25 Thursday Dec 2014
Posted in Uncategorized
Com.M.Y.Tarigami, CPI(M) candidate has for the fourth time been elected from the Kulgam constituency in J and K. Congratulations !
Com. M.Y. Tarigami, Jammu and Kashmir Secretary, CPI (M) addresses a public gathering after his win from Kulgam seat on Wednesday.
24 Wednesday Dec 2014
Posted in General
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My Best Wishes and Warm Greetings for a Merry X-Mas to all visitors, well Wishers, friends and Comrades for a Merry X-mas !
24 Wednesday Dec 2014
Posted in BSNL - Better Service to the Nation, Forum
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We are giving below the letter written to other unions by Forum for solidarity and support in the SAVE BSNL Campaign:
FORUM OF BSNL UNIONS / ASSOCIATIONS
D-7, Telegraph Place, Gole Market, New Delhi – 110 001.
Forum/GL 24.12.2014
Sub: SAVE BSNL Campaign – Support requested.
Dear Comrade,
BSNL, the telecom PSU, fully owned by the government, is facing serious difficulties both financially as well as in providing a satisfactory service to the customers.
BSNL, though being the market leader both in landlines and Broadband, is far below major private telecom operators, with only less than 10% of market share. The Company is in loss for the last 4 years, with an accumulated loss of about Rs.28,000 crores, though in the first seven years, it had earned more than Rs.48,000 crores as profit.
The loss of market share and also poor service have been mainly due to the non-procurement of essential mobile equipment, broadband modem, cables, dropwire, telephone instrument, towers etc. BSNL, though granted licence for mobile connections only in 2002, after 7 years of the same granted to private companies, forged ahead with positive growth and became the second biggest mobile connection provider and was almost going to became number one. But the Central Govt. denied its permission to purchase mobile and other equipments and ensured that no development and expansion takes place in order to allow the private players to move ahead.
The govt. went back from all its promises to financially assist BSNL for its loss making connections in rural areas, which was socially necessary for universal service. Further the government took away the more than Rs.40,000 crores of surplus cash balance with BSNL on one plea or another putting BSNL unable to purchase equipment to expand and develop.
The inefficiency of BSNL top Management, who do not belong to BSNL and are mainly ITS (Indian Telecom Service) officers on deputation from govt., has worsened the situation. Many of them are influenced by the private telecom companies, resulting in a precarious situation.
The Forum of BSNL Unions / Associations have been taking up all these issues both with the Government and BSNL Management. The BSNL workers went on a one day successful strike on 11th July, 2007, only on the demand of procuring mobile connections and developmental issues, which resulted in some temporary results. Both the earlier UPA and the present NDA government are continuously taking pro-private and anti-BSNL decisions making BSNL financially unviable and crippling its services.
The Forum of BSNL Unions & Associations of Non-Executives and Executives had organised several agitational programmes to pressurise government and Management to take suitable decisions for the Revival of BSNL. Since there is no response, the Forum has decided further programme of agitation as follows:
1. 3 days Dharna at all SSA offices (District) Circle offices (State) capitals and at BSNL Corporate Office, New Delhi from 6th to 8th January, 2015.
2. A Parliament March by thousands of BSNL Workers on 25th February, 2015.
3. Indefinite Strike from 17th March, 2015.
It is also decided to submit a Memorandum signed by more than one crore people and employees to the Prime Minister on the day of the Parliament March with demands for taking necessary measures for Revival of BSNL. A massive SAVE BSNL Campaign is also being organised. Copy of the Memorandum to be signed by the public is enclosed herewith for your information and necessary action.
We seek your full support and solidarity in the SAVE BSNL Campaign and the programmes of action. You are also requested to direct your units to give support to the SAVE BSNL Campaign being organised by BSNL Unions / Associations.
With Warm greetings,
Yours Fraternally,
VAN Namboodiri
Convener, Forum.
Mob: 9868231431
To
Com.
General Secretary,
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24 Wednesday Dec 2014
Posted in Neo-liberal policy, PSU
As we stated earlier, the government is bent upon pushing the so called ‘reforms’ in the Insurance sector by increasing the FDI from 26% to 49%. This is being much pressed by the MNCs and corporates for a long time. Now they have got a government who are prepared to satisfy them. And lo! US President is also visiting India at the time of Republic Day.
Though the Insurance Amendment Bill could not be passed in the Rajya Sabha, the NDA government is not bothered. Now the cabinet has approved the ordinance to be issued in lieu of passing the Act. Corporates, MNCs and president Obama will be very happy.
Cabinet has also adopted ordinance on the Coal block allotment which was also pending.
We strongly oppose both the ordinances, which are only in the interests of the corporates and big business.
24 Wednesday Dec 2014
Posted in BSNL - Better Service to the Nation
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it is reported in the media that Ravi Shankar Prasad, Minister of Communications & IT may announce some financial assistance to BSNL and MTNL on 25th December 2014, the birth anniversary of former Prime Minister, Atal Bihari Vajpayee.
Let it be X-Mas or Bajpayee’s Birth Day, the announcement is welcome, but it should benefit BSNL and MTNL.
23 Tuesday Dec 2014
Posted in BSNL - Better Service to the Nation, Forum
In order to discuss about the implementation of the three days dharna from 6th to 8th January 2015 on the SAVE BSNL Campaign, and also organising the Parliament March on 25th February, a meeting of the Forum of BSNL Unions/Associations will be held at 03.00 PM at BSNL MS office on 30th December 2014. All unions are requested to participate in time.
23 Tuesday Dec 2014
The casual and contract workers in UP(East) Circle, as per the call of BSNLCCWF organised massive demonstrations in front of SSA offices demanding payment of minimum wages, implementation of social security measures like EPF, ESI etc. UP (East) is one circle where the BSNL Management and the contractors are violating all the labour rules and making payment far below the minimum wage. There are some places where only Rs. 500 or Rs. 1,000 is being paid for working for a month. Can you believe it. it is brutal exploitation.
The Casual and Contract Workers Federation, at SSA, Circle and all India level has demanded to ensure payment of minimum wage to these exploited workers, but the brutal exploitation continues. That is why the Circle Union of BSNL CCWF has decided to organise Dharna at SSA offices today, 23rd December.
The Dharna was organised at Pratapgharh, Varanasi, Mirzapur, Lucknow, Jaunpur, Allahabad, Sultanpur, Banda, Sheetapur, Lakhimpur, Bahraich, Basti, Ballia, Shajahanpur, Mau and other SSAs. The workers participated in large numbers. The BSNLEU leadership at all places gave maximum support and participated in the programmes.
We congratulate the workers and their leadership for the excellent conduct of the dharna. BSNLCCWF demands the BSNL Management to implement the labour laws including the Minimum Wage, EPF, ESI etc.
If the issues are not settled, then a March to CGM Office, Lucknow will be organised on 3rd March 2015.
23 Tuesday Dec 2014
Posted in General
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It was 4.2% in Delhi yesterday, 22nd December 2014. It was almost freezing. The fog had its day, delaying a number of trains and flights.
Senior Citizens have been advised not to go for morning walk till about 08.00 AM, in order to avoid health problems and causalities.
To a certain extend it is tolerable for the persons with sufficient warm clothing and food. But what about those who are homeless, poor and sleeping on the pavements? Many may die, without any body caring.
Delhi was more cold than Shimla and some other hill stations. Of course, Delhi is the capital of India and deserves to be on the top.
23 Tuesday Dec 2014
Posted in General
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The pressure from the corporate and the India Inc is working like magic on the NDA government. The business tycoons did not had such a good opportunity any time earlier. The government is in a hurry to implement its assurances to them made at the time of general elections for getting huge donations for election. Further, it wants many clearance to satisfy US, before President Barack Obama reach India for attending the Republic Day celebrations.
The government is proposing of issuing ordinances for the Insurance Amendment, Amendment to the Land Act, GST etc. The wash out of the Parliament is only due to the adamant attitude of the government and not due to the opposition. The huge majority in the election does not mean that instead of discussing and passing the bills in the Parliament, the ordinance route is to be taken.
There should be strong condemnation of this procedure instead of democratic process.
22 Monday Dec 2014
Posted in BSNL - Better Service to the Nation, PSU
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The Supreme court on 18th December denied stay on the decision of the TDSAT to cancel the penalty of Rs. 1,200 crore imposed on the private telecom operators Airtel, Vodafone and Idea for illegally providing 3G services in the circles, where they did not get the spectrum through auction. The service was provided by them through agreements with other private companies. This was opposed by DOT as illegal and imposed the penalty. But the TDSAT, on appeal gave the decision to allow the roaming. It was against this decision that DOT filed the appeal in the Supreme Court.
The present decision is subject to the final judgment of the Supreme Court which is yet to be delivered.
It is alleged that DOT /BSNL who have much to lose in the TDSAT decision, have not effectively dealt with the case.
VAN Namboodiri's Blog 