Category Archives: BSNL News

Towards 17th March Strike by BSNL Employees for Revival of BSNL – 1

12 Friday Dec 2014

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The first programme of action leading to the Indefinite Strike from 17th March 2015, demanding immediate action from the Government and Management for the Revival of BSNL was the observation of Demands Day on 11th December 2014 by organising Lunch Hour Demonstrations. The call was given by the Forum of BSNL Unions/Associations of Non-Executives and Executives.

The reports received indicate that in almost all the  places the demonstrations has taken place. It is well and good that the call has been implemented. Many comrades have sent the photos also.

Seeing the photos and discussing with the comrades, I feel that more is to be done. The comrades participating in the demonstration seem to be only a small part of the entire workers in the place. For example, if there are about 300- 400 workers, the number in the demonstration is around 50 or 60 and that too mostly active workers and leaders. Is this a sufficient number when we are preparing for a serious struggle? Certainly, NOT!

The most important part of any struggle is that it is participated by the entire workers or the maximum of the workers. THEN ONLY IT BECOMES REALLY EFFECTIVE. Hence we have to see participation of much more employees in our agitation. I agree that it will be very difficult to bring all the workers in the demonstration, but it is utmost necessary that at least the majority workers participate. It gives encouragement to all, that the workers have taken the struggle seriously. It is not correct to compare, but a look at the demonstrations and programmes being conducted by the Bank and Insurance Employees will show, how seriously their workers are participating in the joint programmes. It is possible for the BSNL Employees also to organise in the same way. Let us try to improve the participation of workers in each and every further programme.

‘DO OR DIE’ IS THE SITUATION – EVERY WORKER HAS GOT TO BE MOBILISED.

SAVE BSNL – SAVE NATION !

Mighty Demonstrations held today on ” Demands Day”

11 Thursday Dec 2014

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Reports are reaching from many centres about the observation of the “Demands Day” programme today by organising mighty demonstrations as per the call of the Forum of BSNL Unions/Associations.

In BSNL Corporate Office, Bharat Sanchar Bhawan, a well attended Lunch Hour Demonstration was held with participation from NTR and Corporate Office. Com. V.A.N.Namboodiri, Convener, Forum, welcomed all and spoke about why the Forum has decided for the agitational programmes culminating in an indefinites Strike from 17th March 2015. The Government is moving to close many PSUs including BSNL and this has to be resisted. BSNL has to be saved and strengthened. He explained the issues included in the Strike Notice and called upon the workers to fully participate. Coms. C.Singh Chairman, Forum (NFTE) P.Abhimanyu (BSNLEU), A.A.Khan (SNEA), Prahlad Rai (AIBSNLEA), K.G.Jayaraj (AIBDPA) and RS Chouhan, CS BSNLEU addressed. The Circle Secretaries of NTR and Corporate Office deserve congratulation for the good campaign and participation of the workers in the programme.

The next programme called by the Forum is the Three Days Dharna from 6th to 8th January 2015. Maximum members should be mobilised for the mass Dharna.

News about reducing Retirement Age from 60 to 58

11 Thursday Dec 2014

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A lot of reports are coming in the news papers about certain proposal of the Central Government to reduce the retirement age of its employees from 60 to 58. The same kind of news are spread about the retirement age of BSNL Employees also.

It is stated that this will increase employment chances to young generation. It is also mentioned that it will reduce government expenditure. Some other justifications are also spelt out.

We are not in a position to state what exactly is the present position of the government’s proposal. But as far as the employees are concerned, they are completely against the reduction of retirement age from the present 60 to 58. It is to be remembered that when the government increased the retirement age from 58 to 60, it was not the demand of the employees or their unions. It was a decision purely by the Government. In fact, the Confederation of the Central Government Employees and Workers opposed it, stating that it will adversely affect the employment opportunities. Despite the opposition, the government implemented it.

Now, again to restore the 58 as retirement is not practicable. The employees and the unions are opposed to it. The reasons are simple. All the employees,at least those who are going to retire within 5-10 years, have planned the retirement at 60th age and also financial adjustments. They have taken advances, they have planned construction of houses, marriage for their children etc. etc. based on the present retirement age. How all these can be changed in one stroke of the pen? You can reduce the retirement age, if the government is very particular, to only those who are being recruited now. The Pension rules were changed only for the new recruits.

But, if the government proposes to reduce the retirement age from 60 to 58, despite all these, the employees are going to resist it. As far as the BSNL employees are concerned there will be serious opposition from the employees and their unions. This attack on the employees will not be tolerated and struggles will be launched.

 

TDSAT cancels fines on Airtel and Vodafone

11 Thursday Dec 2014

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In the new dispensation it is always the corporates which get the upper hand. The latest is the decision of the TDSAT setting aside the fines put on Airtel and Vodafone for illegally providing roaming in circles where they did not have licence. Airtel was fined Rs. 650  crore and Vodafone Rs. 100 crore by DOT for causing huge loss to the government and BSNL.

Setting aside the DOT decision, the TDSAT allowed costs at Rs.25,000 for each of the petitioners ie, Airel and Vodafone.

Is it because the government and BSNL did not argue the case effectively or some compromise? Any way it is a sad affair, the complainant becoming he victims before the law.

Forum Circular and Memorandum to Prime Minister

07 Sunday Dec 2014

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The Forum of BSNL Unions / Associations has finalised the Memorandum to be submitted to the Prime Minister on the Revival of BSNL. The agitational programmes including Indefinite Strike from 17th March 2015 have also been finalised by Forum. Both the Memorandum as well as Forum Circular are given below: The Memorandum is to be got signed by maximum people as also the BSNL employees.

FORUM OF BSNL UNIONS / ASSOCIATIONS

D-7, Telegraph Place, Gole Market, New Delhi – 110 001.

Forum/GL                                                                                           05.12.2014

Indefinite Strike from 17th March, 2015.

The Forum of BSNL Unions/Associations, the umbrella organisation of Unions/Associations of Non-Executives and Executives in BSNL has called upon the BSNL workers to go on an indefinite strike from 17th March, 2015 demanding the Central Government and BSNL Management to take immediate steps for the revival of BSNL, which is on loss for the last four consecutive years. The market share of BSNL has come down to about 10%, mainly due to non-procurement of required equipment like mobile connections, cable, broadband modem, drop wire, towers etc. resulting in deterioration of services as well as a blockade for development and expansion. Several pleas to the government and BSNL Management have fallen on deaf ears.

The neo-liberal policy being aggressively adopted by both the UPA and NDA governments is the main reason for the downfall of BSNL with its implementation of the motto “Business is not the business of government” and favouring the MNCs and private telecom companies.

Under these circumstances, the Forum has decided in its meeting on 5th December, 2014 to organise the following agitational programme, culminating on Indefinite Strike from 17th March, 2015.

The meeting finalized the Memorandum to the Prime Minister and the Circular to be issued.

  1. Demands Day to be organized on 11.12.2014 by organizing Lunch hour demonstration.
  2. Three Days Dharna will be organized from 6th to 8th January, 2015.
  3. The earlier decision to organise a March to Parliament is postponed from 19th December 2014 to 25th February 2015.
  4. The Indefinite Strike will be organised from 17th March 2015, instead of from 3rd February 2015 as decided earlier.
  5. State level conventions are to be held in January and February 2015 in preparation for the Indefinite Strike. Massive campaign should be organised.
  6. At least one crore signature are to be collected to the Memorandum to be submitted to the Prime Minister on the day of the March to Parliament. For this purpose, quota will be given to the circles @ 50 times of the number of staff in the circle.
  7. Memorandum and Posters are to be prepared in English and Hindi.
  8. The next meeting of the Forum will be held at 03.00 PM on 19th December 2014.

The strike notice with the demands have already been served to the CMD BSNL, Secretary DoT and Chief Labour Commissioner on 19.11.2014 signed by the General Secretaries of Unions / Associations.

Charter of Demands:

Filling up the posts of CMD/BSNL and Director(Finance) and DIR(HR) of BSNL Board, which are vacant for months.

Stop formation of subsidiary companies of BSNL.

Compensation for loss on landlines for rural / remote area service.

Procurement of equipment for development, expansion and better service, more focus on laying OF cable to strengthen the transmission network.

Transfer of Assets to BSNL

Drop proposal for Merger of BSNL and MTNL.

Spectrum Liberalisation and Trading.

Pension Contribution on actual basic pay instead of maximum of the pay scale for the employees absorbed from DoT to BSNL.

Reject the recommendation of TRAI to force BSNL to surrender 1.2 MHz spectrum in premium 900 MHz band.

Reject M/s Deloittee Consultant recommendations

Free allotment of spectrum to BSNL

Provide financial assistance to BSNL to expand network.

BBNL should be merged with BSNL

BSNL should start 4G Services.

Refund of BWA spectrum charges to BSNL by the Government for the spectrum surrendered by BSNL.

78.2% IDA merger fixation for pre-2007 and post-2007 Pensioners.

Pension Revision of BSNL Pensioners

Fresh Recruitment of Staff.

BSNL service to be mandatory to Central Government, State Government and PSUs.

Condition of mandatory purchase of equipments from ITI to be scrapped.

Implement cabinet decision on 30% superannuation benefits to BSNL direct recruited employees.

Dear Comrades,

BSNL is the asset of the Nation. It is the bread and butter of the employees. People want BSNL services and also improvement. This is a ‘Do or Die’ situation for the workers.

It is, therefore, requested that all the BSNL workers be mobilized in all the programmes in a massive way compelling the government and BSNL Management to accept our demands and save BSNL.

SAVE BSNL – SAVE NATION

V.A.N. Namboodiri

Convener

To,

The General Secretaries of Executive / Non-Executive Unions / Associations in BSNL.

FORUM OF BSNL UNIONS / ASSOCIATIONS

D-7, Telegraph Place, Gole

05.12.2014

SAVE BSNL – SAVE NATION

Memorandum to the Prime Minister

Respected Sir,

As you are well aware, the telecom PSU, BSNL, is in serious financial crisis with posting of loss for the last consecutive four years. It’s market share has reached a low 10% and expansion and development slowed due to lack of mobile and other equipment urgently required.

It was assured at the time of formation of BSNL that the govt. will provide financial assistance to the new entity through Access Deficit Charge (ADC) collected from private companies, reimbursement of licence fee paid by BSNL to government and liberal subsidy from Universal Service Obligation Fund (USOF). But, unfortunately, all these are either fully stopped or reduced. At the same time, all the cash balance of BSNL coming to about Rs.40,000 crore has been taken by the government through spectrum charges (Rs.18,500 crore) notional loan (Rs.7500 crore and interest at 14.5%), licence fee etc. etc. As such BSNL, which had an accumulated profit of about Rs.45,000 crores for the first five years and was paying good dividends to government is now in an accumulated loss of around Rs.28,000 crore for the last four years. As a result, Bonus and many social security benefits like Medical Allowance, LTC are either stopped or curtailed.

The employees and their unions in BSNL together have been making all out efforts to improve the services to the people. But due to the shortage of equipment and anti-PSU and pro-private policies of the consecutive governments, revival is facing serious hurdles.

In order to save BSNL from the present financial crisis and also to provide a better service to the people, we submit the following for your kind consideration and necessary action.

Charter of Demands:

Filling up the posts of CMD/BSNL and Director(Finance) and DIR(HR) of BSNL Board, which are vacant for months.

Stop formation of subsidiary companies of BSNL.

Compensation for loss on landlines for rural / remote area service.

Procurement of equipment for development, expansion and better service, more focus on laying OF cable to strengthen the transmission network.

Transfer of Assets to BSNL

Drop proposal for Merger of BSNL and MTNL.

Spectrum Liberalisation and Trading.

Pension Contribution on actual basic pay instead of maximum of the pay scale for the employees absorbed from DoT to BSNL.

Reject the recommendation of TRAI to force BSNL to surrender 1.2 MHz spectrum in premium 900 MHz band.

Reject M/s Deloittee Consultant recommendations

Free allotment of spectrum to BSNL

Provide financial assistance to BSNL to expand network.

BBNL should be merged with BSNL

BSNL should start 4G Services.

Refund of BWA spectrum charges to BSNL by the Government for the spectrum surrendered by BSNL.

78.2% IDA merger fixation for pre-2007 and post-2007 Pensioners.

Pension Revision of BSNL Pensioners

Fresh Recruitment of Staff.

BSNL service to be mandatory to Central Government, State Government and PSUs.

Condition of mandatory purchase of equipments from ITI to be scrapped.

Implement cabinet decision on 30% superannuation benefits to BSNL direct recruited employees.

Yours faithfully,

No. Name Designation Signature

 

BSNL – Kerala, J and K and Odisha posts profit.

06 Saturday Dec 2014

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In the last financial year 2013-14  BSNL is in loss of  Rs. 7019.76 crore. This is the fourth consecutive year BSNL is in loss. The only consolation is that the loss is slightly less than last time, which was  Rs. 7884.44 crore.

Another welcome factor is that while only one circle, Kerala, was in profit in 2012-13, there are three circles this time, Kerala, J and K and Odisha. Profit of Kerala is Rs. 396.80 crore, J and K Rs. 9.37 crore and Odisha Rs. 5.16 crore.

The salary bill which was almost the same for the last three years have increased by about by Rs. 1,700 crore mainly due to the increase in wages after the implementation of 78.8% IDA merger for the employees w.e.f. 10-06-2013.

We congratulate the above three circles which had made profit. We hope that all other circles also will make maximum efforts to ensure profit in this financial year. Nothing is impossible.

 

Rs. 3,785 crore loss for BSNL, Rs. 1,567 crore for MTNL till September

04 Thursday Dec 2014

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There is no relief for BSNL and MTNL from the losses. Ravi Shankar Prasad, Communications Minister, told the Parliament yesterday (3rd December 2014) that BSNL has recorded a loss of Rs. 3,785 crore and MTNL Rs. 1,567 crore till September 2014 in the present financial year. BSNL has been posting loss for the last four years. The case of MTNL is not different.

The Minister also stated that the loss has come due to decline in Revenue and increase in expenditure. But the fact is that the expenditure has only marginally increased, whereas the revenue has gone down drastically from the earlier Rs. 40,000 crore to rs. 26,000 crore, while the expenditure is almost the same at about Rs. 34,000 crore.  The expenditure on wages has been stagnating at about Rs. 14,000 crore for the last three-four years, since  large number of employees, about 10,000 to 15,000 are retiring yearly and no recruitment is taking place.

The Forum of BSNL Unions/Associations of Non-Executives and Executives has given a call for Indefinite Strike from 3rd February 2015 to compel the government and BSNL Management to take initiative and  honour the assurances given at the time of corporatisation, so that BSNL can restore its past glory and provide a better service to the people.

BSNL launches mobile location tracking, security service

02 Tuesday Dec 2014

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NEW DELHI: State-run telecom operator BSNL today launched mobile security value added service that will allow its customers to track location of their lost mobile phones, remotely lock the device and erase data, among others.

BSNL is offering the solution, Msecure, in association withBeyond Evolution.

“Through Msecure solution user can remotely manage data contained in his or her lost mobile handset,” BSNL Director for Consumer Mobility Anupam Shrivastava said in a statement. (PTI)

Parliament Members complain about BSNL, MTNL Services

01 Monday Dec 2014

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Many members in the Parliament complained about the services of the BSNL and MTNL. Many others joined them. They were stating their experiences.

BSNL, MTNL Management and employees have to understand the feelings of the Members of Parliament about the service. A serious introspection is required both on the part of the management and the workers.

It is true that the anti-PSU, anti-BSNL, Anti-MTNL policy of both the UPA and NDA governments are the root cause of the present unhappy situation. They have systematically weakened the telecom PSUs and supported the private companies. All obstructions were made by the government in procuring the required equipment, the funds of the BSNL were gradually grabbed by the government on one plea or another, did not give what is due to BSNL and had made the BSNL a loss making company. The totally inefficient Management has added to the problems of BSNL. A top management which does not belong to BSNL is in charge, which does not have any stake in the company.

But the workers and their organisations can not sit idle, stating that the government and the management are the culprits and creators of the present chaos. Their duty is to explain  the present situation and change it for the better, for a better service to the people.

It is, because of this responsibility,  that the Forum of BSNL Unions/Associations has decided to organise a massive campaign among the public to inform them what has happened in BSNL, What is happening now and what is to be done to improve the situation. In preparation for the Indefinite Strike from 3rd February 2015, the Forum has decided to meet the MPs and seek their help in pressurising the government to support BSNL for revival. There should be maximum campaign among the public also. At the same time, a campaign should be organised among the workers themselves to provide a better service, despite all constraints.

The meeting of the Forum being held on 5th December will plan the campaign and organising the programme   of action already decided. Each and every worker should be part of this massive campaign and action.

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.