BSNL Executives and Non-Executives will hold lunch hour demonstrations tomorrow (5th April 2011) protesting against the proposals for VRS and reduction of retirement age from 60 to 58 years in BSNL as recommended by the BRPSE (Board for Reconstruction of Public Sector Enterprises).This is as per call of the Joint Action Committee. This is a serious attack on the workers by the government and has to be resisted and defeated. Participate in full and give a strong warning to the government that the workers will never agree to these proposals.

” … This is the “animal spirit ” of the Indian capitalism that Manmohan Singh extolled in his 1991 Budget speech.What he forgot to tell the country is that this animal spirit of capitalism needs a state that allows for larceny on a grand scale. This is what we are seeing today. A huge transfer of nation’s scarce resources to the capitalist class, in which politicians and bureaucratic class are becoming prominent.”

A real analysis of the present scams and connected issues. This is from the article in “Peoples Democracy” dated March 28-April 03 by Prabir Purkaystha.

It has become a habit and almost a convention in the Central PSUs – once the Chairman or Managing Director or Chairman & Mg. Director (CMD) retires, the vacancy will be kept for months or years together. The CMD BSNL Kuldeep Goyal retired about one year back, and the vacancy is not yet filled. Gopal Das, Director (HR ) who was asked to look after has also retired on 31st March 2010. Still no regular posting. The Director (Finance), BSNL S.K.Saxena retired two years back and so far, the vacancy has not been filled. At present there are only three Directors in BSNL, where there should be six including the CMD. A sorry state indeed.

It is not the case of BSNL alone. It is the case with many Central PSUs. There are no heads for MTNL,ONGC, NHAI and SBI at present after the retirement of the last incumbents. There is a Public Enterprises Selection Board. There are other mechanisms available for the Government to take decision. But it seems that the government don’t want to appoint to these crucial posts in the PSUs. Government is not interested in the functioning of the PSUs. This may be a new line of thinking of the government that this method of non-filling up the posts the PSUs can be made ineffective.

It can also be that there is power tussle in the government about who is to be appointed. The postings in PSUs were mainly reserved for favourites instead of posting the best suited person. It has been clearly exposed as in the case of the appointment of the CVC.

Wake up from the ‘sleep’ and fill up the vacancies of heads of PSUs with suitable persons.

INDIA HAS WON THE COVETED CRICKET WORLD CUP BY 6 WICKETS! The entire country is celebrating this great victory. Dhoni and team has reached the victory fighting inch by inch.

Congratulations for this great victory!

Some statistics about BSNL as on 31-12-2010:

Wireline : 256.5 lakh
Wireless : 867.1 lakh
GSM : 812.3 lakh
WLL : 54.7 lakh
Total : 1123.6 lakh

Broadband customers
Wireless : 23.1 lakh
Wireline : 68.1 lakh
Total : 91.2 lakh

Financial Performance
Year 2007-08 2008-09 2009-10
Income 38047 crore 35812 crore 32045 crore
Expenditure 33630 crore 34354 crore 34078 crore
Profit 3009 crore 575 crore ( -) 1823 crore
(Courtsey: BSNL report to Parliamentary Standing Committee )

In many circles/SSAs of BSNL, the casual and contract workers are in agitation against retrenchment and disengagement of workers. Now after much pursual and agitation, corporate office has issued strict instructions to pay the statutory minimum wage to the workers. Being compelled to pay the minimum wages and implement social security measures, in many places, the contractors and local management together are victimising the workers by retrenchment and refusing to engage them. The strike, hunger strike, agitations etc. are going on in Assam, Haryana and some other circles/SSAs. Those who are continuously working for 10 to 20 years are being retrenched. Union leaders of the Casual & Contract workers are the first casuality ‘to teach them a lesson’.

Their struggles can not continue without the support of the regular workers. It is the duty of the regular workers and their unions to support and give all solidarity to the struggling casual and contract workers.