The ‘Occupy Wall Street’ protesters have been demonstrating against the  high 1% who holds all the wealth of the country. In a similar way, it is now reported by CAG that 90% of the Income Tax arrears are due from only 12 individuals of high value. The total tax arrears amount of these 12 comes to a mind blogging Rs. 1,04,092.26 crore. The names of these tax evaders are given below:

1.  Hasan Ali Khan                             RS. 50,345.73 crore

2.  Harshad Mehta                             Rs.  15,944.38 crore

3.  Chandrika Tapuriah                     Rs.  20,540.83

4.   A.D.Narrotam                               Rs.    5,781.86

5.   Hiten P.Dalal                                 Rs.    4,200.o4

6.   Jyoti H. Mehta                               Rs.    1,739.57

7.   Aswin S.Mehta                               Rs.    1,595.51

8.   B.C.Dalal                                         Rs.    1,535.89

9.    S.Ramaswamy                               Rs.    1,122.48

10.  Uday M.Acharya                            Rs.       683.22

11. Kashinath Tapuriah                        Rs.       602.80

No one need hope that the Government will take any action against thsese tax evaders. There will some noise now and then and the issue will be closed. These big tax evaders havegot big connections.

Yesterday, BSNL CMD is stated to have told the media that the loss to BSNL is due to the huge wage bill to the extent of 46% and if VRS for one lakh employees is implemented it will save about Rs. 2400 crore annually, a 16% savings in wage bill. While giving his recommendations, Sam Pitroda has suggested a similar line. The government is also thinking on the same lines. Interestingly some of the workers also seem to be toeing the same line falling prey to the continuous pro-VRS campaign by the management and the media.

What is the truth and what are the facts? It is not the number of employees which is responsible for the loss. When there were about 3.5 lakh workers  during the period 2001 to 2007, BSNL was earning profit from Rs. 3,000 to 10,000 crore. Now only there are about 2,76,000 including ITS and Group A officers. About 75,000 workers are less.

The percentage of the wage bill to the revenue has increased mainly due to the reduction in the revenues. Due to the cancellation of procurement of equipments, the anti-PSU policy of the government and the utter inefficiency of the top management, the revenue of the company has been continuously declining. It happened mainly after the cancellation of the tender of 45 million mobile equipments in 2007 by the BSNL Board.  The revenue reduced from Rs. 40,176 in 2005-06   to Rs 39715 in 2006-2007,  to Rs.38046 in 2007-08  to Rs. 812 in 2008-2009,  to Rs. 32,045 in 2009-10, and  then to Rs.29,687 in 2010-2011. If the revenue has increased or at least was maintained at the 2006-2007level, then the % of wage will have been almost stagnant.

Who is responsible for the loss of revenue. While the operational charges have been increasing, why the revenue has not gone up? It is the callous attitude of the top management, who are mainly ITS officers, who are only deputationists and are not stake holders of the company. There was about Rs. 40,000 surplus cash in the banks, but they failed to utilise it for expansion purposes. Equipments like cables, broadband modem, telephone instruments etc. which were very essential for development and expansion were not purchased. marketing was a complete failure. The top management sat in their offices without any consideration of the expansion of business. As leaders they utterly failed to take the workers with them. They took all benefits and conveniences by spending the funds of the company, like purchasing costly cars, taking membership in the costly clubs, travelling in the First class on foreign tours ( which is 16 times charge of the economic class) even one or to weeks before retirement,  staying in star hotels in domestic tours instead of in BSNL IQs which are cheap, conducting conferences of Circle heads, district heads, TAC  etc. in star hotels, taking all kinds of allowances like tea allowance, newspaper allowance, LTC in helicopters, looting in the name of Temporary advances, hiring of large number of cars without any benefit to the company, avoidable modification of buildings costing crores of rupees, renting buildings for offices while there were large number of  available BSNL buildings etc. costing BSNL unnecessary expenditure of thousands of crores of rupees. The hundreds of top-level officers joining the rival private telcos immediately after their retirement shows the standard of their integrity to say the least. Somebody pointed out that some of the top officers were getting salary from BSNL for working, at the same time they were getting money from private companies for not working.  Indeed, BSNL rose up to the first three in corruption at all India level. Are the ordinary workers responsible for all these? They are the same workers who got more revenue for the company all these years. Instead of accepting the  responsibility for the decline of the revenue which is entirely due to them, the top management wants to sent out the employees out of the company to cover their failure. For what? To prepare for the privatisation of the company.

There are many other points against VRS, but it can be stated later. As seen above, it is not the salary bill of the employees but the decline in revenue is the reason for the loss. The government or management has no plan to increase the revenue. It is only trying to reduce the expenditure on wage bill, which is a direct attack on the workers. By the way, the ratio of the wages of the top management officer and the worker at the lowest scale has increased from 6-7 % to 10-15%.

Let us expose the vicious propaganda being spread by the management and tell the facts to the workers.

Today I got the opportunity to interact with one of the top telecom union leaders of Bangladesh. In the morning, I got a call from Brother Md.Mozammel Haque Siddikki, Joint Secretary General of the Bangladesh T&T Sramik Karmachari Federal Union – CBA, stating that he is in Delhi and would like to meet me. Accordingly, I went to the Hotel Surya in the New Friends Colony to meet him. We had interaction for about two hours over a cup of tea or rather two cups of tea.

Brother Siddikki  has come to Delhi as part of a team of the Bangladesh Telecommunications Company Limited (BTCL) to have some discussions with the managements of BSNL and MTNL on certain important issues. He is a Sub-Asst. Engineer, in BTCL.  The team held discussions with the MTNL and BSNL on 15th December.

Just like in India, the Telecommunications Department in Bangladesh was corporatised, but in to three corporations. One is  BTCL, which is the landline company. Another company is the Bangladesh Submarine Cable co. Ltd, which is a cable company. And the third is the Teletalk Bangladesh Lt. which is the mobile company. In the BTCL there are about 10,000 regular employees and about 4000 casual employees. He was interested to know how the pension of the BSNL absorbed employees is stipulated. I told him about the Rule-37A as well as the pension revision of pre-2006 absorbees, achieved through sustained struggles. Other issues also were discussed. We agreed to be continuous contact and co-ordination.

It was a pleasant meeting. I hope the connection between BSNLEU and the Bangladesh Union will continue.

Today morning I got a call from Comrade Kun Wardana Abyoto, Director of Telecom & IBITS Sector, UNI Apro inviting me to attend the 4th South Asian Employees’ Unions Council Meeting at Kathmandu on 20th and 21st  December. Although the invitation was in the last-minute, I agreed to attend since the co-ordination of Telecom Unions world over is an important matter. He sent me a mail with details also.

Hence I will be leaving for Kathmandu in the evening of 19th and will return by the night of 21st.  It will be an opportunity to hear about the situation in other countries and also to inform the situation in India to them.

Chief Labour Commissioner, who was present at the time of the meeting of the Joint Action Committee with Regional Labour Commissioner has intimated that he is fixing a meeting of the BSNL Management, JAC and also DOT to discuss the strike issues at 1100 hours on 22nd December 2011. The formal notice is to be issued. It was also suggested that senior officers who will be able to take decisions may be deputed by the management.

It was most unexpected. The JAC had expected that the workers in NTR and Corporate office will strike work, but was doubtful about the percentage, because of past experience. At about 10.00 hours when the office was opening it seemed that the response may not be very high. The leaders and striking workers sat near the entrance and raised slogans on the demand of the strike. Then we shifted to the main entrance of the office. Gradually the number of workers started increasing. Hundreds of executives and non-executives gathered increasing the number every minute. Myself and other leaders of the JAC – Comrades Prahlad Rai (AIBSNLEA), Asokababu(BSNLEU),G.L.Jogi(SNEA),Suresh Kumar(BSNLMS),Hari Singh(BTU BSNL) and others – addressed and there was huge applause to the speeches. The Circle secretaries of unions in corporate office deserves appreciation for their effort in bringing a large number of workers on the strike.

I then went to the eastern Court. A large number of striking workers had gathered there. Along with the striking workers from Kidway Bhawan (NTR CGO HQ), the comrades from Eastern Court also reached the Corporate office under the leadership of Comrade R.S.Chouhan, Circle Secretary, NTR circle. More than thousand workers gathered in front of the corporate office. Comrade O.P.Gupta, also reached and addressed the workers.

The announcement and fiery slogans by Comrade V.P.Singh was re=echoed by the participants. The lack of response from the management irritated the workers. It was decided that the leaders will sit in front of the chamber of CMD to express strong protest at not even calling the JAC by CMD even after the strike notice was given. Accordingly myself, JAC Convener, and all available General Secretaries sat in front of CMD’s room. CMD came out of his room and immediately invited for discussion.

The discussion took a long time. CMD expressed his inability in settlement of the issues, but the JAC was firm on its demands.  The meeting ended with out any settlement. But the CMD understood that the JAC was very serious and will not compromise on any of the demands.

The demonstration and strike continued till the closure of the office. In between we attended the meeting called by the RLC. There also there was no settlement. BUt the CLC also reached there and fixed the next meeting on 22nd December 2011.

It is said that the strike is the festival of the workers in their march ahead. It was indeed true with today’s strike in Delhi. My greetings and thanks to the leaders and workers of NTR and Corporate Office who made the strike a big success.

During the meeting with the Chief Labour Commissioner today in connection with the strike issue, I pointed out to him about the inhuman exploitation of the casual and contract labour engaged in BSNL. Though orders have been issued by the government and BSNL corporate office with regard to the minimum wage, EPF, ESI etc. nothing is being implemented at the local levels. In many places the labour who are engaged for years together are being retrenched on the issue that minimum wage is to be paid. There are about 4000 casual labours who are eligible for regularisation, but not yet regularised.

CLC has agreed to meet the  BSNL Casual and Contract Workers Federation shortly on these issues. Circle Unions of Casual and Contract workers Federation may immediately intimate all details on the above issues either to me or to Comrade Tapas Ghosh, General Secretary in this connection.

The one day strike today, 15th December 2011, by BSNL workers was a magnificent success. Throughout  the country, more than 95% workers participated in this crucial strike. In many circles, all offices including that of CGM was closed without any body attending office. Many CGMs could not attend office. Workers in hundreds demonstrated in front of offices. Thousands of workers held demonstrations in major cities like Kolkata, Chennai, Mumbai, Hyderabad, Bangalore etc. In Corporate office, Delhi for the first time fthousands of agitated workers demonstrated and almost blocked the entire office. JAC has congratulated the workers for the excellent strike giving a stern warning to the management that if the issues are not settled, there will further struggles including indefinite strike. Reports poured from all circles about maximum participation in the strike. FNTO officially kept away from the strike, but in many places their members joined the strike, well knowing the strike is for genuine demands and that united struggle is of utmost importance.

The Casual and Contract workers all over India as per the call of the BSNL Casual and Contract Workers Federation fully participated in the strike, despite the fact that their issues were not in the strike notice. They very well understood that unless BSNL exists, their work also will not be there.

The BSNL DOT pensioners as per the call of the All India BSNL DOT Pensioners Association participated in the demonstrations and gave solidarity and support  to the strike

We thank both the BSNLCCWF and AIBDPA for their support and solidarity to the strike.

In the corporate office the JAC leaders sat down in front of the CMD’s room expressing the anger of the workers in not settling the issues. CMD came out and invited to discuss the issues. It is to be noted that not even a meeting was called by the CMD earlier on the strike demands. Only Director(HR) met the JAC and discussed without any result. The report from all over India and the huge demonstrations in front of the corporate Office made the CMD to meet the leaders. There was no settlement in the meeting, but it was clear that the management was on the defensive.

The Regional Labour Commissioner called the JAC leaders in the afternoon. JAC leaders told the RLC that since the issue is of an all India nature the meeting is more appropriate in the presence of the Chief Labour Commissioner. Within minutes the Chief Labour Commissioner came on his own. He chided the management representatives for not intimating them about the strike in advance. JAC leaders wanted the DOT officers also in the meeting. Accordingly next meeting has been fixed by the CLC in his office at 1100 hours on 22nd December, when we intimated the CLC that the next meeting of the JAC on 21st December may take further programmes of action including indefinite strike.

In the Parliament questions were given notice of by Comrade Shyamal Chakroborty, Basudebacharya and other leaders, but could not be taken due to the house being adjourned.  However, the Minister was fully aware and it is understood that he had contacted DOT and CLC and enquired why it is not settled. This had  an important impact.

Chennai CGM got 15 comrades arrested in connection with the strike. JAC strongly reacted on the matter with CMD, who took immediate action and the workers were got released.

It is noteworthy that the Central trade Unions like CITU, AITUC as also All India Federations like Confederation of Central Govt. Employees, NFPE, AIIEA, BEFI, AIDEF , AISGEF and others gave solidarity and support. JAC expresses its thanks to all of them.

Dear Comrades, this strike is historic in that it consolidated all section of workers including Executives and Non-Executives and brought the issues on the financial viability of BSNL, the immediate repatriation of ITS officers, Bonus, 78.2% IDA fixation, opposition to VRS, restoration of LTS, encashment of leave, medical allowance etc.

The struggle is not over. It has started with vigour. The meeting of the JAC on 21st December will review the situation and plan the next step to ensure that the demands of the workers are achieved at the earliest.

Once again, congratulation to all workers and comrades! Unity for struggle and Struggle for Unity and Unity and Struggle  for the advancement of the workers is our motto! We shall March ahead, We shall win!

Inquilab Zindabad!

The sustained struggle of the Insurance workers under the leadership of AIIEA against the increase in FDI from 26%  had its result. The Parliamentary Standing Committee examining the Bill moved in the Parliament has recommended that any increase in FDI will endanger the interest of the policy holders and will be a breach of the assurance given by the government in the Parliament earlier that the FDI cap in Insurance  will not be increased.

Congratulations to Insurance workers.

Three and half Lakhs of BSNL workers, executives and Non-Executives will  resort to a complete strike on 15th December 2011 on the very important issues of the BSNL and its workers. The struggle is spear-headed by the Joint Action Committee of BSNL Associations/Unions. BSNLWA headed by NFTE has also joined the strike. The Graduate Engineers Association has given full moral support.  The All India BSNL DOT Pensioners Association has declared full support and solidarity to the strike and will participate in the demonstration etc. BSNL Casual and Contract Workers Federation has called upon their members to go on strike along with regular employees. It is only FNTO which is opposing the strike due to  flimsy  and on parochial grounds. But in many places even members of FNTO will join the strike.

The issues focussed in the strike are most important to the workers and BSNL itself. The Government and the management has utterly failed to settle the issues. Hence the strike.

Make it a complete success. Let it be a warning to the Government and the management. Let them not sleep over the justified issues of the workers. Today or tomorrow they will be compelled to settle the issues due to our struggle. March ahead with confidence.