The Supreme Court asked the Central government why it is reluctant to disclose the details of huge and unaccounted  money depositied in foreign banks. The Supreme Court was making this remark, while hearing the case filed by Ram Jethmalani, noted criminal lawyer. Solicitor General Gopal Subramaniam appearing on behalf of the government stated that he will seek instructions from the government in the matter.

The government will not disclose the list, since most of the concerned persons are from big business, political bigwigs and influential persons including bureaucrats. Unless the court issue order to disclose the names, nothing will happen.

I express my deep grief and sorrow at the loss of more than one hundred lives and serious injuries to many people due to the stampede at Pulmedu near Sabarimalai temple. Most of them were returning after pilgrimage to Sabarimalai temple.

I convey my heartfelt condolences to the bereaved families and friends.

It is well known that MNCs are capable of  twisting the decisions and instructions of the Government of India, if they don’t suit them. But here is a case in which the MNC completely disobey the instruction of the Government.

The Govt. of India has been issuing instructions after instructions to the makers of Reasearch In Motion (RIM) which manufactures the Blackberry, that  the company should make suitable solutions to intercept internet, email services etc. The company did not make the solutions and the government has been extending the date lines several times. Even after months no solution has been found. The government seems to be afraid to take action against the MNC.  Now the company has agreed to provide a solution for the GOI to intercept messenger, email and internet services, but they bluntly refused to make solutions to intercept in the case of its Enterprise  Server.

Whether the Government will face this refusal point-blank and cancel the license or impose penalty? You need not expect any such thing from this government which is very loyal to the big business and the MNCs.

THe Defence Production Policy unveiled by the Defence Minister A.K.Antony  proposing private participation in Defence Production. So far these productions were being made in the nine defence PSUs and 50 and odd Ordnance Factories. The new defence policy is  according to the privatisation, globalisation policies. * We will protect the PSUs, strengthen them, and at the same time bring in the private sector by reducing the space for foreign suppliers” the policy states.  But  the people and workers know from their own experiences that these are for propaganda sake to hood wink the people and gradually privatise the defence production and also bring in more foreign companies as in the case of telecom.

It is time for the defence workers to resist and defeat the proposals which are a threat to the security of the country.

After sustained struggle by BSNLEU and BSNLC&CWF, BSNL management was compelled to issue orders on minimum wage etc. in the early part of 2010, but it was not implemented in most of the SSAs. Despite our continued requests the corporate office did not do any thing to improve the situation. Once the issue was raised before the Parliament Standing Committee on Labour, the management became frantic and panicky. Instead of implementing its own order on wages, the management at lower levels have started retrenching the workers who are working for the last 10  to 20 years.

Struggles have started in many SSAs against the retrenchment. The matter was brough to the notice of the Standing committee on Labour on 14th January 2011.

It is the duty of the BSNLEU leaders at all levles to take up the issue with management and also give full support and solidarity to the agitating casual and contract workers.

A meeting of the Parliament Standing Committee on Labour was held at Parliament Annexe Committee room today,  14th January 2011 at 1500 hours. The committee was presided over by Shri Hemanand Biswal, M.P., Chairman of the Committee. Members of Parliament, who are members of the Committee were present. The meeting was being held on the representation given by Com. V.A.N.Namboodiri, President, BSNLEU & BSNL Casual and Contract Workers Federation to the Chairman on 13-11-2010 through Com. P.R.Natarajan, M.P. who is a member of the Committee. Com.Namboodiri had met Shri Sanjeeva Reddy, INTUC, President & M.P. who is also a member of the Committee.. Both the unions as well as the management side were invited to present their views on the issues.

The Unions were invited first. Com.V.A.N.Namboodiri, President BSNLEU & BSNLC&CWF  presented the case with relevant documents. The issues of regularisation of TSMS and Casual Labour, grant of TSM to eligible casual labour, non-payment of justified wages to the casual and contract workers, non-implementation of orders on social security measures  etc. were brought to the notice of the Standing Committee.  He also brought to the notice of the Committee that contract workers were being retrenched in large numbers after the management was compelled to implement the government orders on minimum wage to contract workers. The presentation by Com. Namboodiri took about more than 40 minutes. Comrades Suresh Kumar (BSNLMS) and Subramaniam (BMS) supported the statements of Com.Namboodiri and wanted to sort out these issues.

The official side was invited next. S/Shri C.Chandrasekhar, Secretary DOT, S,C.Misra, Member(Services)other top DOT officers,  Gopal Das, CMD BSNL, D.P.Dey, Sr.GM(Estt). H.C.Pant, Company Secretary and GM(Legal), M.S.S.Rao, GM (Admn) and about 10 other officers were present. The session ended quickly as the Committee felt that the written reply given by BSNL Management was not clear and not to the point and asked the official side to submit necessary replies after which the meeting will be held. It is understood from reliable sources that the Chairman and Members of the committee expressed their dissatisfaction at the replies given by the Management.

In preparing the presentation and discussion after the meeting along with the other union participants, Coms. Animesh Mitra, Circle Secretary, W.Bengal and Tapas Ghosh, Secretary General , BSNLC&CWF contributed much.

A detailed report on the discussion will be published later.

The support base for BSNLEU /UF in Kerala is increasing every day. Although the number of voters have been reduced by 1200 since the last verification in 2009, it is expected that there will be more votes polled for BSNLEU in 2011 verification. The SSA level meetings attended by Com. V.A.N.Namboodiri, President, BSNLEU give clear indications to this effect. The report of the last two meetings are given below:

Palakkad: The morning meeting on 13th January 2011 was held at Palakkad presided over by Com. S.Shamsudin, District President. Com. P.R.Parameswaran, District Secretary, welcomed all. A large number of workers attended. Com. V.A.N.Namboodiri, President, CHQ, inaugurated the convention. Coms. V.Kesavan, senior leader and Advisor, AIBDPA  Kerala Circle, R.Muralidharan Nair, AGS, A.V.Kuriakose, Circle President, K.Mohanan, Circle Secretary etc. addressed.A Asst. Circle Secretary Com. P.Gopakumar, Circle Treasurer Com. S.Pratapkumar, K.Vasudevan, Dist. Secretary, AIBDPA, Mahila Committee Convener Com. T.K.Ratnamma, Com. Haridas, District Secretary Security Staff Association  were also present.

Malappuram: The CHQ and Circle Union leaders when they reached in the afternoon of 13th January at Malappuram, they were received with chenda vadyam, firing of crackers etc. Com.A.Balakrishnan presided and Com.M.N.Madhavan, District Secretary welcomed. Com.Namboodiri, All India President inaugurated the convention and called upon the workers to make BSNLEU victorious. All the CHQ and circle leaders accompanying Com. Namboodiri also addressed.

Since Com. VAN Namboodiri had to urgently return to New Delhi  to attend a meeting of the Parliament Standing Committee on Labour to present the case of TSMs, Casual and Contract Workers, he returned to New Delhi immediately after addressing the Malappuram meeting.

As already stated earlier, Kerala Circle will once again show its capacity to get more and more votes and a better support base.CHQ thanks Kerala Comrades for the excellent tour programme of the All India President.

During the Keral tour of Com. V.A.N.Namboodiri, he met a number of senior and veteran P&T TU leaders who have sacrificed their entire lives for the advancement of the workers and who have suffered all kinds of victimisation and led historic struggles. The opportunity was utilised by Com. Nambbodiri to vist them and honour them.

In Thiruvananthapuram Com. Namboodiri vistied veteran leader Com. P.V.Chandrasekharan, who was circle Secretary, Kerala for long 21 years and who has been ailing for some time at his home. Com. PVC, despite his ill health has been in the middle of organising the Pensioners Association, AIBDPA, as also guiding the BSNLEU in its day to day activities. On behalf of the CHQ, Com. Namboodiri presented a shawal and and appreciated the role of Com. PVC in making BSNLEU in Kerala to its excellent position. Com. R.Muralidharan Nair, AGS, was also present along with Namboodiri.

On 12th morning when Com. Namboodiri was on tour at Ernakulam, he visited Com. K.Prabhakaran, senior Telecom leader at his house and honoured him by presenting a shawl. Com. Prabhakaran had to face a lot of victimisation for leading the strikes and struggles. Com.Prabhakaran could not attend the meeting since he was not well and was under treatment.

At the time of Convention at Trichur on 12th January Com. V.A.N.Namboodiri, All India President honoured Com. M.R.Chandran, senior leader by presenting a shawl. Com MRC, as he is called, was one of the senior most leaders of the Line Staff Union and has faced victimisation several times for his leading role and participation in all the strikes and struggles.

At Palakkad Convention on 13th January Com.Namboodiri, All India President , honoured Com. V.Kesavan, former Circle President and at present Advisor, AIBDPA, Kerala Circle . Com.Kesavan had been in the forefront of all the struggles since 1968 strike and had been victimised several times. He was presented with a shawl in the convention by Com. Namboodiri.

The remarks of Communications & IT Minister on the CAG report on 2G scam as “erroneous” has been strongly crticised by the opposition parties. The PAC Chairman has also stated that it was inappropriate for the Minister to make such a remark when the issue is before the PAC. Even Congress leaders feel that such a remark should not have been made against the CAG, a constitutional institution.

Reports being received from all over India indicate a very good support for BSNLEU and United Forum. All India Office-bearers of all the affiliated unions of United Forum along with the Circle Secretaries are touring throughout India, in each and every SSA. The leaders of the United Forum are being received by hundreds of workers in each centre. The workers are happy that a very good wage revision has been achieved as also the Promotion Policy which benefits each and every worker, unlike the OTBP/BCR. Hundreds of major and minor achievements have been got for the non-executive workers during the last few years under the leadership of BSNLEU. The workers wholeheartedly support the United Forum.

In many centres, workers belonging to the other unions, either joins BSNLEU or assures their support to the united Forum in this membership verification. The sustained struggle organised to defend , save and advance BSNL  and the leading role of BSNLEU in this respect is very much appreciated by the workers. They understand that if the recognition was with NFTE or FNTO, just like in VSNL & MTNL, the disinvestment and VRS would have been agreed by them. The workers see BSNLEU as the uncompromising champion  to defend and protect their interests . They have learnt a lot from their experiences.

We thank the workers for the excellent support they are giving us all over India.