Monthly Archives: November 2012

The two days in Jharkhand

05 Monday Nov 2012

Posted by in BSNL News

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

I had been in Dhanbad and Hazaribagh on 3rd and 4th November in connection with the Central Executive Committee meeting of the BSNL Casual and Contract Workers Federation. I was inspired by the huge gathering in the open session of BSNL and casual/Contract workers numbering many hundreds in the small town of Hazaribagh coming from some other districts far away. The young comrades were full of confidence, commitment for the organisation and prepared to fight. Many of the contract workers are graduates, post graduates and well versed with many kinds of work. Their speeches were also well prepared and well delivered.

On the other side, I also saw the inefficiency and carelessness of the management. One exchange near , Isri Bazaar (Dumri) is not functioning for the last one month. Broadband service is also at a standstill. But the management is still sleeping. I visited the exchange while I was returning from Hazaribag along with Com. Naresh Lal Circle Secretary, Com. B.Narayana, All India Vice-President BSNLEU and other comrades. The exchange had about 1000 connections earlier and due to complete negligence, the connections have now gone down to 100 only. If the present position continues, even that subscribers may leave BSNL. The GM is fully aware of the serious condition, but no action and no result. Subscribers are suffering and BSNL is going down.

In the Hazaribag Road itself,  there is an exchange. It was situated in an ideal place for many years and was in a rental building. The rent was less, say, Rs. 700  and there was no problem. But a few years back, a portion of the same has been shifted to about 2 km away with out getting any benefit. In fact, the rent is about 10 times more than earlier. The entry to the owner’s residence is through the exchange. It is also reported that the owners electricty charges etc. is included in the exchange bill. CGM is fully aware of the same and has questioned the GM why this shifting and extra-expenditure. For years BSNL is making unjustified expense to suit somebody’s vested interests.

The message is clear. While the workers and the unions want to improve BSNL, certain people in the management are having vested interests and giving a bad name to the company and the workers.  In many of the SSAs, such waste and corruption is rampant. But there is nobody to look in to and take action. The union has to focus these issues and ensure better service to the people.

 

 

Open Session of BSNLCCWF at Hazaribag

04 Sunday Nov 2012

Posted by in BSNLCCWF - Casual and Contract workers

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

In continuation of the CEC meeting at Hazaribag, a massively attended open session was held on 4th November 2012. More than 400 comrades participated from all parts of Jharkhand, but mainly from the Dhanbad, Hazaribag area. The comrades have come even from about 200 kms away. The Open session was held in the conference hall of the Jain Dharmasala.

Com. Naresh Lal Circle Secretary, BSNLEU presided over the function. Com. Santhosh Kumar Puri welcomed the gathering. Com. K.R.Yadav, All India Vice-President, Santhosh Kumar, AGS, CCWF, Sudershan Singh DS BSNLEU Dhanbad, Ambika Prasad, DS Hazaribagh, A.K.Sharama, DS Ranchi, Krishna Singh ADS Jamshedpur,SinghYadav, DS BSNLCCWF Ranchi, Sharma, DS, Daltonganj, Bhola Mandal, DS, CCWF Hazaribagh, Munna prasad, ADS, Ranchi and other leaders spoke.

Com. V.A.N.Namboodiri, President BSNLEU and BSNLCCWF in his speech spoke about the main demands of the casual and contract workers and the efforts and agitations organised to achieve the same. He assured the house that the CHQ will untirely work for the settlement of the demands. He also briefed the house about the deliberations and the decisions taken yesterday.

The Open Session ended at about 1500 hours amidst shouting of slogans on the demands and the working class unity.

CEC Meeting of Casual and Contract Workers Federation at Hazaribad

04 Sunday Nov 2012

Posted by in BSNLCCWF - Casual and Contract workers

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

The Central Executive Committee meeting of BSNL Casual and Contract Workers Federation  held at Hazaribag, Jharkhand on 3-4 November 2012, has decided to go on agitational programmes to achieve the important demands of the workers. It has also decided to participate in the two days strike sponsored by the 11Central Trade Unions including CITU, AITUC, INTUC, BMS, HMS etc.

The Inaugural Session started  at 1100 hours on 3rd November, in the Jain Dharmasala in Hazaribag. Com. Naresh Lal, Circle secretary, BSNLEU, Jharkhand presided. A large number of workers including regular employees participated. Com. B.Narayan, Reception Committee Chairman and also All India Vice-President of BSNLEU welcomed all the participants. Com. V.A.N.Namboodiri, All India President  BSNLEU & BSNLCCWF inaugurated the CEC. In his speech he strongly opposed the anti-worker, anti-people policies of the government causing more and more miseries on the people and workers. The neo-liberal policies which benefits the rich and is completely against the interests of the poor has to be opposed and defeated. The UPA-II government has become completely corrupt. BSNLEU and other unions are making all efforts to make BSNL financially viable and also to provide better service to the people. The trade union movement in the country has called upon the workers to unitedly fight against the neo-liberal policies of the government resulting in spiralling price hike, high level corruption, anti-worker policies etc. We should join the agitational programme chalked out by the Central trade unions, including in the strike on 20-21 February 2013. He also called upon the entire workers in BSNL to give support and solidarity for achieving the just demands of the  more than one lakh casual and contract workers. Com. Sudama Pal, Circle secretary BSNLCCWF, Jharkhand and Secretary Reception Committee, proposed vote of thanks.

The CEC meeting was presided by Com.V.A.N.Namboodiri, All India President BSNLCCWF. Com. Tapas Ghosh Secretary General welcomed all. He presented the Report on Activities since the last AIC at Lucknow till now. Com. Tapos Banerjee, treasurer presented the Accounts. Both were adopted unanimously after discussion. Coms. Animesh Mitra, Dy. General Secretary, BSNLEU & Vice-President BSNLCCWF, K.R.Yadav, All India Vice-President of both BSNLEU & BSNLCCWF,  Naresh Lal, Circle Secretary, BSNLEU, Jharkhand and other leaders greeted the CEC meeting and explained the various demands of the Casual and Contract workers and called upon the workers to strengthen the organisation.

Serious discussion took place with regard to organisational mattes as also on the demands of the casual and contract workers. Coms. Sahdev Biswal, Circle Secretary, BSNLCCWF, Odisha Circle, Sudama Pal, Circle secretary Jharkhand, S.P.Tiwari, Circle Secretary, UP(E) circle, M.L.Patel, President, M.P.Circle, Santhosh Kumar, AGS, Om Prakash, Circle Secretary, Chhattisgarh, Akhilesh Banerjee, Circle Secretary, W.Bengal, Sankar Malakha, Circle Secretary, NE-!, Darshan Singh, Circle secretary, Punjab, Vikas Barua, Circle Secretary, Assam,Manoj Patel, DS, Dhanbad, Santhosh Kumar Puri, DS, Hazaribag, Birbal Prasad and other Participants addressed the houe and explained the conditions in their circles.

After detailed discussion the following decisions were taken by the CEC:

  1. On the main demands of the casual- contract workers a memorandum will be prepared and the same will be submitted at district/SSA levels on 12th December 2012 to all GMs and District Labour Commissioner/Regional Labour Commissioner/Asst.Labour Commissioner organising March with maximum participation.
  2. A March to CGM, BSNL will be organised in January 2013 on the above demands, the date for which will be decided by the Circle Union. A detailed Memorandum will be submitted to the CGM.
  3. The BSNL CCWF called upon all the casual and contract workers to participate in the 2days strike on 20-21 February 2012, callle by the Central trade Unions against price-rise, against disinvestment of PSUs, on issues of contract workers etc.
  4. The invitation for holding the next CEC meeting by Circle Secretary, Odish circle was accepted with thanks by the CEC. It is to be held by May 2013.
  5. Regular subscription should be collected from members and quota remitted to the Circle and CHQ regularly.
  6. The CHQ BSNLCCWF will publish a pamphlet both in Hindi and English for wide circulation.
  7. It was decided to start a website for the BSNLCCWF.

The subjects committee  will continue  tomorrow, 4th November 2012.

 

BSNL – MTNL Spectrum should be retained

02 Friday Nov 2012

Posted by in Telecom, Uncategorized

≈ Leave a comment

The proposal of the government to take away spectrum of more than 2.5 Mhz from the telecom companies and put it for auction for getting more revenue is welcome. But at the same time, the spectrum of more than 2.5Mhz from BSNL and MTNL should be retained with them. There is difference between the public and private companies. While the private companies are providing service for profit and more profits, the public sector is providing services as part of the government’s policy decisions for universal service without much looking in to the profit and loss matter. In this context,it is necessary that the spectrum allotted to BSNL and MTNL earlier should not be cut. It is to be retained with the PSUs.

Central Executive Committee of BSNL CCWF at Dhanbad

01 Thursday Nov 2012

Posted by in BSNLCCWF - Casual and Contract workers

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

The first Central Executive Committee of the BSNL Casual and Contract Workers Federation after the Lucknow AIC, is scheduled to be held at Dhanbad on 3rd November 2012. The period after the last AIC was tumultuous with continuous struggles in many SSAs against exploitation and minimum wages. Gains have been achieved in many centres and in some centres, victimisation and retrenchment has taken place. All this have to be reviewed and strategy and correct decisions taken in the CEC.

The Demands day organised by the BSNLEU on 1st November has enthused the Casual Contract workers and the struggles will be intensified with the solidarity and support of the regular employees.

Demands Day organised on Casual-Contract Labour Demands

01 Thursday Nov 2012

Posted by in BSNLCCWF - Casual and Contract workers

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

It is heartening news that the regular employees have taken the issue of the casual and contract workers and organised action programmes on their behalf. As per the call of the Ludhiana Conference of BSNLEU, the BSNL workers all over the country organised demonstrations and sent telegrams to the Prime Minister, Communications minister, Labour minister, secretary, DOT and CMD BSNL demanding settlement of the casual contract labour issues like, payment of minimum wage, implementation of social security measures, regularisation etc. In the Eastern Court in Delhi also a massive demonstration took place which was addressed by the All India leaders.

This effort should be continued with all our strength to ensure that these workers get justice and the exploitation is put an end to.