Monthly Archives: June 2015

Struggles by Workers to Defend and Save BSNL : 2004 – 2015 – ( 15 )

23 Tuesday Jun 2015

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2010

Procurement of equipments

The Joint Forum of BSNL Unions/Associations met on 1st January 2010 at New Delhi and discussed the latest situation with regard to the development of BSNL services and connected matters. The cancellation of the 45.5 million mobile tender by BSNL has created a serious situation for BSNL with no mobile lines to provide. The company which was in first position in both land lines and mobiles had gone down to third position in mobile, while keeping its first position in land lines, total market share going down to 16.38 from the earlier more than 20%. Mobile lines have to be purchased urgently. Under these circumstances, the Joint Forum decided to organize the following agitational programmes demanding immediate tender and purchase of 93.3 million mobile lines for expansion

Telegram campaign:

Circle/District/Branch Secretaries to send the following telegram to the Prime Minister, so as to reach before 6th January 2010.

To Shri Manmohan Singh, Prime Minister of India, New Delhi KINDLY INTERVENE TO SAVE BSNL BY IMMEDIATE FINALISATION OF 9.3 MILLION GSM LINES.Name of Circle/District /Branch Secretary

Demonstration at all centres on 5th January 2010.

These programmes were effectively implemented.

Memorandum to the Prime Minister

A Memorandum dated 5th January 2010 was submitted to the Prime Minister with the same demand. It was signed by Comrades V.A.N.Namboodiri (BSNLEU) Convener JF, B.R.Jhakatia (SEWA BSNL), Suresh Kumar(BSNLMS), G.L.Jogi (SNEA), V.Subburaman(TEPU), (BTEU), Hukam Singh (SNATTA) and Devi Prasad (AIBCTES).The JF leaders met the Communications Minister A.Raja on 4th January 2010 and requested the intervention of the Minister to speed up the 93.3 million GSM tender.

Retrograde Recommendations of Sam Pitroda Committee

The retrograde recommendations of the Committee headed by Sam Pitroda, former Secretary DOT and telecom expert, raised sharp reactions from the workers. It proposed 30% of disinvestment in BSNL, Retrenchment of one lakh workers, unbundling of the copper cables, outsourcing work etc. The Joint Forum conducted a detailed study and submitted its suggestions. In its meeting on 10th and 15th March 2010 , the JF discussed the issue and decided to strongly protest and go on agitation. The following programmes were decided:

One Day Dharna on 26-03-2010

Indefinite Strike from  20-04-2010

In order to bring NFTE also in the co-ordination ( which had moved from the Forum some time back), the name of the Joint Forum was changed to Joint Action Committee and the new office – bearers with Com. N.T.Sajwani (NFPTE) as Chairman and Com. V.A.N.Namboodiri (BSNLEU) as convener was reconstituted. NFTE was keeping away from the Joint Forum after the Membership Verification on the plea of differences between the unions in many places.

Demands of Indefinite Strike from 20-04-2010

Settle ITS Absorption issue

No Disinvestment / No Privatisation of BSNLNo Retrenchment / No VRS

No unbundling of last mile copper and other infrastructure

No outsourcing

Immediate procurement of mobile lines

Ensure IDA Pension Revision to BSNL Retirees.

The Strike Notice was signed by Comrades V.A.N.Namboodiri (BSNLEU), Convener, N.T.Sawani (NFTE), Chairman, K.Vallinayagam(FNTO), V.Subburaman(TEPU), Suresh Kumar(BSNLMS), G.L.Jogi(SNEA(I), S.P.Sharma (BSNLWRU), K.Anil Kumar(ATM), Sathyanarayana (AIBSNLEA), N.D.Ram(SEWA BSNL), Hari Singh (BTU BSNL), D.P.Patwa (AIBCTES) and H.P.Singh(BSNLOA). The Notice for strike was served on 23-03-2010 after a massive demonstration participated by hundreds of workers at Corporate Office. All over India, the demonstrations were participated by thousands.

Meeting with secretary, DOT

Shri P.J.Thomas, Secretary, DOT, held a meeting with the JAC leaders.  While the discussions were cordial, there was no clear decision or assurance.

Meeting with Minister of State, Communications

The Minister of State, Communications, Shri Gurudas Kamath, called for a meeting with the JAC leaders on 26th March 2010. The Minister heard the demands but could not give any favourable decision. He only stated that appropriate action will be taken.

In preparation of the strike, the Joint Action Committee issued press release and printed posters and circulated in large numbers. Detailed circulars were issued calling upon the workers to fully participate in the strike. State level conventions were successfully organized in many centres. This resulted in massive propaganda amongst workers and public.

Meeting with the Minister Communications Shri A.Raja was held on 16-04-2010 on the strike demands including against recommendations of the Sam Pitroda Committee, but there was no favourable result.

 

BSNL on the improvement line – Communications Minister

22 Monday Jun 2015

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Communications Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad in an interview stated that BSNL is on the comeback track. The report in the press is given below:

“Another challenge he said was BSNL. “So much public money has been invested. BSNL’s profit in 2004, when we left office, was Rs. 10,000 crore and after 10 years when we came back to power, it is incurring a loss of Rs. 8,000 crore. This was for a variety of reasons, some very unfair,” he said. One year down the line, BSNL has added 47 lakh new active customers and its revenue has gone up by 2 per cent, he said, adding that “today BSNL has the strength to offer free roaming… Also in the offing are other plans, including changing the network to the next generation in the next two-three years.”

Explaining why he has been emphasising the issue of call drops, he said that while he may be “Minister for Telecom working for growth of the sector” he also needs to protect the interests of consumers. “(Courtesy: Business Line)

UAN Mandatory for Employers – EPFO

22 Monday Jun 2015

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Retirement fund body EPFO today notified an order to make Universal Account Number (UAN) mandatory for all employers covered under the Employees Provident Funds and Miscellaneous Provisions Act 1952.

“We have notified the draft order to make UAN compulsory for all organisations covered under the EPF & MP Act,” EPFO’s Central Provident Fund Commissioner K K Jalan said. (Courtesy: TOI)

Indefinite Satyagraha by Casual, Contract Workers in Kerala from 22nd June 2015

22 Monday Jun 2015

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The BSNL Casual Contract Labour Union (CCLU) Kerala, affiliated to BSNLCCWF, has started Indefinite Satyagraha in front of GM offices in the Circle. Large number of comrades are participating in the programme. BSNLEU leaders and workers are in full support.

The demands on which the agitation is being organised includes equal pay for equal work, issue of identity card, payment of Bonus etc.

BSNLCCWF fully support the struggle and convey greetings to the agitating workers!

No Alliance with Congress – Sitaram Yechury, GS, CPI(M)

22 Monday Jun 2015

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Kolkata, Jun 22 : Scotching speculations of going with the Congress in its fight against TMC in Bengal, CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury today said the party will follow the resolutions adopted in the last Party Congress of not aligning or joining any front with the Congress.

Senior party leader Gautam Deb on Friday last had kicked up a political storm by stating that the Left Front in West Bengal was now left with not enough strength to defeat the Trinamool Congress in the next Assembly elections and had hinted at an “understanding” with the Congress, saying “there

was a need for a greater alliance with other like-minded political parties to defeat the TMC regime.”

“He (Deb) did not say what is attributed to him, that we will go with the Congress,” Yechury told reporters when asked to comment on the CPI(M) central committee member’s statement advocating an alliance with the Congress. (PTI)

 

All India Co-Ordination Committee of PSUs calls for complete Strike on 2nd September 2015

22 Monday Jun 2015

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The meeting of the All India Co-Ordination Committee of Public Sector Trade Unions (CITU), held at Hyderabad on 22nd June 2015 has called upon the entire PSU workers, including contract workers, to organise and make the One Day Strike called by the Central Trade Unions a big success.

The meeting was held at Com. Sunderayya Vignan Kendra, at Hyderabad. !52 delegates from 46 unions participated. From BSNLEU and BSNL Casual and Contract Workers Federation, Coms. V.A.N.Namboodiri, Swapan Chakraborty, J.Sampath Rao, Mohan Redyy, Taranath and Paripoornachari participated.

Meeting was presided by Com. Vishnu Mohanty, CITU Vice-President. Com. Tapan Sen, General secretary, CITU, inaugurated the convention. Com. Swadesh Dev Roy, Convener, Co-Ordination Committee, presented the report and reported the latest developments. More than 25 comrades participated in the discussion. Com. V.A.N.Namboodiri and Com. Swapan Chakraborty addressed on behalf of BSNLCCWF and BSNLEU respectively.

The Convention unanimously decided to make massive campaign amongst the workers about the anti-worker policies of the government. The policy of the government to close or privatise all the PSUs has to be resisted and defeated. The exploitation of the casual and contract workers have to be opposed and justice meted out to them. The immediate task is to campaign to make the strike a complete success. State level conventions should be organised. Without struggle, negotiations will not be successful. The report presented by the Convener was unanimously adopted. It was also suggested that a meeting of the CPSTU be held in preparation of the strike.

The meeting of the Co-ordination Committee and the discussions and decisions have enthused the delegates. All are determined to make the strike a big success.

 

Struggles by Workers to Defend and Save BSNL : 2004 – 2015 – ( 14 )

22 Monday Jun 2015

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2009

ITS Absorption Issue

The non-absorption of the ITS officers in BSNL was one of the major issues connected with the functioning of BSNL.  The meeting of the Joint Forum held on 12th February 2009 decided to organize agitational programmes to pressurise the government  to immediately absorb the ITS officers in BSNL

  1. Black day wearing Black Badges and demonstrations in SSA/Circle/C.O. on 24th February 2009.
  2. Day long Dharan at all levels on 17th March 2009.
  3. One Day strike on 25th March 2009.

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One Day Strike on 25th March 2009

The strike notice was served on the CMD BSNL signed by Coms. V.A.N.Namboodiri(BSNLEU), Convener, G.L.Jogi(SNEA(I), Prahlad Rai(AIBSNLEA), Suresh Kumar(BSNLMS), (AIBCTES), Hari Singh(BTU), (BSNLATM), V.R.Venugopal, V.Subburaman(TEPU) and R.P.Sharma(BSNLOA).

The Black Day on 24th February 2009 was effectively organized.  The workers were ready for further actions.

Discussion with CMD on 16th March 2009 – Strike on 25th March deferred.

The CMD called the JF leaders for discussion on 16th March. The JF strongly demanded that the ITS absorption issue should be settled immediately. After detailed discussion, the CMD agreed to initiate recruitment of middle level management officers and assured that the process of absorption of Group A (ITS) officers will be settled by December 2009. Minutes were also issued. In view of the assurances, the JF met and decided to defer the dharna programme and the one day strike.

Strong Protest against increase FDI in telecom:

The Joint Forum in its meeting held on 08-06-2009 adopted a resolution strongly protesting against the government guidelines increasing FDI in Telecom, Insurance, defence sector etc. and demanding scrapping of the same. This was forwarded  to the government.

Anti-Disinvestment / IPO agitation:

During the period the government was moving for disinvestment of BSNL through IPO route. The JF met on 8th June 2009 and decided to organise protest action against the same. A strong resolution against  IPO/Disinvestment was adopted.

Telegrams to Prime Minister

An “Anti- Disinvestment Day” was organized on 22-07-2009 by holding rallies and sending telegrams by all the SSAs and circle to the Prime Minister and Communications Minister. Tens of thousands of messages were sent. A meeting with the CMD was held on 16-07-2009 in which the absorption of ITS, opposition to IPO/Disinvestment and about other issues were discussed. (To be continued)

Country wide Campaign against anti-people policies of central government from 1st to 14th August 2015 – CPI(M)

21 Sunday Jun 2015

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The Central Committee of CPI(M) in its meeting held on June 6 & 7, 2015 had given a call to conduct a fortnight long countrywide campaign from August 1 to 14, 2015.

Apart from taking up the issues of agrarian distress and the concrete demands connected with it in each state, the campaign will also demand implementation of the statutory 100 days work under the MNREGA scheme with sufficient allocation of funds from the centre; strengthening of the public distribution system and ensuring full coverage under the Food Security Act.

The Party will also during the fortnight long campaign support the campaign against the land acquisition amendment Bill/ordinance as also mobilize support for the all India general strike call of the central trade unions on September 2.

Workers Protest Against Austerity Measures in UK

21 Sunday Jun 2015

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London, Jun 20 Thousands of people today marched across the UK to protest against the newly re-elected Conservative government’s policy of public spending cuts.

The biggest demonstration was held in London, where a rally outside the Bank of England marched towards the Houses of Parliament.

Union leaders and British celebrities including singer Charlotte Church and actor Russell Brand addressed crowds.

Protests also took place in the cities of Liverpool and Glasgow against the David Cameron led government’s austerity measures which it claims are vital to cut the country’s deficit.

The London protest was organised by protest group the People’s Assembly, while the rally in the Scottish capital of Glasgow was organised by Scotland United Against Austerity.

The rallies were marked by the banging of drums and sound of cheers resounding around the heart of London’s financial district.

Some of the placards read: ‘A living wage for Mothers’ and ‘We’re mad as hell and we’re not taking it any more’. (Courtesy: PTI)

 

India – Bangladesh Railway Line

21 Sunday Jun 2015

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The Governments of India and Bangladesh have come to agreement for a Railway line between Agartala(India) and Gangasagar(Bangladesh). The NITI Ayog has decided to implement the railline without delay. It is stated that the line will be completed by 2017.

It is a good effort which will further help co-ordination between the two friendly neighbor countries.