shillong - Rs.1,000/-

The newly laid sub-marine Optic Fibre Cable, between Chennai and Port Blair, will be inaugurated by Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, on 10^th August, 2020. This cable will provide high speed broadband facility between the Indian main land and the Andaman & Nicobar Islands. 

The 2,300 km sub-marine Optic Fibre Cable has been laid at a cost of Rs.1,224 crore. It is funded from the USO Fund. Laying of this sub-marine Optic Fibre Cable is entrusted to BSNL, which has executed the project on time.

This sub-marine Optic Fibre Cable will provide 2 x 200 Gigabits bandwidth between Chennai and Port Blair. It will provide 2 x 100 Gigabits bandwidth within the Andaman & Nicobar Islands.      

Presently, satellite bandwidth is being used to connect the Indian main land and the Andaman & Nicobar Islands. This satellite bandwidth is costly. Moreover, the connectivity was poor and frequent disruptions were also there. 

Based on the request of BSNLEU, Andaman & Nicobar circle union, the CHQ of BSNLEU, first raised in the National Council a few years ago, that a sub-marine Optic Fibre Cable should be laid between the Indian mainland and Port Blair. BSNLEU also took up this demand with the Secretary, Telecom. BSNLEU has been consistently pressing the BSNL Management and the DoT on this matter. Now, the longstanding demand of the people Andaman & Nicobar is fulfilled. BSNLEU feels proud that, it has also played a small role in fulfilling this demand. 

We have been telling that inequality is widening rapidly after the implementation of Neo-Liberal policies. A very big portion of the wealth that is being generated in the country, is being garnered by the big corporates. Statistics say that 1% of the Indian population is having 58% of the Nation’s wealth. Now, one more evidence has come to prove our claim that, the rich is growing richer. According to the Forbes 2017 Billionaires list, 101 Indian Billionaires are having wealth which is equivalent to 13% of India’s GDP. It must also be noted that simultaneously news are coming from many states reporting starvation deaths.

 [Source: Times of India dated 20.11.2017]

The 8^th death anniversary of Com. Moni Bose, our beloved leader and former General Secretary of AITEU Class-III, falls on 19^th May, 2018. The CEC meeting held at Agartala has decided to organise Com. Moni Bose Memorial Lectures at New Delhi on 19.05.2018. Accordingly, CHQ is taking efforts to organise the lectures. There will be one lecture on The Neo-Liberal Policies. Another lecture will be on Communal Harmony. The lectures will be in Hindi. The seat allotment for the various circles is being communicated to the circle secretaries.

BSNLEU is vigorously pressurising the BSNL Management, to form the Joint Committee for Wage Negotiations. The issue is already discussed with the CMD BSNL and Director (HR). Further, this issue was raised in the recently held 36^th meeting of the National Council also. Under these circumstances, the BSNLEU representatives who met Shri A.M. Gupta, GM (SR) today, once again insisted for early constitution of the Joint Committee. Finally, the GM (SR) assured that the Committee would be constituted, latest by next week.

On 06.11.2018, the DoT has written a letter to the CMD BSNL, wherein virtually the important demands of BSNL employees, viz., 3^rd Pay Revision, allotment of 4G spectrum and payment of pension contribution on actual basic pay, have been rejected. The AUAB leaders took this to the notice of the Director (HR) in the meeting held on 13.11.2018, and expressed their severe protest. Consequent to this, the issue was taken to the notice of the Secretary, Telecom, by the Director (HR). It is reported that, on the next day, the Secretary, Telecom, summoned the concerned officer under whose signature this letter was issued, and questioned him how such a letter was issued without the knowledge of the Secretary, Telecom. So far as we are concerned, these are all drama, and we are not prepared to believe these stories. It is the same Secretary, Telecom, who kept sitting on the assurances given by the Hon’ble MoS(C) for eight long months, without taking any action to implement those assurances. Hence, hereafter we are not prepared to believe stories. We want only action. Only indefinite strike of the entire 1.85 lakh BSNL employees is going to make the people sitting in the Sanchar Bhawan to take meaningful action. Hence, do not believe stories and make fullest preparation to make the indefinite strike successful.

The AUAB has given call for a three day strike, which will start from 18-02-2019. Very serious preparations have to be made for this strike. Hence, CHQ directs that all Circle Executive Committee meetings and District Executive Committee meetings of BSNLEU should be conducted immediately, for the effectively planning and successfully organising the strike. Since not much time is available, the Circle and District Executive Committee meetings may be conducted as emergency meetings. Reports of the meetings may be sent to the CHQ.