Monthly Archives: November 2014

Parliament Starts today – A Stormy Session?

25 Tuesday Nov 2014

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There is every chance that the Parliament Winter Session starting from 24 November 2014 will be a stormy one with the opposition parties determing to expose the BJP government on so many issues. A lot of legislative business is expected in this session, including the amendment to the Insurance Act, which will be strongly opposed. It is yet to be seen what will be the stand of Congress on this bill; Whether it will oppose or support, since the bill was first moved by the UPA government.

The TRAI, Telecom Companies pressure for release of more spectrum for auction

25 Tuesday Nov 2014

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The TRAI Chairman, the private telecom companies, the business community – all are putting much pressure on the government to release more spectrum of all bands  for the next auction. Their argument is that if more spectrum is not there, there will be stiff competition and the price will go up, resulting in increase of telecom services.  They are also putting pressure for getting the spectrum released from the government departments like defence and also BSNL. They are pointing to other countries, where more spectrum has been released for the private corporates.

All these arguments will seem logical. But India is different from developed countries. India is only a developing country, the regulatory process is at the initial stage and about 50 % of the people are below average income, say below poverty line. You can not compare this situation with the developed countries.

Further, once the valuable and limited spectrum are released and allotted to private companies, you will never be able to take it back, whether for defence purposes or for other government purposes. Security and national defence will be at risk. The private companies will bargain high.

Another reason is that the present auction will get much funds for the government. The corporate wants to get the spectrum cheap. But the customer will never get the benefit out of  this. Only their profits will increase.

The corporate wants the BSNL and MTNL to be disabled and weakened so that the private telecoms can increase the rates and finish the PSU telecom companies.

It is necessary that the Government do not fall in to the trap of the private telecom companies, willingly or unwillingly.

Opposition Parties Should oppose and defeat the Insurance Amendment Bill

25 Tuesday Nov 2014

Posted by in CTU, General, PSU, TU News - India

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The NDA Government is going to present the Insurance Amendment Bill in the Rajya Sabha in this winter session, where the opposition parties are in majority and the government in a minority. The efforts of both UPA and NDA governments in the past were defeated by the then opposition parties.

Why so? it is not simply political, but has other wide ramifications. The Insurance Amendment Act will result in the emergence of the MNCs in a big way and will  weaken the Life Insurance Corporation of India, which is the shining example of the Central Public Sector. LIC was formed through corporatisation of the private companies which were cheating the public. The LIC has grown year after year and even the MNCs failed to compete with the same. The government guarantee for the LIC policies is another benefit to the people, who are assured of their policy benefits. The LIC always reached to help the government whenever it was in financial difficulties, either by purchasing the share of PSUs or giving more dividend or otherwise.

The Insurance amendment Bill is to kill the public sector insurance companies including the LIC. That is why even many among the BJP and Congress, which parties have supported the bill at some time or other, there are members who oppose the bill. Further, the massive campaign conducted by the Insurance Employees Unions, especially the All India Insurance Employees Association  (AIIEA) has exposed the real intentions of the government to kill the Insurance companies and favour the MNCs and big corporates.

It is time that all the opposition parties should unitedly oppose this anti-people and anti-national bill and defeat the same convincingly. The United strength of the Central Trade Unions and Independent  Federations of Workers require to continue the hectic campaign and make the people fully aware of the dangers of the anti-people bill.

A Single Regulator for Telecom, IT and Broadcasting.

25 Tuesday Nov 2014

Posted by in BSNL - Better Service to the Nation, PSU, Telecom

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It is reported that the Central Government has finalised a Communications Bill, which will repeal the existing four acts, viz. Indian Telegraph Act 1885, Telecom Regulatory Act 1997, TV Act 1995 and IT Act 2000. A Regulator for all the three sector will also be appointed as per the bill. The new bill is being introduced since the space between all the three sectors are shrinking and it becomes difficult to have separate rules. The new regulator will be addressing the issues of all the three sectors including the spectrum management, which has become a very important concern of the government due its high revenue and stiff competition. (Courtesy:Business Line)

 

 

JAC Called for talks on strike issues by the BSNL Management.

24 Monday Nov 2014

Posted by in BSNL - Better Service to the Nation, BSNLEU, PSU, Telecom

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The BSNL Management wanted to divide the Unions which have given Strike Notice for 27 November 2014, by inviting only the recognised unions, viz. BSNLEU and NFTE for talks.

But the strong stand taken by the BSNLEU and NFTE that they will not attend the talks if they alone are invited has achieved results. Now the BSNL Management has invited the JAC for talks on 25th November at 17.00 hours.

The BSNL Management, if it wants to avoid a confrontation, should discuss the issues with a positive attitude, settle the demands and avoid the strike. Will the BSNL management adopt a positive attitude ?

Government to provide Wi-Fi Services in 45 cities

24 Monday Nov 2014

Posted by in BSNL - Better Service to the Nation, PSU, Telecom

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The DOT has identified 45 major cities ( with population of more than 10 lakhs) and 705 tourist spots to be provided with Wi-Fi services. The funding will be done through the USO Funds. For providing Wi-Fi to these cities, Government will free 60 GHz Spectrum Band.

About 7,600 Staff Recruitment by State Banks

24 Monday Nov 2014

Posted by in BSNL - Better Service to the Nation, News, PSU, Telecom, TU News - India, TUI of Pensioners and Retirees

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The State Bank Group Banks are in the process of recruiting more than 7,600 clerical staff. Applications have already been called for by State Bank of Hyderabad ( 2,566 vacancies), State Bank of Patiala (1,541), State Bank of Travancore (1,527), State Bank of Jaipur and Bikaner ( 1,188) and State Bank of Mysore (852). The State Bank of India had already recruited about 5,500 during the last year.

Despite the introduction of new technologies, the Banks have found out that fresh blood is required to run the services and serve the customers. Hence the recruitment.

Will BSNL Management realise that it also require fresh blood for a better service? Even after 1,30,000 employees have retired, mainly from the lower cadres, during the last thirteen years, these vacancies have not been filled up. Recruitment is an urgent requirement in BSNL.

 

Govt. on the move to hand over NOFN project to Private Companies.

24 Monday Nov 2014

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It is reported in the press that the delay being caused in the Rs. 20,000 crore NOFN Project, being entrusted to BSNL, Railtel and Powergrid  has made the government to rethink of handing over the work to the private companies. The target of fulfilling the task of providing 2.5 lakh villages with broadband service was projected to be completed by December 2016, which now has been preponed to March 2016 by the PMO.

There seems to be a big conspiracy in the government move. Government wants all the paraphernalia in tender process to be fulfilled by the PSUs and the same time wants it to be speeded up. The private telecom companies had already protested in entrusting the project to BSNL etc. Now, on the plea of the alleged delay they want to get the project for themselves. And the Modi Government, which got huge election funds from the corporates, is willing to play its role.

The Forum of BSNL Unions/Associations strongly protest this anti-PSU move of the government and demand that the proposal to hand over NOFN project to private companies be dropped and also allow the three PSUs to continue their work with out undue hindrance as was being done. In fact, the PSUs should be assisted in their efforts to finalise the project at the earliest.

Central TUs Strongly Oppose closure of PSUs

24 Monday Nov 2014

Posted by in CTU, General, PSU, TU News - India

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The decision of the government to close sick PSUs has been condemned and strongly opposed by the Central Trade Unions. They have stated that there is no justification for the closure and the decision should be rescinded. They also suggested that these PSUs can be revived, if the government changes its policies.

The government earlier decided to close about 25 PSUs which are in loss, including BSNL and MTNL. In the first stage, it proposes to close PSUs, viz. HMT Watches, HMT Chinar Watches, Hindustan Cables, Hindustan Photo Films, HMT Bearings and Tungabhadra Steel Products. There are about 3,600 employees who will lose their jobs if the companies are closed.

The move of the government is only to close the PSUs, one after another to favour the corporates and private business and also to help them to increase their profits and eliminate competition from the PSUs.

The strong position taken by the Central Trade Unions should be supported by the entire trade union movement in the country. The National Protest Day on 5th December 2014 called for by the 11 Central Trade Unions should  be made a gigantic protest movement by participation of crores and crores of workers from all industries, central/state government employees, PSUs etc.

We demand that the government should drop the proposal to close the PSUs; instead its should take urgent action to revive these loss making PSUs.