Monthly Archives: October 2016

Gratuity to TSM/ Casual Labour and Contract Workers

10 Monday Oct 2016

Posted by in BSNLCCWF - Casual and Contract workers

≈ Leave a comment

As per government of India Orders and labour laws, TSM/Casual Labour and Contract Worker are eligible for payment of Gratuity. The issue was brought before the Parliament Standing Committee and the Management several times. After much persuasion, the Management Committee approved gratuity for TSM/Casual labours, but the BSNL Board is yet to approve the same. In this connection Com.V.A.N.Namboodiri, President and Com.Animesh Mitra, Secretary General BSNLCCWF had met the Management and demanded for early discussion. Com.V.A.N.Namboodiri met Shri N.Sivasailam, Additional Secretary DOT who is the DOT member in the BSNL Board and discussed the issue demanding for early decision. The issue is being pursued vigorously.

BSNL should pay bonus to contract workers

10 Monday Oct 2016

Posted by in BSNLCCWF - Casual and Contract workers

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

,

After much discussion and persuasion by BSNLEU and BSNLCCWF, orders have been issued for payment of bonus to regular employees and TSM/Casual labours on 07-10-2016. But no order has been issued for Bonus to contract workers engaged in BSNL. Contract workers are eligible for bonus as per labour laws. This has been brought to the notice of the BSNL Management several times.

We demand that BSNL management issue early orders for payment of bonus to the  contract workers also.

From the Past (32) – “Remain Indoor” Agitation by Bombay Postmen

09 Sunday Oct 2016

Posted by in P&T TU History, VISIT THE PAST

≈ Leave a comment

The coastal areas of Arabian Sea from Kerala to Bombay and north onwards used to get heavy rains. It is the same now also. In the recent years, it has become usual to have heavy floods in Bombay and the entire town under waters for one or more days.

I am going back to 1967, when the Bombay Postmen were compelled to go on “Remain Indoor” agitation to get umbrellas supplied for going out on duty during rainy season.

As per departmental rules, Postmen are supplied umbrellas. But before the rainy season in 1967, the department failed to supply the same. It was said that because of a typing mistake in the order, instead of 4750 umbrellas required only 475 were procured. The monsoon rains started in June and no umbrella for Postmen. There was a monsoon fury on 21st June 1967 and the Postmen remained indoors at Kalbadevi, Byculla etc. The Postmen Union demanded for the immediate supply of umbrellas, but the administration remained casual. The Union called for “Remain Indoor” agitation till umbrellas are supplied.

A massive demonstration was organised by the Postal workers on 27th June 1967 which went to the PMG and gave notice that the “Remain Indoor” agitation will start from next day. Nothing happened. On 28th, not a single Postman in Bombay went out for duty, but  remained inside the Post Offices. The administration arose from its slumber. By evening all the Postmen were provided with umbrellas and the agitation came to an end with a big victory. The local agitation was fully successful.

Such local agitations were organised in many places for getting rules implemented and benefits extended. It was part of the policy of NFPTE to compel the administration to get favourable orders implemented at local levels. The struggles brought out many active young comrades to the fore.

From the Past (30) – Tools Down Strike in CTX Delhi against molestation of lady T.O.

09 Sunday Oct 2016

Posted by in P&T TU History

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , ,

The incident happened at 19.45 hours on Sunday, 5th March 1967, almost 50 years back. The place : In front of Central Telephone Exchange, New Delhi.  A young lady telephone operator on her way to duty was molested and  bitten on cheek by a miscreant. She ran down to the telephone exchange weeping and completely shattered.

The shocked, angered and agitated lady telephone staff (  Delhi Exchange was a feminised one) spontaneously  went on tool-down-strike. As at the wave of a hand, the trunk boards were unplugged, the headgear sets removed and the entire trunk and international telephone services were at a complete stand still. The hundreds of lady telephone operators reacted with all their anger at the insult, molestation and humiliation of their co-worker.

This was not the first such incident. The way from the Connaught Place to the exchange was usually dim-lighted. There was a taxi stand in front of the telephone exchange and teasing of the lady telephone operators coming and going before and after their shift duty hours was not uncommon. Protests by the workers were unheeded by the administration and police. The above incident was the breaking point.

General Secretary of the union Com. O.P.Gupta and other leaders rushed to the spot. The workers demanded that unless the taxi stand is removed from there, more security and transport facilities are provided to the lady staff from the Connaught place to the exchange, the tools-down strike will continue. Negotiation took place with the top officers of the department and the police.

Th strike went on for hours. At last the tools-down strike was called off after the demands were conceded. It was assured that transport  will be arranged temporarily which will be made permanent and that the taxi-stand will be shifted from the place. Once the demands were accepted, the workers returned to their duty.

Hard working conditions, shift duties, heavy work-load, lack of minimum facilities – the workers used to be at the limit of their patience and many such spontaneous struggles took place to defend their right to work and to save their honour.

The P&T Workers have a glorious past of unity and struggles.

 

CG Employees – Existing Advances Abolished

08 Saturday Oct 2016

Posted by in CG Employees, Uncategorized

≈ Leave a comment

Central Government has issued orders abolishing many advances. These are the allowances abolished.

  1. Bicycle Advance
  2. Warm Clothing Advance
  3. Festival Advance
  4. Natural Calamity Advance
  5. Leave Salary Advance
  6. Law Suits Advance

There was not even a discussion with the Central Government unions. Arbitrary decisions will be resisted by the CG Employees.

Confederation call – Prepare for Strike!

08 Saturday Oct 2016

Posted by in Uncategorized

≈ Leave a comment

Confederation of Central Government employees and workers calls upon the workers to be prepared for strike against anti-worker actions of the Government.

“ANOTHER BLOW TO CENTRAL GOVERNMENT EMPLOYEES

· Festival Advance abolished.
· More stringent conditions for MACP imposed and promotional scale hierarchy rejected.
· No High Level Committee as assured by Cabinet Ministers.

REAL FACE OF BJP GOVERNMENT IS OUT

GET READY FOR STRIKE.

MAKE THE CONFEDERATION PARLIAMENT MARCH ON 15TH DECEMBER 2016
A HISTORIC SUCCESS

COME ONE ! COME ALL !! COME IN HUNDREDS & THOUSANDS !!!

CHALO DELHI……. CHALO PARLIAMENT”

Allot Spectrum free and implement assurances given to BSNL – Letter to Minister Communications

08 Saturday Oct 2016

Posted by in AIBDPA - BSNL DOT Pensioners, Forum

≈ Leave a comment

Com.V.A.N.Namboodiri, Advisor AIBDPA and Founder Convener of the JAC/Joint Forum/ Forum addressed the following letter to Shri Manoj Sinha, Minister of state for Communications, requesting allotment of free spectrum to BSNL and also asking to implement the assurances given at the time of formation of BSNL.

AIBDPA/DOT-MIN/2016                                                                                                                                             October 07, 2016

To

Shri Manoj Sinha,                                            

Hon’ble Minister of State for Communications,                                                                                      

Sanchar Bhawan, 

20, Ashoka Road, New Delhi 110001

Respected Sir,

Sub: Assistance to BSNL – reg

You are fully aware that BSNL is struggling to improve it’s finances, provide a better service to the customers and restore it’s past glory.

After 4 years of loss, it has posted operational profit in 2014-15 as also in 2015-16 and is expected to be profitable by 2017-18. The programmes implemented and continued to be implemented like “Customer Delight Year”, “Service With A Smile” etc. as also the beneficial packages for the customers, BSNL will improve it’s position, financially as well as providing service.

The main issue for BSNL is the scarcity of funds. For the last six months or so, BSNL has been providing maximum number of mobile connection, say 20 lakh or more and still continues to be the leader. It sufficient funds are made available, there will be much more progress.

It was not that BSNL was not having funds. The Rs. 40,000 crore surplus fund was mostly taken for spectrum charges to the extent of Rs.18,500 crores, refund of an imaginary loan of Rs.7,500 crore at high interest rate etc.

BSNL was assured financial assistance at the time of it’s formation, like ADC, refund of licence fee and liberal assistances from USOF for providing loss making services in villages and remote areas for implementation of the universal connectivity policy of the government. All these, except USOF support, are arbitrarily discontinued putting BSNL in a fix.

Now that the spectrum auction is over and the government have received about Rs.66,000 crore from the same, it is our request that a portion of the same, say about Rs.10,000 crore be given to BSNL as assistance or as refundable loan without interest. This will help BSNL in a big way for recovery. As promised earlier, either the licence fee for BSNL be waived or refunded. It is also requested that the government honour it’s assurances and commitment made at the time of formation of BSNL, on which 3.5 lakh workers got absorbed themselves in the PSU.

As a representative of the DoT & BSNL Pensioners Organisation, I may submit that many of our issues are also connected with the future of BSNL.
Expecting favourable decision

Thanking you,

Yours faithfully

V.A.N. Namboodiri

Advisor, AIBDPA

(former Convener of Forum of

BSNL Unions and Associations

Global Life Expectancy is 72 years

08 Saturday Oct 2016

Posted by in General

≈ Leave a comment

It is good news! The life expectancy globally has increased from 62 years in 1980 to 72 years in 2015. This is as per the report of a United Nations Committee.

I remember that while I was studying in 1940s, it was told that the life expectancy in India was 30 years or so. It was mainly due to the large percentage of child death at the time of delivery.

India has also vastly  improved the life expectancy since then. But much more is to be done.

BSNL Shines Again

07 Friday Oct 2016

Posted by in Uncategorized

≈ Leave a comment

BSNL continues its march forward in providing new mobile connections. In September 2016, it has provided 22,25,569 new connections, thus keeping the record of providing more than 20 lakhs each for the last few month consecutively.

Hearty Congratulations to the BSNL Management and workers! Continue this Forward March! BSNL will certainly regain its past glory!

Veteran Leader Com. H.L.Makkar passed away

07 Friday Oct 2016

Posted by in Uncategorized

≈ Leave a comment

h-l-makkad

With extreme shock and sorrow, it is intimated that Com. H.L.Makkar, senior leader of BSNLEU, former Vice-President of E.III (N) and President of NTR Circle passed away on 05-10-2016 at Delhi. He was admitted to the hospital a few days back. He was 76 years.

Com.H.L.Makkar was the leader who inspired the NTR workers to join enmasse to the E.III(N)Union. His influence and vibrant leadership made the NTR circle a stronghold for the BSNLEU. The fact that he was the President of the BSNLEU NTR Circle union for more than 15 years itself shows the respect given to him by the workers.

Com.Makkar was a very close friend of mine. He gave all support to the CHQ during the difficult and critical days of 1990s. He was an excellent orator and could convince all with his effective speech. He was respected by the Management also.

His death is a big loss to BSNLEU and to all the BSNL workers.

I convey my heart felt condolences to the bereaved family, friends and comrades!