The Telecom Factories  are the centres for manufacture of telecom equipments and infrastructure for the last so many decades. They were earlier called as P&T Workshops. The first P&T Workshop was started  in Alipore (Calcutta) in 1855 to manufacture  telegraph equipments.  The second  P&T Workshop was started at Bombay in 1943 by taking over Bombay Telephone Company, a private company, which was formed in 1935. Jabalpur P&T Work shop was started almost at the same time, at  the time of Second World War,  to ensure the manufacture of telecom equipments, in case Calcutta Workshop is captured by Japan, which was fast-moving towards India. In 1968, the name of P&T Workshop was changed in to Telecom Factory. The other four factories, Gopalpur, Kharagpur, Bhilai and Richai were started later.

These P&T Workshops /Telecom Factories used to manufacture all telegraph and telephone equipments including telephone posts, manual / trunk telephone exchanges etc.  required by the P&T Department. After the establishment of Indian Telephone Industries (ITI ), one of the first Public Sector Units (PSU) in the country, the manufacture of boards etc. were shifted gradually and by 1980, the production of trunk board etc. was completely stopped in the factories. The other products continued to be manufactured in the TFs. Due to induction of latest technology in telecom sector, many of these  products became out-dated and those production lines were closed.

At present, DP Box, MDF, Modems,Line Jack Unit, hand telephones, STD Pay Phones, CT Box, Drop Wire Cards etc. are being manufactured. After introduction of mobile phones, production of towers also have started in a big way. Certain parts of Optical fibre, Sim Cards etc. are also manufactured.

The Fifth Pay Commission recommended either closure or privatisation of the Telecom Factories. At that time, All india Telecom Employees Union (Namboodiri), took up the matter with the Parliamentary Standing Committee of Communications headed by Shri Somnath Chatterjee and presented our view-point that the factories should not be closed but should be modernised and improved. The Standing Committee kindly accepted our suggestions and  also recommended modernisation. Some modernisation was done, but much more is to be done.

After formation of BSNL, there was a move to close down Kharagpur Factory. As per the call of BSNLEU local struggle started and after discussion at All India level, the management agreed not to close and started manufacture of towers there.

After BSNLEU got recognition, it has been taking the various issues connected with the development and modernisation of the TFs. On the demand of the staff side in the National Council, a committee was constituted with Shri R.P.Nigam, DDG(TF), Corporate office and Com. V.A.N.Namboodiri, General Secretary, BSNLEU & Secretary, Staff Side to visit all the seven TFs and recommend the required modifications for improvement as also to look the staff amenities. The Committee visited all the Factories along with the concerned CGM Telecom Factory, Officers of the Civil Wing etc. and submitted its recommendations. Some of these were implemented, but some are kept in the close storage by the management. After the visit of the committee the working conditions were of course improved a lot. But still there are a lot of things to be done. The immediate task is to introduce new projects involving latest technologies and appointing specialised Engineers suited to the requirement.

The workers in the Factories belong to regular workers as well as industrial workers. BSNLEU has been consistently taking with the management to ensure that the industrial workers are also treated as other regular workers. Union has also demanded that the recommendations of the Restructuring committee be implemented in full after discussion with the union. The Union’s demand to name the TF as BSNL Factory was agreed to by the management, but is not so far implemented. The industrial workers were organised in P&T Industrial Workers Union under the legendary leadership of Com. Sisir Bhattacharjee, the senior most leader P&T at present. At the time of formation of BSNL Employees Union in 2001, this union merged with it. Most of the Industrial and Non-industrial workers in these 7 factories are members of the BSNL Employees Union.

I will be posting another write-up later about the specific problems of the workers in the Factories and also how to improve and modernise the Telecom Factories.

Kapil Sibal, Communications & IT Minister, has issued a statement on 7th January 2010 justifying the 2G Spectrum allocation done by A.Raja, former Communications Minister. He has also stated that the report of the CAG charging that the allocation has resulted in loss to the Government to the extent of Rs. 1.76 lakh crore, is erroneous.

What has prompted the Minister to make such a statement, trying to defend the indefensible? The various enquiries, the documents confiscated by the Income Tax, CBI and other agencies, the various media reports – all have pointed the accusing finger towards this biggest scam ever happened in India. The Parliament has been stalled for 23 days, the entire period of the winter session, on the demand of the opposition demand for a JPC enquiry in the matter. The Communications Minister, A.Raja, was compelled to resign on the allegation and also comment by the Supreme Court. Still, Kapil Sibal wants to justify whatever has happened.

The indications are clear. This is not a decision of the Communication Minister alone. It has got further connections, which if enquired will put the entire government in the dock. That seems to be the reason for the unjustifiable justification of the scam.

But the people will not be satisfied till the full truth is out. The Government should allow a JPC enquiry for the same.

SNATTA has started attacking BSNLEU in a very malicious and vicious way. This can be well understood since it has become desperate after leaving the BSNLEU. Earlier they were having seats in the National/circle/local councils and were able to discuss all issues along with BSNLEU. Now that chance is lost since, they very well know that their new alliance, NFTE, is not going to win, but will face utter defeat as in the last three verification. SNATTA is also under compulsion to attack BSNLEU to justify its unjustified exit from the United Forum. For more details see BSNLEU website: www.bsnleuchq.com

The organising tour of Com. V.A.N.Namboodiri, President, BSNLEU and Convener, United Forum at Panipat and Ambala on 6th January 2011 has made onr thing clear, that BSNLEU is going win there with a very good margin, especially after NFTBE has joined the United Forum

Along with Coms. N.D.Ram, Financial Secretary, SEWA BSNL, S.S.Tomar, Circle Secretary, NTR, BSNLMS (BTEF). Com. Namboodiri addressed well attended meetings at Panipat and Ambala. Com.Naresh Kumar, President and MS. Kadian Circle Secretary, BSNLEU, Haryana Circle were present  and organised the meetings.

At Panipat more than 150 comrades were present. Com.Namboodiri, in his speech elaborated the settlements made by BSNLEU during the last two years. He mentioned about the agitations organised by the United Forum and Joint Forum as also the struggles organised under the BSNLEU alone. He called upon the workers to be prepared for further struggles ro save and improve BSNL.

The meeting at Ambala was attended by more than 500 comrades. Leaders of NFTBE were also present.  All the speskers focussed on the good achievements made by BSNLEU in the last two years. The unanimousely decided to work effectively for the success of BSNLEU and UnitedForum

BSNL is again started competing with the private telcos in an effective manner. It has provided 24.18 wireless connections in October 2010. But that is less than Airtel, Vodafone and Uninor. The Telephone subscribers base in October 2010, connections given, market share etc. are published below as analysed by Com. Mihir Dasgupta.

BSNLEU /United Forum has started its campaign in right earnest. Hundreds of meetings are being held every day all over the country explaining the grand achievements made by BSNLEU in its six years of recognition. Whether it is the wage revision or the promotion policy, at no time  earlier such achievements have been made. Neither NFTE nor FNTO in their recognition over thirty years in P&T /DOT and two years of recognition in BSNL could not even demand a third promotion, leave alone four. Instead they agreed with the management that no promotion policy should be brought before 01-01-2007. Now they are shedding crocodile tears that five promotions have not been received.

But the workers fully understands their treachery and compromises with management  when they were in recognition. They will vote for BSNLEU and teach the NFTE a lesson they will never forget.

BSNLEU/United Forum posters on Membership Verification has been sent to all districts. CHQ is trying to release a Hindi version also. Many information connected with verification are being published in BSNLEU website. Utilise them for the propaganda. To day, a detailed note on the achievements of last 6 years have been published. Study them carefully, which will enable you to educate the workers and seek their vote for BSNLEU.

The Bofors scam has surfaced again. It was stated earlier by the Government that there has been no kick back. The CBI has also requested the court to close the case citing that there is no evidence to continue the case. But all of a sudden a bolt from the blue has struck the government. The Income Tax Appellate Tribunal  (ITAT) in its order dated 31st December 2010 had stated : ” The investigations revealed that an amount of 242.62 million Swedish Kroners (Rs. 412.5 million) was paid by M/s AB Bofors. as Commission, to Mr. Quattrocchi and Chadha through M/s A.E.Serivces and M/s Svenska, in contravention of the policy of the government of India not to allow middlemen /agents in the deal”. All the arguments of the government that there was no kickback has fallen like a pack of cards. Now what?

Of course the government will continue their efforts to cover up the entire issue. But once again, skelton in the cup board is revealed to all.

There is every indication this time that BSNLEU will get the first position in Bihar, dislodging NFTE, which was number one last time (of course with the support of FNTO). It is not only that the FNTO has deserted the NFTE Alliance, but it is something more.

BSNLEU was not a big force in Bihar when the BSNLEU started. But gradually it has come very close to the First one, NFPTE. This time it is going to become the number one. The workers are happy for the good wage revision and Promotion Policy. This was made clear in the massive meeting held at Patna on 4th January 2010. The meeting was held in the premises of the CGM Office. About 500 comrades participated. Some comrades from other unions were also standing nearby to hear the speeches. Com.B.P.Singh, Circle Secretary, BSNLEU presided. Com. Swapan Chakraborty AGS and Com.Sunity Choudhary, All India Org. Secretary spoke in detail about the demands etc. Com.V.A.N.Namboodiri, inaugurating the convention called upon the workers to vote for BSNLEU / United Forum to save BSNL and its workers. He spoke in length on the various issues of workers including the good wage revision and Promotion Policy.

The house assured Com. Namboodiri that the land of Lok Nayak JP will be fully with United Forum. Com.Swapan Chakraborty, AGS, along with Circle Secretary will be touring most of the districts in Bihar on election campaign.

FNTO is in Trisanku. They are neither with BSNLEU nor with NFTE. In the second and third verifications, they were in United Forum and after BSNLEU won, they were given seats in the National Councils and also in Cirle / Local Councils wherever they were present. Issues were taken by the United Forum and satisfactory results were also there. But  FNTO leaders thought that though they are not the kings, they are the kingmakers. They were afraid that BSNLEU is becoming stronger and this has to be curbed. They thought that if they support, NFTE will win and joined them in the IV Membership Verification. But the NFTE-FNTO alliance lost by more than 28,000 votes.

When FNTO was in the United Forum, they got seats, status and participation in all discussions with the management. After deserting United Forum, everything was lost. As such, many in FNTO wanted to come back to United Forum, but it did not happen.

Now, continuing with the alliance of NFTE is a complete loss. Neither recognition nor seats nor votes. When in United Forum even though FNTO votes were counted with BSNLEU, they got councils seats etc. But in the alliance with NFTE they got neither seats nor votes. As such they decided to contest separately. It is not that they will win, but at least there will be their votes accounted in the name of FNTO. It seems that the INTUC leaders also advised the same.

So at last, FNTO is neither in the United Forum nor with NFTE. But many in the FNTO has expressed their desire for alliance in the United Forum. We do not know what will happen.