29 Wednesday Feb 2012
Posted in Telecom
Communications Minister, Kapil Sibal has stated that 4G spectrum will be auctioned by the end of this year 2012. He also stated that there is dearth of spectrum for auction after the spectrum is released by the Defence. He was addressing a meeting at Mobile World Congress, Barcelonia.
The people of the country only will hope that the auction should not be like 2G auction. Let the auction be conducted in a clear and transparent way.
29 Wednesday Feb 2012
Posted in BSNL - Better Service to the Nation
The conciliation meeting called by the Chief Labour Commissioner Delhi to discuss the 15th December Strike issues which was scheduled to be held on 1st March 2012 has been postponed as per information received from the CLC. The next date will be intimated later.
29 Wednesday Feb 2012
Com. A.K.Padmanabhan, President, CITU and closely connected with the BSNL TU movement has affirmed strongly in the ‘Face-off’ column in the Economic Times today, 29th June that contract Labour should be made permanent in a very convincing way with facts and figures. The article is reproduced in the bsnleu website. The trade unions have all along bee demanding the same.
29 Wednesday Feb 2012
Posted in PSU
More than 10 crore workers went on strike nation-wide on 10 major demands including against privatisation/disinvestment of PSUs. Even before the strike was over, the government, on the same day, announced that 5% shares of the Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) will be disinvested with a target of Rs. 12,400 crore from the sale. The present stake of the government in ONGC is 74.14 %, which will come down to 69.14 % after the sale.
The Government fixed a target of Rs. 40,000 crore from the sale of shares this financial year 2011-12, but only Rs. 22,144 crore could be achieved. Hence the urgency and madness to sell the shares of ONGC.
The Central Trade Unions have to react sharply at this offensive.
29 Wednesday Feb 2012
Posted in BSNL - Better Service to the Nation
< a href=”http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/todays-paper/tp-info-tech/article2943782.ece?textsize=large&test=1″ title=”Large Text Size” >T+</a> · <a href=”http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/todays-paper/tp-info-tech/article2943782.ece?textsize=small&test=2″ title=”Small Text Size” I am reproducing an article in Business Line for information
Kerala tops in wire connection; Congratulations to BSNL
The major beneficiary of this is the State-owned Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd (BSNL) as Kerala accounts for nearly 15 per cent of its fixed-line subscribers.
According to the figures available with the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India, Kerala had 30.78 lakh BSNL connections as on January 31, leaving behind States such as Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka.
Compared to other States, Dr P.T. Mathew (Principal General Manager, Kochi) said, most of cables laid all over Kerala are by BSNL; the company has made 75 per cent of the coverage here. This has enhanced the quality of service compared to other operators. Another reason he cited for the demand is the quality of speech on landlines compared to mobile phones. This has benefited senior citizens.
Demands on the humble land phone have grown after the advent of the IT revolution. As optical fibre has enabled access to data and broadband connectivity to every home, the profile of the land phone has changed in Kerala. This was mainly spurred by the high literacy rate in the State. With the State having the highest number of BSNL landline connections, where else would the customer look for a broadband connection.
Even spread
While private players are more entrenched in the cities, BSNL landlines have a significant presence across the State — in the rural pockets, towns and cities. And with high literacy being a universal feature across the state, there is strong demand for broadband connectivity in both towns and villages.
Dr Mathew said that BSNL has a broadband penetration of around 18 per cent across Kerala. Efforts are under way to enhance this to 25 per cent shortly. But what is fascinating about the Kerala story is that its broadband connectivity is not concentrated at the metros and large cities alone, but has spread out to the countryside as well.
The company is trying to provide more broadband connections, as the State had a 5.5-lakh subscriber base as on January 31.
The company is planning to add 50,000 more connections in the next fiscal. In its efforts to increase broadband connectivity, BSNL is in the process of laying “fibre to home” which would enable the subscriber to receive voice services as well as IPTV in high bandwidth. The target is to provide 15,000 connections in the next fiscal.
Mobile segment
On the mobile segment, he said the number portability has evoked good response in Kerala, enabling BSNL to add around 3.5 lakh customers from private operators. The mobile-phone subscriber base had touched 69 lakh as on January 31. The aim is to add another 15 lakh by next fiscal, he adde
28 Tuesday Feb 2012
Posted in BSNL - Better Service to the Nation
The next conciliation meeting on the issues raised in the 15th December strike will be held at 1100 hours on 1st March 2012 by the Chief Labour Commissioner at Shram Shakti Bhawan New Delhi. All the unions that gave strike notice will be participating in the meeting. BSNL management and DOT representatives will also participate.
28 Tuesday Feb 2012
Posted in TU News - India
The Left-backed Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU) has claimed that today’s nationwide strike was a success in West Bengal despite “attacks” on Left workers, leaders and journalists. Rejecting Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s claim that the strike had failed, CITU state President Shyamal Chakraborty said despite “state-sponsored threats”, people responded to the strike call. “Several Left workers were attacked and injured, while former minister Srikumar Mukherjee was heckled by the Trinamool Congressmen,” Chakraborty told reporters at Shramik Bhavan. The arrested included CPI(M) leader Narayan Biswas, Manik Sanyal and others, he said. “The success of the strike points to the eroding popularity of the Mamata Banerjee government, which rode to power with an overwhelming majority,” he said. “We fail to understand why the administration was so scared of the strike that it had to issue a threat notice to its employees. “We condemn the oppressive measures of the state machinery and authoritarian attitude of the chief minister to foil the strike,” Chakraborty said. Claiming that the Chief Minister had given out wrong information, the CITU leader held that 85 per cent of jute mill workers joined the strike, followed by 82 per cent in coal mines, 65 per cent in steel plants, total strike in hosiery mills and 90 per cent in the IT industry, while tea gardens in North Bengal observed total strike. According to him, workers in some power generating plants did not report for duty causing lesser generation of 650 MW. He said five Jet Airways, 8 Air-India, 6 Spicejet flights were cancelled, while only 20 per cent of taxis and autorickshaws were on the roads. “Due to threats, some state-run buses plied, but there were less private buses which were later withdrawn,” he said. (Courtsey: Ganashakti)
28 Tuesday Feb 2012
Posted in TU News - India
The Polit Bureau of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) has issued the following statement:
The Polit Bureau of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) congratulates the millions of workers and employees throughout the country who have struck work and registered a strong protest against the neo-liberal economic policies being pursued by the UPA government.
The call for the strike was given by the united platform of all Central trade unions. This is the first joint strike call by all the Central trade unions and the all India Federations of employees in various sectors. Reports indicate that over ten crore workers and employees participated in the strike.
The general strike was a huge success in the banking, telecom, defence, insurance, mining, transport, insurance, various public sector units, central and state government offices and departments. Shops and markets remained closed in various places. In many places in West Bengal, Jammu and Kashmir and Assam, the striking workers had to brave brutal attacks by the police and also large scale arrests. Besides police attacks, the striking workers in West Bengal had to face severe physical attacks by hoodlums let loose by the ruling TMC.
The strike call was given to demand among other things concrete measures to contain price rise; strict enforcement of labour laws; universal social security cover for the unorganized sector workers; against disinvestment of PSUs etc.
The massive response to the strike should serve as a warning to the government that the working people and their unions would not accept such indifference and neglect lying down and they will further intensify their struggle if their basic demands are not addressed. The unity and militancy displayed during this strike should be carried forward for bringing in alternative policies.
28 Tuesday Feb 2012
Posted in BSNLEU, P&T TU History
On 22nd of March 2014, BSNL Employees Union will be completing 13 years. Formed on 22nd March 2001 at the National Convention of Telecom Employees at Visakhapatnam, called by the progressive unions in the newly formed BSNL, BSNLEU during the last 13 years have grown to become as the biggest union. It was the only recognised and representative union in BSNL since the second Membership Verification in 2004 to 2013, till it took initiative for grant of recognition to a second union also.
During the last 13 years of its existence, BSNLEU has been able to achieve two wage agreements for the employees, a new Promotion Policy as also many other achievements. It has taken the lead fight against disinvestment and privatisation and stopped the government from selling its share. It has taken initiative in forming the Joint Action Committee/Forum of the Associations/Unions of Executives and Non-Executives which has organised many struggles and strikes to save BSNL and improve its services as also on the demands of the workers. The workers have rallied around BSNLEU due to its sincere and committed functioning. It took initiative in forming the organisations for the Pensioners (AIBDPA) and Casual, Contract Workers (BSNLCCWF) and jointly fought for settling their issues. BSNLEU has also done its due role amongst the PSU Unions.
Another achievement of the union is the purchase of a new union office building at New Delhi at Shadipur area. The building has been purchased and was inaugurated on the BSNLEU Day, 22nd March 2012. The purchase could be made only due to the whole hearted support of the members throughout the country. The purchase was made by the balance amount in the union accounts and a loan of Rs. 1.5 crore from the bank. CHQ has called for further donations and we are sure that the members will donate generously again to repay the loan. By purchasing the building within 2 years of taking the decision in the Thiruvananthapuram All India Conference, CHQ has been able to fulfil the long cherished dream of the BSNL workers.
We have been celebrating the BSNLEU Day every year by organising some social service like blood donation camps, helping the poor school children by donating uniform and books, kambals and dresses to the poor and old etc. I have no doubt that our Branches/Districts will continue this social service this year also on the BSNLEU Day.
BSNLEU has grown to the present position only with the wholehearted support of our members and well wishers. We thank them and congratulate them ! Let us observe the BSNLEU Day in a befitting manner.
28 Tuesday Feb 2012
Posted in General
There has been strong protests from Indian Sports and other sections for dropping the Dow Chemicals from the sponsorship of the London Olympics for the massive Bhopal tragedy and the responsibility of Dow Chemicals in the same. But the government was keeping a studied silence. At last, the government has also demanded that it should be removed from the sponsorship. The government has asked the International Olympics Committee to cancel the sponsorship for the sake of the ideals of human rights as thousands have lost their lives in the Bhopal tragedy and several more continue to suffer the side-effects.
We completely support the present stand of the government and demand it that the issue should be taken very strongly and effectively so that the killer Dow Chemicals is shunted out.
VAN Namboodiri's Blog 