As usual the Finance Minister has started pre-budget discussions with the various sections  of people. He will discuss with agriculturists, business people, NGOs, trade unions etc. The meeting with the trade unions are expected to be held on 12 January 2011.

Everybody knows that the budget proposals are kept very secret, since prior knowledge about taxes etc. may lead to hoarding and also many other malpractices. Hence, it is reported that the North Block, where the Finance Ministry is located will be under strict security and no unauthorised person will be allowed to enter. It is  reported that even the Finance Minister is not allowed to take the budget proposals to his home.

But it is an open talk that despite all these precautions, at least the business community somehow get all prior information. That is India and its secrecy.

Expected IDA rates from 1st January 2011 are as follows: On revised pay it is expected to increase by 3.2% to a total of 43.00%. On pre-revised pension to increase by 5.4% to a total of 141.5%. It is expected that orders will be issued soon.

I wish all our Comrades, Friends and Well Wishers a Very Happy & Prosperous New Year 2011.                          

V.A.N.Namboodiri

A very disturbing incident happened today, 29th December 2010. I missed my flight from Kolkatta to New Delhi. Some thing which never happened before.

I had attended the All India Conference of AIBSNLEA at Kolkatta and addressed it in the capacity of  Convener, JAC. I spoke about one hour on the major issues facing the BSNL Workers and about the united struggles which stopped the disinvestment of BSNL as also privatisation. Since I had to catch the 20.55 flight to New Delhi, along with Saibal Sen Gupta, Circle Secretary, Kolkata Telephones, started for air-port by 18.50 hours. It was only about half an hour journey from the conference site to Air-port, but due to heavy traffic, it took more than one and half hours and reached the air-port by 20.20 hours. I rushed to the check-in point, but it was closed. I requested the supervisor to contact the flight and ensure by journey. Of course, she contacted the pilot, but quick came the reply that the flight doors are already closed and nothing could be done. The supervisor told me that strict instructions are there to close the check-in before 40 minutes of the flight time.

Nothing could be done. Hence I went to the counter and got my ticket changed to next day morning flight by giving the additional charges. I saw two other families there who also shared the same fate of missing the flight.

I contacted Com.Saibal, who returned to air-port and took me back to the IQ. By the time I reached the IQ, I got an SMS from the airline company that passengers should check-in before a minimum of 40 minutes. Why didn’t they intimate earlier? Even if a bit late less than half an hour also, the staff of the airlines will be waiting to take you immediately. assisting at every point to ensure your journey. But this time the staff were not at all interested and they gave a curt reply that it is closed.

Is it that they have taken new passengers and that there was no vacancy? It can also happen as it has happened earlier. But the main point is that in a busy city like Kolkatta, it is better that you start for Railway Station/ Air-Port, sufficiently early so that you can catch the train or the flight and not to miss same.

Some people like me learn only through hard experience!

Three private telecom companies have been penalised for delaying roll out of services after they got 2G licences. Etisalat, Uninor and Sistema Shyam TeleServices Limited (SSTL) are these companies which have paid penalty between 5 to 11 crore to the DOT. What windfall gain these companies got are thousands of crores of rupees.  But the Government has bailed out them by penalising a few crore of rupees only. Their licences should have been cancelled along with a much higher penalty. The Government always has a soft corner for the private companies.

What about the Blackberry ? Same soft corner. How many times the Government warned that unless the RIM (Research in Motion), the Canadian Company who manufactures Blackberry, provides a solution for the lawful interception of its messages for the Government of India, it will be banned in India? But never the threat has been put in action. Once again, some assurance is given by the RIM that it will provide some solution and the date has been again extended this time to 31st January 2011!

Meetings of the All India BSNL-DOT Pensioners Association (AIBDPA) of both Kolkata Telephones as well as W.B.Circle were held at Kolkata on 29th December at CTO premises. V.A.N.Namboodiri, Advisor, AIBDPA briefed the meetings about the developments with regard to the issues of Pension revision, Anomaly etc. The decision of the BCPC,NCCPA to have a Parliament March and Signature campaign on the pensioners issue were also reported.

The Circle Secretaries reported about their circle organisations and their effort to increase the membership.

The  emergent  Central Secretariat meeting of the BSNL Casual & Contract Workers Federation (BSNLC&CWF), held at Kolkata on 29th December 2010 in the presence of VAN Namboodiri, President, called upon all Circle unions to bring in maximum numbers of workers to the organisation and prepare for sustained struggles to settle the major demands of the C&C Labour like Regularisation of left out casual labours, implementation of wage orders, implementation of social security measures etc.

V.A.N.Namboodiri briefed the meeting about the latest developments on the C&C labours issues. CMD has to be met urgently to ensure that the orders issues by the BSNL Corporate office on wages, social security measures are got implemented by the subordinate officers. The meeting appreciated the effort taken to take up the issues with Parliament Standing Committee on Labour. The regularisation of left out casual labour with specific thrust to the case of W.Bengal has to be perused effectively. In addition to President, Tapas Ghosh, Secretary General, Tapas Banerjee, Treasurer, Animesh Mitra, Circle Secretary, BSNLEU, W.B. and other participated.

Even before the membership verification is over, both NFTE and FNTO have gone to court to stay the membership verification. This has become a ritual before every verification. The reasons shown may be something else, but the real reason is that they are afraid of the verification and the defeat. But so far they could not obtain any stay from the court.

The workers have clearly understood that even before the verification both NFTE and FNTO have accepted defeat.

The Direct Recruited TTAs along with other workers are wondering why SNATTA has left the United Forum and joined with NFTE Alliance. Since the third verification,SNATTA was with United Forum. There were two members from SNATTA in the National Council,where many of the issues of the Direct Recruited TTAs  were discussed and settled. There was one SNATTA leader in the Wage Revision Committee, who has signed the agreement also. They are in the Change of Designation Committee. Their members are in all the Circle/Local Councils where it is present. No complaint has been received regarding nomination and if any, it has been settled.

In the discussion with the BSNLEU regarding next verification, the entire issues were discussed and it seemed that their leaders were satisfied with the issues taken and the efforts on the part of the recognised union.

Of course. there was one issue in which understanding could not be reached. SNATTA leaders wanted 5 seats in the National Council instead of the two seats at present. BSNLEU is having only 4 seats. The position was explained by BSNLEU leaders and the difficulty for increasing the seats.  Is this difference which made them to shift their alliance or something else?

But one thing is sure. The DRTTAs understand the hectic efforts made by BSNLEU and the achievements made by it. And it is also sure that the good majority of them will support BSNLEU in the verification if the report coming from the circles are correct.