Monthly Archives: June 2012

The rise of the people of the Caribbeans

16 Saturday Jun 2012

Posted by in History

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The people of Caribbean Islands have been the victims of the brutal exploitation by the colonial powers, mainly Spain,  for  the last  500 years or so. The ‘finding’ of the ‘new world’ by Christopher Columbus during the 1490 started this inhuman exploitation for Gold, Sugar and Slave. Thousands were made slaves, those who opposed were hanged or burnt  and  the females sexually exploited. This continued for a long period of five centuries till one after another these countries won independence through hard and sustained struggles. Victory of the Cuban Revolution in 1959 was a big step forward. By the time USA has taken over the remote control of many of these tiny islands  through force and tactics. Socialist Cuba was isolated by the imperialist countries, mainly USA.

However, during the last 10 years, there has been a new awakening in the Caribbean countries and governments against imperialism are being elected one after another in these countries. This is a big step forward.

This change is to be welcomed by the entire progressive forces all over the world.

 

Workers appreciate the strike agreement

16 Saturday Jun 2012

Posted by in BSNL - Better Service to the Nation

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The response from the workers  for the 13th June strike agreement is very encouraging. The workers are fully aware of the benefits that will accrue from the agreement  and hence the satisfaction. We thank the workers for the appreciation.

Now it is the time to act to save BSNL

16 Saturday Jun 2012

Posted by in BSNL - Better Service to the Nation

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The intense pressure put  on the BSNL management for the last two years by BSNLEU/JAC  for procurement of equipments has started bearing fruits. The first instalments of  Clip instruments have already been supplied to the circles. It is the same case with the cables. Purchase order has been issued by the Corporate Office for Broadband Modems. it is the same with the GSM lines. Drop wires are available in the BSNL Telecom Factories as also the Towers. It can be ordered directly by the Circles/SSAs. All these may not be sufficient in full to the requirement, but is a starting point, where there was no supply at all.

This opportunity has to be utilised at the maximum by the workers and the Unions/Associations should give the lead in the matter. First ensure that the Circle/SSA head take delivery of the supply of equipment at the earliest without any delay. If the supply is at circle level, pressure should be put on the SSA management to bring it quickly without any delay. The Work Committee should meet immediately and how the equipments should be utilised  and development should take place on priority should be discussed with the executives and non-executives of the SSA. Motivation to be given to the workers. Maximum co-operation between management and workers. Every week, the progress report should be discussed and any difficulty to be removed. Maximum publicity to tb given in the media/press in this connection.

In all these, the union leaders should take a pivotal role. Any difficulty may be informed to the higher bodies. It is one opportunity to the BSNL to bring back the organisation to its past glory.

The JAC/All India Unions have to continue its pressure on continued supply of the equipments according to the requirement.

Please help to reply to comments

16 Saturday Jun 2012

Posted by in General

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This is a personal blog and I want to reply or explain to the comments from the visitors to this blog. It is a pleasure. But certain comments I am unable to publish and reply since these are abusive, vulgar etc. and will hurt the sentiments of hundreds of friends and well wishers who are visiting the blog. Such comments  does not affect me  in any way, but will adversely reflect on the commentator. That is another reason for not publishing the same. It is  for their benefit only that such comments are not published.

The Management has to move fast

15 Friday Jun 2012

Posted by in BSNL - Better Service to the Nation

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The agreement signed between the Forum of BSNL Unions/Associations and the BSNL Management has to be implemented in full and without any delay. Since it is necessary that the Board approval is required for grant of 78.2% IDA Merger with pay, the management should take immediate steps to hold the meeting of the BSNL Board immediately and ensure that the same is adopted. The NE-12 pay scale agreed by the Management has been unduly delayed and it should also be adopted in the Board meeting. The Management, especially the CMD should ensure that both the above are adopted by an early held Board Meeting.

All India Conference of BSNLEU in September 2012

15 Friday Jun 2012

Posted by in Uncategorized

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The CHQ of BSNLEU has already announced the dates of it s All India Conferece. The AICwill be held at Ludhiana in Punjab from 25th to 28th Septemeber 2012. CEC may be held on 24th. The immediate task of the Branches/SSAs is to conduct the elections for delegates to the AIC as per the provisions of the constitution and reserve tickets for them. There is acute difficulty for getting reservation and it is better that the same are booked at the earliest.

The President Election

14 Thursday Jun 2012

Posted by in General

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All the main news for a few days are about the election to the post of President only. The election has become the talking point in the political circle due to the different opinions in the political parties, both in the ruling party as well as the opposition. In between, the name of the Prime Minister Dr.Manmohan Singh also came up,suggested by Madame Mamata and Mulayam Singh Yadav. The press says it is M2, viz. Mulayam and Mamata. But it is actually M3, with Mulayam, Mamata and Manmohan Singh. But the third M will not like to be ‘elevated’ from PM to President, since it will be an elevation technically only, since as everybody knows, it will be a shift from powerful position to a ceremonial position.

It can be in Russia, interchanging of posts of President and Prime Minister. It is different in India. But the message that has gone through the country is that the allies like Mamata and Mulayam has lost confidence in the Prime Minister. This will be a serious embarrassment to both Dr.Manmohan Singh as well as Congress.

But the main question is who will be the final nominee of Congress, whether Pranab Mukherjee or Hamid Ansari?Let us wait a few days more.

BSNL employees achieve major gain. Indefinite strike deferred- Press Report

13 Wednesday Jun 2012

Posted by in BSNL - Better Service to the Nation

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New Delhi, June 13: The indefinite strike of the BSNL employees, which was scheduled to start from  13-06-2012, has been deferred following an agreement reached between  the Forum of BSNL Unions & Associations and the BSNL Management. In the agreement that was signed on 12-06-2012, the BSNL Management has  agreed to settle the long pending demand of the employees, i.e. 78.2% IDA fixation.
It is the decision of the government that the wage revision of the Public Sector employees w.e.f. 01-01-2007 should be done by merging the Industrial Dearness Allowance up to 78.2% with the basic pay. However, in BSNL the wage revision was done by merging only 68.8% of the IDA with the basic pay. The employees have rightly been demanding that this injustice should be undone. The BSNL Management did not accept the demand on the plea that the Company is running into loss.
In the meanwhile, on 25-05-2012, the Management issued an order, granting all the 6th Central pay Commission recommended allowances to the ITS officers, who are on deputation to BSNL from government service. This  will create a heavy burden  on the financial position of the company. Inspite of that this decision was taken, since the Management is dominated by the ITS officers, who are on deputation.
Naturally, the employees also demanded that their major demands including 78.2% IDA fixation should be settled.  Forum of BSNL Unions & Associations, issued notice on 29-06-2012 for indefinite strike from 13-06-2012. The BSNL Management, instead of settling the demand, played a diversionary tactics. It kept the order revising the allowances of the ITS officers under abeyance and requested the Forum of BSNL Unions & Associations to call off it’s strike. However, the Forum was determined to go ahead with the struggle, which forced the Management to come forward for a settlement. An agreement is reached in the evening of 12-06-2012. Management agreed to do wage revision, based on 78.2% IDA merger. In view of the deteriorating financial position of the Company, the Forum agreed to defer the arrears payment, till the company’s financial position improves. Based on this, the strike call has been deferred. (INN)

Root out the corruption in BSNL

13 Wednesday Jun 2012

Posted by in Corruption

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P&T Department was once the most efficient and non-corrupt department of the Government of India. But now, it can not be said of BSNL which was bifurcated from P&T in to Telecom and then in to BSNL. It has become one of the most corrupt if you consider  the large number of  vigilance cases against its employees, mostly top-level officers. The latest is the reported case against  the Chief General Manager of Calcutta Telecom Factory.

The so-called reforms on the lines of neo-liberalisation policy, the fast growing telecom sector, the entry of the profit motivated private companies as also the formation of BSNL from government to public sector along are some of the reasons which have increased the corruptions in BSNL. Outsourcing and contracts are breeding grounds for corruption. This opportunity is maximum utilised to the tilt by the corrupt minded  persons, jeopardising the future of the company itself. In the present society, when even the most respected are involved in corruptible practices, the corruption has lost its stigma. Accumulation of money has become the aim of the life for some.

How it can be fought? We have seen and are seeing that how the fight against corruption is weakened by the Government itself, which is expected to lead the same.

The time has come for  the workers of BSNL  to strengthen the fight against corruption, whether it is bribe taking from contractors / outsourcing, in the tenders etc. At the same time the exploitation of the contract workers, which is also a method of corrupt practice has to be stopped. A determined and committed workforce can do a lot to make the corrupt practices to be reduced, even if not complete eradication. However our aim should be zero toleration of corruption.

Immediate action required to supply equipments

13 Wednesday Jun 2012

Posted by in BSNL - Better Service to the Nation

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This drama has to end. On the one side, the CMD BSNL and corporate management assures that tenders have been finalised and Advance Purchasing Orders have been issued for telephone instruments, cables, GSM lines and that Purchasing Orders have been issued for Broadband Modems. But the report from the field levels indicates that none of them has reached so far. The workers are asking what is the meaning of the assurances and statements of the CMD and other top-level officers, if it is not implemented and made available at the required work spot.

The management has to pull its sleeves and start to do the work earnestly. The workers will fully support.