Casual and contract workers in many circles/divisions of BSNL are on agitation for implementation of minimum wage, social security measures like EPF, Insurance etc. Although the BSNL corporate office has issued clear instructions, the workers are not getting the full wages. EPF, Insurance premium are not deducted, identity cards are not given etc.

In Assam, FIR has been registered against contract workers for going on struggle by filing false cases by the contractor-management conspiracy. Many contract workers denied employment after Corporate office is insisting to pay minum wage.

Leaders of the BSNLEU at Circle and SSA levels should give all support and help to the just struggle of these workers who are being exploited and are denied even what is provided as per rules and laws of this country.

The 16th Congress (Conference) of the World Federation of Trade Unions is being held at Athens (Greece ) from 6th to 10th April 2011. WFTU is one of the biggest trade union confederation with large number of trade unions affiliated to it all over the world. Its progressive outlook and sustained struggles and interventions against the capitalist system and for improving the conditions of the workers have been appreciated. The last Congress was held at Havana (Cuba) which was participated by me, where I could get discuss the problems of telecom workers from various countries.

Com.P.Abhimanyu, General Secretary, BSNLEU is participating in this Congress and had already reached Athens.

I wish the Congress all success and hope that it will discuss all important issues facing the workers and will take appropriate decisions.

The meeting of the Joint Action Committee of BSNL Associations/Unions held today, 5th April 2011 decided to observe May 2011 as “Customer Delight Month”. In this month, the workers will be mobilised to improve the customer services including fault repair, billing, providing connections without delay, providing Broadband etc.

In this month the executives and non-executives will be visiting the customers and explain the services provided by BSNL and further get new connections. After fianlisation of the scheme it will be put on the websites of the unions.

In preparation for the “Customer Delight Month” an ” Employees Awareness Week” will be organised from 18th to 24th April 2011.

The National Council of BSNL will be constituted soon. The staff side has given the list of of staff side members to the BSNL management. V.A.N.Namboodiri is the Leader and P.Abhimanyu the Secretary of Staff Side. The staff side members include comrades from all the alliance unions.

The Chairman of the National Steering Committee of United Forum is Suresh Kumar GS BSNLMS and I am the Convener.

As per call of the Joint Action Committee of BSNL Associations/Unions of Executives and Non-Executives, BSNL workers all over the country organised protest demonstrations at lunch hour today, 05th April 2011 against the proposals of VRS, reduction in retirement age from 60 to 58 and merger of ITI with BSNL.

In corporate office of BSNL at New Delhi, a large number of workers participated in the demonstration. This was addressed by myself as the Convener, JAC, Suresh Kumar, GS BSNLMS, R.K.Kohli, General Secretary, NFTBE, Sethi, AIBSNLEA, A.A.Khan, AGS, SNEA, Hari Singh, BTU, R.S.Chauhan, BSNLEU and others.

BSNL vide 40-46/2011-Pen(B) dated 04-04-2011 has forwarded the Revision of Pension orders for pre-2007 BSNL retirees to all circles etc. A copy of the same is put on the website of BSNLEU: WWW.bsnleuchq.com