A very impressive, Convention of AUAB, UP(W) was organised at Meerut, on 30-11-2018. More than 400 employees attended the Convention. Com. Upender Singh Teotia, Convenor, AUAB, & CS, BSNLEU, welcomed all. Com.Som Pal Saini, Chairman, AUAB & CS, NFTE, presided over the convention. Com, Balbir Singh, President, BSNLEU, Com.A.Raj Mouli, Treasurer, NFTE, Sukhvir Singh, Org. Secretary, BSNLEU, Davesh Sharma, Organising Secretary, AIBSNLEA, Sanjay Choudhry, CS, AIGETOA, Ansar Ali, Cirle President, BSNLEU, Inder Singh, CS, BMS, BSNL, and Com.Janardhan Yadav, CS, BSNL OA, addressed the Convention. The leaders explained in detail the demands of indefinite strike, including wage revision for BSNL employees, pension revision for retired employees, 4G spectrum for BSNL, pension contribution on actual basic pay as per Govt. orders and left out issues of 2nd PRC. The leaders called upon the workers to fully participate in the strike and to organise street corner meetings. On gauging the pulse of employees it is observed that a glorious strike will take place in UP(W).

Com.P.V.Chandrasekaran, one of the veteran leaders of our movement is bereaved. His wife, Mrs.Padmam Sekhar, has passed away last night. She had been unwell for sometime. BSNLEU deeply condoles the death of Mrs.Padmam Sekhar. BSNLEU also conveys it's heartfelt condolences to Com.P.V.Chandrasekaran and all the members of his family.

As per the decision taken in the Ghaziabad CEC meeting, which has already been communicated vide CHQ circular no.04 dated 08.04.2019, "Save BSNL - Save Nation" campaign is to be conducted from today onwards, and upto 30-04-2019. Accordingly, street corner meetings should be organised throughout the country. The support of the people should be mobilised for the demands, which have already been raised for the revival of BSNL. Non-allotment of 4G spectrum to BSNL, pro-Reliance Jio policies of the government, our opposition to VRS, etc., should be highlighted prominently in the street corner meetings. Circle and district unions are requested to implement the programme effectively and send report to the CHQ.

BSNL और MTNL में VRS लागू करने और रिटायरमेंट की उम्र 60 से 58 करने का सरकार का प्रस्ताव...
टाइम्स ऑफ इंडिया अखबार ने रिपोर्ट प्रकाशित की है कि DoT द्वारा BSNL और MTNL में VRS लागू करने और रिटायरमेंट की उम्र 60 से 58 करने हेतु एक कैबिनेट नोट प्रस्तुत किया जा रहा है। यह दोनों ही कदम कर्मचारियों की संख्या कम करने के उद्देश्य से उठाए जा रहे हैं, जिससे कि वेतन पर होने वाले खर्च में कटौती की जा सके। इसके साथ ही, BSNL और MTNL को 4G स्पेक्ट्रम भी आवंटित किया जाएगा। रिपोर्ट यह भी कहती है कि सरकार का ध्यान BSNL और MTNL की लैंड्स, ऑप्टिकल फाइबर और टॉवर्स के मुद्रीकरण पर भी है। रिपोर्ट के अनुसार सरकार BSNL और MTNL को बंद नही करना चाहती है, क्योंकि इस पर सरकार को 1.2 लाख खर्च करना पड़ेगा।

An election campaign meeting of BSNLEU for 8^th Membership Verification was held on 6^th September, 2019 at Saharanpur, UP (West). The meeting was presided over by Com.Yashpal Singh, District President. Com.Ansar Ali, Circle President as well as district secretary initiated the discussions. Com.Swapan Chakraborty, Dy.GS, discussed the issue of payment of salary to the employees, acute financial crisis of BSNL and conspiracy of the government to retrench employees by VRS/CRS, by reduction of retirement age etc. Com.Upendar Singh Teotia, CS and Com.J.B.Tyagi, circle vice-president also addressed the meeting on achievements of BSNLEU during last 3 years and wage revision etc. Workers responded very positively to the discussions of the union representatives.

The two days Circle Executive Committee meeting of BSNLEU, West Bengal Circle, was held on 11th & 12th November, 2019. Com.Banani Chatterjee, circle president,presided over. Com. Animesh Mitra, All India President & Circle Secretary, initiated the proceedings. He reported on the decisions taken in the Ghaziabad CEC meeting and the present situation prevailing, regarding the VRS. He also spoke on the organisational tasks before the Union, especially the strike of the Casual/Contract workers of West Bengal Circle which will be held on 19.11.2019, the All India General Strike to be held on 8th January, 2019, the ensuing long March from Chittaranjan to Kolkata and another from Malda to Siliguri, starting from 30th November. Thereafter Deliberations by the the District Secretaries took place, based on which many important decisions are taken.

The Non-Executives and Executives of BSNL responded well the call of the AUAB and held impressive demonstrations throughout the country today, demanding immediate payment of two months’ salary, wage arrears of the contract workers, immediate rolling out of 4G service, etc. BSNLEU heartily congratulates all the employees for successfully organising the united demonstrations and also calls upon the employees to get prepared for participating in the one day hunger strike programme on 24^th February, 2020.

1) Com. J Kameswar Rao, DS, Berhampur Rs.5,501/-

2) Com. Sk Sahabudin, Ex-District Secretary,  Cuttack--Rs.1,100/-

3) Com. Bijaya Kumar Mishra, Ex-Branch Secy, Rayagada Branch – Rs.1,000/-

Corona Virus Disease is spreading fast in India. In the last 24 hours alone, 2,000 people have died in the country. The number of people affected has already reached 3.5 lakh. Now, India is the 4^th most affected country in the world, next only to the US, Brazil and Russia. 

However, Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, keeps on praising himself. He says, the whole world is appreciating India, for the steps taken to control the Corona Virus Disease. But, what is the truth?

The first Corona Virus Disease was reported in India on 30^th January, 2020, in Kerala. Immediately, the Kerala government swung into action. It allotted Rs.20,000 crore to fight the disease. Even the World Health Organisation (WHO) has appreciated the steps taken by the Kerala government to fight the Corona Virus Disease.

 Whereas, till February 24^th, Prime Minister, Narendra Modi was busy in organising a massive reception to US President, Donald Trump. At a time when the Corona Virus Disease has started spreading fast, Prime Minister, Narendra Modi remained busy in mobilising lakhs of people at Ahmedabad, to say “Namaste Trump”. This is how Narendra Modi government is fighting the Corona Virus Disease. 

No pre-planning was done for the Migrant Workers, before the announcement of the Lockdown. So, after Lockdown, around 10 crore Migrant Workers were left without job, food or shelter. They were left to face starvation. So, they walked 1000s of miles to go to their native places. Many met tragic death on the way. Thus, the Narendra Modi government did a very big injustice to the Migrant Workers. 

The Rs.20 lakh crore package, announced by the Modi government to fight Corona Virus Disease is a farce. It is only a repackaging of various schemes already announced in the budget. What the Modi government has spent to fight Corona Virus Disease is very little.  

Utilising the restrictions of the Lockdown, the Naredra Modi government has launched severe attacks on the working class. The hard-won right of "8 hour working day" has been taken away. Working hours has been increased from 8 hrs a day to 12 hours a day, to benefit the corporates. Labour Laws are being "put in suspension" by state governments, at the behest of the Narendra Modi government. The DA of the 48 lakh Central Government employees and 68 lakh pensioners, has been frozen for one and a half years. 

Prime Minister Naredra Modi wants to build an "Atmanirbhar Bharat". But, he is selling all Indian Public Sector Undertakings to foreign multinational companies, by allowing 100% FDI in Indian Railways, Air India, Defence Production Factories, Coal, Banking & Insurance companies, etc. Soon, foreign companies will take over all the above core industries. This is how Narendra Modi wants to build an Atmanirbhar Bharat.

वेतन भुगतान निर्धारित तिथि पर नही- BSNLEU की चेतावनी, कर्मचारी गंभीर तरीके से आंदोलन के लिए बाध्य होंगे- जुलाई के वेतन की त्वरित भुगतान की मांग..

आज, 19 अगस्त हो चुकी है, किन्तु कॉर्पोरेट ऑफिस द्वारा सर्कल्स को माह जुलाई, 2020 के वेतन भुगतान के लिए अभी तक फंड्स आवंटित नही किए गए हैं। मैनेजमेंट की यह आदत बन चुकी है कि आंदोलन का कॉल देने पर ही वेतन का भुगतान किया जाए। उन्हें कर्मचारियों की परेशानियों की लेश मात्र भी चिंता नही है, विशेष रूप से निम्न वर्ग के कर्मचारियों की।     BSNLEU ने आज CMD BSNL को चेतावनी देते हुए पत्र लिखा है कि यदि मैनेजमेंट की इस मानसिकता में परिवर्तन नही होता है तो कर्मचारी गंभीर तरीके से आंदोलन कार्यक्रम की शुरुआत करने के लिए बाध्य होंगे।BSNLEU ने जुलाई के वेतन की त्वरित भुगतान की मांग भी की है। 

Finance Minister, Arun Jaitley, has said that the decision to tax Vodafone Group retrospectively, taken by the UPA 2 government, was not correct. He has also stated that the present government will not follow that policy. Jaitley said this, while talking to a packed house at the Economic Times Global Business Summit 2018, on 24-02-2018. It may be recollected that the UPA government raised a tax demand of Rs.11,000 crore on Vodafone, in connection with it’s acquisition of Hutchison Telecom. The UPA government took the stand that the Hutchison-Vodafone deal was liable for tax deduction at source (TDS) under the Income Tax (IT) Act. But, Vodafone had not deducted the tax at source, and hence, the government directed Vodafone to pay the tax. Together with interest and penalties, this amount has increased to Rs.20,000 crore. The Supreme Court subsequently quashed the demand on January 20, 2012. However, the government amended its IT Act retrospectively, putting the liability back on Vodafone Group. Tax cheating is being done by the corporates in a big way. Vodafone and Hutchison jointly cheated Indian government to the tune of Rs.11,000 crores. Now, Arun Jaitley has openly stated that the decision of the UPA government to collect the amount from Vodafone is not correct. When the Modi government is taking action to collect every single paisa tax from the common man, they want to be very ‘kind and sympathetic’ to the tax - cheating corporates.

Tomorrow is the 50^th anniversary of the glorious one day strike of 19^th September, 1968. BSNLEU pays it’s respectful homage to the martyrs of the 1968 strike, and salutes the entire participants. BSNLEU vows to carry forward the fight against exploitation.

A massive strike preparatory meeting was organised by the Maharashtra AUAB, at CGM office, Mumbai, today. The meeting was unprecedentedly massive, attended by more than 1,000 comrades belonging to the CGM office, Mumbai, Telecom Factory, Mumbai and other districts of Maharashtra. Com. Ranjan Dhani, CS, NFTE & Chairman, AUAB, Maharashtra, presided over. Com.N.K.Nalawade, CS, BSNLEU & Convenor, AUAB, Maharashtra, welcomed everyone. Com. P. Abhimanyu, GS, BSNLEU & Convenor, AUAB, Com. Chandeshwar Singh, GS, NFTE & Chairman, AUAB, Com. Suresh Kumar, GS, BSNL MS, Com. John Verghese, AGS, BSNLEU, Com. Vijay Gosavi, AGS, NFTE and Com.K.P. Nair, AGS, AIBSNLEA, addressed the meeting. The demands of the AUAB, the anti-BSNL and pro-private policies of the government were explained. Responding to the speeches of the leaders, the gathering unequivocally expressed it’s resolve to make the indefinite strike a total success.

Recently the DoT referred to TRAI, the question of allotting 4G spectrum to BSNL. The DoT had requested the TRAI to give recommendation as to whether 4G spectrum could be allotted to BSNL. Now, it is reported that the TRAI had backed out from giving any recommendation on this matter. The TRAI has reportedly told that the administrative allocation of spectrum to a public company is a policy matter to be decided by the government. So, now, the ball is in the government’s court. The government has to take the decision, whether 4G spectrum can be allotted to BSNL or not.

A well attended election campaign meeting of BSNLEU was held at Gurgaon today. Com. Parveen, District Secretary, welcomed everyone. Veteran leaders, Com.J.S. Dahiya and Com. Zile Singh, were present on the dias. Com.M.S. Kadian, Circle Secretary, briefly explained about the necessity to reelect BSNLEU as the Main Recognised Union once again. Com.P.Abhimanyu, GS, addressed the meeting, clarifying all the doubts prevailing in the minds of the workers, regarding the revival of BSNL, government’s attitude towards the Company, VRS, reduction of retirement age to 58, 3^rd Wage Revision and about the settlements made by BSNLEU since the 7^th Membership Verification.

A seminar on the Centenary of the Indian Trade Union Movement was organised by BSNLEU and BSNLCMU, West Bengal Circle on 11th November, 2019. The speakers of the seminar were Com. Prasanta Nandi Chowdhury, General Secretary, All India Electricity Workers Federation (CITU), Com. Joydeb Dasgupta, Leader of All India Bank Employees Federation, Com. Animesh Mitra and Com.Tapas Ghosh. The speakers spoke on the history, especially the formation of the All India Trade Union Congress (AITUC) in the year 1920 and its struggles. Com. Animesh Mitra spoke on the struggle of the Casual/Contract workers of BSNL, West Bengal Circle and appealed to the members present in the seminar to stand beside the strike of the casual/contract workers which will be observed on 19th November, 2019. He also appealed to make the success the 20th All India General Strike to be observed on 08.01.2020. He narrated in detail about the stand in regard to the VRS that has been brought by the BSNL Management as an item of Revival Package. He said that it is optional but the management is creating a fear psychosis amongst the workers to compel them to opt for VRS. He appealed to the employees not to bow down before the management. The seminar was presided jointly by Com. Tapan Ghosh and Com. Banani Chattopadhyay.