Monthly Archives: January 2014

Attention of BSNLCCWF Circle/SSA Secretaries

03 Friday Jan 2014

Posted by in BSNLCCWF - Casual and Contract workers

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Dear Comrades,
BSNLCCWF CHQ is not having all the required information about the Circle/SSA Union with the Regd. Name of the Union, name of Circle/SSA Secretary, phone numbers etc.
To enable the CHQ to communicate with the circle/SSA unions effectively, Circle/SSA Secretaries are requested to intimate the following information urgently to Com. Tapas Ghosh, Secretary General,BSNLCCWF, KG Bose Smriti Bhawan, 20-A, Adwaita Mullick Lane, Kolkata- 700006 and also to Com.V.A.N.Namboodiri, President, BSNLCCWF, D-7, Telegraph Place, Gole Market, New Delhi -110001.
1. Name of the Circle Union and Regd. No, if any.
2. Name Circle/SSA Secretary, Address and telephone number.
3. Number of members in Circle/SSA
4. Main issues like non-payment of minimum wage, non-implementation of EPF/ESI, non-regularisation, victimisation if any etc.
5. Details of agitation conducted etc.
6. Other details, if any.

This may be treated as urgent.

Yours comradely,
Tapas Ghosh
Secretary General BSNLCCWF.

Form the Casual and Contract Workers Federation in each Circle/SSA

03 Friday Jan 2014

Posted by in BSNLCCWF - Casual and Contract workers

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The casual and contract workers in BSNL are inhumanly exploited is a well known fact to all BSNL employees. Whether in the case of payment of Minimum Wages decided by the Government, or implementation of social security measures like EPF/ESI or regularisation of casual workers – utter disregard is shown by the management. It is only through sustained struggles by the BSNL Employees Union and BSNL Casual and Contract Workers Federation that some improvement has come . But there is a lot much more to be done to get justice to these exploited workers.
One of them is to make the workers understand their own rights. BSNLCCWF has published a book on the issues of Casual and Contract workers in BSNL, copies of which are available with CHQ. Get a copy and study the issues, so that they can be taken up with the local management.
Secondly, and most important, is the formation of the BSNL Casual and Contract Workers Federation (BSNLCCWF) in each and every Circle/SSA. There are still a few circles and many SSAs where the union is to be formed. BSNLEU Circle / SSA Secretaries have to take the responsibility to organise the CC workers and to form the union. They should also take responsible posts in the organisation so that discussion with the management etc.can be done effectively.
We can not have such inhuman exploitation in BSNL.BSNLEU and BSNLCCWF are committed to put an end to this and ensure all the benefits to these exploited workers.

Don’t cancel the Waiting List, Wipe out them by providing connections

03 Friday Jan 2014

Posted by in BSNL - Better Service to the Nation

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As per reports received from many SSAs at the time of my visits there, it is reliably learnt that the BSNL Management is cancelling the Waiting List for landline telephones after one month or so, recording that it is not feasible to provide the same. Hundreds of applicants are denied connections this way in each SSA.
It is true that there may not be cable lines laid to that particular area or stores may not be available with the SSA etc. But cancelling the Waiting List is not the remedy. It is a negative action, which BSNL should not do.
BSNL is the telecom PSU fully owned by the Government. The policy of the government is to provide connections through out the country, both in urban and rural areas, even to the remotest and interior parts. The private telecom companies are only interested in profits and not in connectivity all over the country. That is the job of BSNL. Profit is important, so is full connectivity.
When DOT was the only telecom service provider, the applications for telephone connections were pending for years, due to lack of equipment, funds and infrastructure. When funds,equipment, infrastructure etc. became available connections were provided. There was no arbitrary cancellation of the waiting list by the DOT. It is not understood that on what basis the BSNL field units are cancelling the waiting lists. The BSNL Corporate Office does not give give a clear answer why such negative actions are being taken.
Any institution / organisation which wants to grow and be of service to the people does not not act this way. It thinks positive, act positive. Then only there will be growth, progress. BSNL has to think, plan and act only on this line.If cables have not been laid, plan for laying cables. If equipment are not available, purchase/obtain them. That is the job of Management. Workers are ready to work.
In the present circumstance of BSNL, the employees/workers are not only to do the work ordered by the higher ups, but have the responsibility to think, find out ways to improve/expand the services and pressurise the management to proceed in the matter. Discussions with the Management and taking correct decisions are important. The Works Committee is a suitable forum.
As far as this particular issue of cancelling the Waiting List of applicants for land line telephones is concerned, the union should press the management to keep the same pending and find out concrete ways to provide the connections as early as possible. Land lines are most important to BSNL for its growth. Private telecom companies / corporates have already started pressurising the government to put an end to the landline connections, as it has done in the case of Telegraph services, stating that the mobile connections only are required in the present scenario. Putting an end to land lines will lead towards the end of BSNL. That is why the corporates are on the move to see the end of landlines.
The union at Circle/SSA levels should take up the issue seriously with field level management and ensure that the waiting list is wiped out by providing the connections. That is the positive way to act.
BSNL FOR BETTER SERVICE TO THE NATION.

Change of Standard Time for Assam/North East States

03 Friday Jan 2014

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It is reported that Assam Govt. is proposing to change the Standard Time  one hour earlier than the Indian Standard Time, which is based on the time of a location in UP near Lucknow/Varanasi. The reason for the proposed change  is that the sun rises before 0
5.00 AM in the NE states and sets by  05.00 PM one hour earlier than IST.
This issue has benefits as well as complications.
A detailed discussion is necessary in the matter to arrive at the correct decision.

Contractual Workers in Delhi Government to be Regularised – Why not in BSNL?

02 Thursday Jan 2014

Posted by in BSNLCCWF - Casual and Contract workers

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It is one of the promise of the AAP – Regularisation of the contractual workers in government.
While speaking on the Confidence Vote in Delhi Assembly, AAP Minister Manish Sisodia stated the AAP government wants to regularise the contractual workers, working for the Government of Delhi.
We, BSNL CCWF, heartily welcome this statement. We hope that the AAP Government will fulfill it.
The BSNL Management have been denying the demand of the Regularisation of Casual workers in BSNL on the plea of a Supreme Court verdict. All the Central Govt. ministries and PSUs have regularised their workers. Now the Delhi State Government is going to regularise its workers.
What about the regularisation of the casual workers of BSNL who have been faithfully serving DOT and then BSNL?
Let us mobilise the entire casual and contract workers and force the BSNL management to regularise us! Today or tomorrow we are certain to win!

Sharp Increase on LPG – This attack should STOP

02 Thursday Jan 2014

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The price of the LPG Cylinders has been increased by Rs.220 making the price at Rs. 1,241 in Delhi. More or less is the situation in other states. This increase is completely unjustified. The UPA II government is justifying the increase by the oil companies on the plea of increase in international prices.

The UPA will have to pay a big price for this attack on the people. Remember, 2014 is the year of general election!

Are the telecom scraps still unsold in your SSA?

02 Thursday Jan 2014

Posted by in BSNL - Better Service to the Nation

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Telecom is a fast growing industry, with technological changes taking place continuously. Within about seven-eight decades, the telephone technology has changed from magneto to CB, auto, electronic and so on. The telephone and telegraph posts which one could see through out the city/town and on the roads to villages standing like sentinels are no more there. The large auto exchanges which can cover space of for more than two badminton courts, with continuous noise of the rotating switches have vanished. The foundry items for the fixing of posts are no more required. These are all dumped somewhere in the stores rooms or in the compound. Pieces of the copper/iron wires which are unusable are also there. Telephone posts of all varieties, old generators, batteries, faulty telephone equipments and such other unusable equipment are all dumped in the large store-rooms or are sprawled over the vacant spots in the exchange/office compound.
In the case of the Telecom Factories and Telecom Stores, the situation is much more worse. The compounds of the TFs, having space of thirty- forty acres, even up to more than hundred, are all full of the scrap materials, which are no more useful. Zinc ash and other such chemical waste are also hazards of health to the workers.
These scraps are to be sold. Not only the company will get a good amount, but the exchange/office and premises will become clean and neat. Each and every SSA may get lakhs or even crores of rupees from the sale of these scraps. The Forum of BSNL Unions/Associations has been demanding he management to sell these scraps at the earliest and get good money. In those SSAs, where it was sold, lakhs and crores have been received according to the stock and condition of the stores. But in the majority SSAs, TFs and Stores, these are yet to be sold. Of course, the usual process of tender etc. will have to be processed. But sufficient time is already passed.
Let the Forum/BSNLEU take the lead in discussing the matter with the local management and ensure that the scraps are sold without any further delay, so that good money is received for the financially troubled company.

Zero Tolerance for Pesky Calls – TRAI takes action

02 Thursday Jan 2014

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It was intolerable. Continuous pesky calls from many companies, business concerns etc. as part of their advertisement strategy. I used to get at least four-five every day, which was a nuisance. Now it has been reduced to a random one or two in a week.
Today newspaper reports indicates that actually the pesky calls have come down because of the stern action taken by the TRAI. According to statement of the TRAI Advisor A.Robert Jerard Ravi, as reported in the press, more than Rs. 2.15 crore penalty was imposed on the guilty telemarketers in the last four months alone and the pesky calls have come down to about 11,000 from the earlier 50,000 a month. It is reported that about 9 lakh telecom resources were also disconnected.
So far so good. But this menace of pesky calls have to be put down. Zero Tolerance in this matter is required.

Another attack on Telecom PSUs – ‘Do away with Land Lines’

02 Thursday Jan 2014

Posted by in BSNL News

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In an Editorial captioned “Persisting with those Phoney Connections”, The Economic Times dated 2nd January 2014 has stated that it is high time that the land line connections are done away with. It states that the land line telephone ” If any thing is a symbol of old culture of scarcity and elitism in India” and ” It remains largely a government monopoly and, in today’s world, should be counted as a dispensable luxury” in view of the large scale availability of mobile phones, which ” rarely go on the blink and need not be repaired by bribing slothful linemen.” The Editorial concludes with the sentence that ” cutting this mandatory connection to the land line phone can perhaps be considered as an aam aadmi-friendly gesture to ring in the new year.”
This is part of the sinister attack by the corporates and private telcos against the telecom PSUs, BSNL and MTNL. Despite maximum efforts, the private companies could not take away the prominent position of BSNL and MTNL in land lines and Broadband connections. A good part of the revenue of these PSUs come from the above business. The MNCs and corporates want to destabilise the PSUs in one way or other and completely capture the markets, so that they can form cartels and raise the tariff to very high levels to maximise their profits unethically as is being done by the private electricity companies. They want to destroy the telecom PSUs completely. The above mentioned Editorial is part of this diabolical plan.
The land line is not a luxury. It is a necessity. It is a fixed part of the home, the office and any other establishment which can be contacted. it is not necessarily based on individual, but is part of the institution. Broadband connections are provided through the land line connections. The documents connected with landlines are proof of residence etc. Even in developed countries, the landlines exist in a big way. It is not a status symbol but a matter of necessity in the present state of affairs.

The BSNL/MTNL Management as well as the workers have to be fully aware of this new attack and counter the same to save BSNL/MTNL.

LIC is far ahead of private Insurance Companies.

02 Thursday Jan 2014

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Life Insurance Corporation (LIC), the Public Sector Insurance company, is far ahead of its competitors in the volume of business, subscriber satisfaction, % of settled cases and so on. This has once again been proved from the latest statistics of the regulator.
The Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority (IRDA) in its latest Annual Report has confirmed this. LIC had higher claim settlement, fewer lapses and no penalty at all. In the volume of business it continues to hold the first position with more than 74% market share.
The claim settlement ratio in LIC increased from 97.42% to 97.73% in 2012-13 from 2011-12. The rejection of claims were reduced from 1.30% to 1.12%.
In the case of private companies, the claim settlement is from 89.34% to 88.65% in the same period. The rejection of claims increased from the earlier 7.82% to 7.85%.
The policy lapse in LIC is 5.6% while in the private companies, it is as high as 17% to 42%.
There are other parameters also in most of which, LIC is far above the private insurance companies.
My Hearty Congratulations to the LIC Management and the workers who have sustained the growth of the PSU and given the best service to its policy holders! I also congratulate the All India Insurance Employees Association (AIIEA) which had always been spearheading the movement for a better service to the Nation!