Category Archives: BSNLCCWF – Casual and Contract workers

12,100 firms not paying EPF Contribution -Minister. BSNL is also one of them

09 Monday Mar 2015

Posted by in BSNLCCWF - Casual and Contract workers, Neo-liberal policy, Parliament

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NEW DELHI: Over 12,100 establishments have been found defaulting on their PF contribution till December this fiscal and action is being initiated against them, Parliament was informed today.

Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Gujarat, West Bengal, Punjab, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh are among the states with highest number of such instances in the last four years up to December 2014-15.

“Instances of non-deposit of contribution by some establishments, covered under Employees’ Provident Funds and Miscellaneous Provisions have come to the notice of EPFO as they have violated the provisions of the Act and schemes framed thereunder,” Labour Minister Bandaru Dattatreya said in a written reply to Lok Sabha.(Courtesy : TOI)

BSNL is one  of these firms. The EPF for the contract workers are not being paid in many places by the Contractor/BSNL. This is most shameful for a PSU like BSNL. The BSNL Management should take immediate action to ensure contribution to the EPF.

BSNL Employee Unions /Associations should lead the fight to ensure the rights of Casual Contract workers

05 Thursday Mar 2015

Posted by in BSNLCCWF - Casual and Contract workers, Corruption

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All the BSNL Executives as well as Non-Executives are aware of the injustice being done to the low-paid casual contract workers in BSNL and their exploitation by the contractor and those who support them.

The contract worker who is eligible for the wages as per the Labour Ministry Orders are being paid sometimes half of it, somewhere less than that. An unskilled worker in the C Class should get about Rs.7,000 monthly including DA. For semiskilled, skilled and highly skilled, as also in B class and A class cities, the rates are higher. But unfortunately, the hard earned wages of the contract labour is whisked away by the contractor or somebody else who support them. This is cruel, this is brutal.

BSNL employees have a great tradition of fighting against injustice and exploitation. They have opposed them, wherever they have seen it. But now, the injustice is in their own home, the BSNL. How can we tolerate this exploitation in our own home?

My request to each and every BSNL employee, whether non-executive or executive, to all the unions and associations, including that of ITS, is expose this exploitation and help the workers get their due wage. Take action against the contractors who are violating the laws. It is a pity that even after bringing hundreds of cases of violation of labour laws to the notice of the CMD BSNL and other top officers, not even one contractor has been blacklisted. This is a sad commentary on the administration. It is a moot question, whether the administration is on the side of the contractors who violate the law or on the side of law and the exploited workers who work for 10 to 12 hours for the cause of BSNL?

Let everybody have an introspection and come forward determined to end this injustice!

 

BSNLCCWF Demands EPF, Gratuity, Govt. daily wages for Casual labour

03 Tuesday Mar 2015

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The issue of regularisation of casual and contract labour, wages of both casual and contract worker, EPF, ESI, Gratuity etc. have been taken by BSNLCCWF in the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Labour for the last few years. Now BSNL Board has decided to start EPF facilityto be implemented  for casual labours from 01-10-2000 (the date of formation of BSNL), but the orders are yet to be issued, since CMD BSNL has written to the Central EPF Commissioner requesting waival of penalty.

Com. V.A.N.Namboodiri, President, BSNLCCWF, today met Shri R.K.Goyal, GM (Estt.) and discussed all these issues and demanded issue of early orders. He stated that once the reply from Central EPF Commissioner is received orders on EPF will be issued. Regarding Gratuity and revised govt. wages, these are being examined.

Meeting with Standing Committee of Labour – Issue of Casual and Contract workers.

20 Friday Feb 2015

Posted by in BSNLCCWF - Casual and Contract workers

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MEETING WITH PARLIAMENTARY STANDING COMMITTEE ON LABOUR ON 15TH FEBRUARY,2015, KOLKATA

A Meeting with Parliamentary Standing Committee on Labour was held on 15th February,2015 in Kolkata.  After meeting with BSNL Casual and Contract Workers Federation on 29th September,2014 in Parliament Annex Building, New Delhi, the said Committee visited in Kolkata, West Bengal on 15th February as per our complaints regarding Contract and Casual Labourers issues. Comrade, Animesh Mitra, Vice President of BSNLCCWF and  Subhashis Roy, Assit. Circle Secretary, BSNLEU, Calcutta Telephones, Comrade, Tapas Kumar Ghosh, Secretary General, BSNLCCWF and Circle Secretary, BSNL Casual Mazdoor Union. West Bengal Circle, Arup Sarkar, Circle Secretary, Calcutta Telephones Thika Mazdoor Union, Omprakash Singh , Circle Secretary, BSNLEU, Telecom Factory, Shekhar Bhattacharya, BSNLEU, Telecom Factory and others unions were present in the meeting. Comrade Animesh Mitra explained ins and outs of the condition of the Casual and Contract labourers who have been working last 15 to 30 years in BSNL (the then DoT). He mentioned despite of the agreement between Department of Telecommunication, Government of India and Service Unions at the formation of BSNL, all casual labourers will be regularized. But, after formation of BSNL, 15 years have been elapsed by BSNL on the different pleas on different times. He also mentioned that Casual and Contract workers have been performing the same and similar jobs of regular staffs but wages are not being paid on the basis of the minimum pay scale of the BSNL. He also mentioned that casual and contract labourers are entitled to get the social security measures EPF, ESI,  gratuity, House Rent Allowance (HRA), Transport Allowance, increment etc. but BSNL are not paying the same till date.  As per the Hon’ble Supreme Court interim Judgement in 2009 in Eastern Telecom Region (ETR),  casual labourers have been conferred  to the Temporary Status Mazdoor (TSMs) which was framed and introduced by Department of Telecommunication, GoI  in 1989. Same and similar Casual labourers are also entitled to get the TSM status as per recommendation of the Chief General Manager Telecom (Circle Head)  but BSNL has not given the same on plea of the Hon’ble Supreme Court judgement in 2006. He also mentioned the reinstatement of the retrenched workers who had been working under Telecom Factory since the birth day of Telecom Factory. Then Tapas Kumar Ghosh, Omprakash Singh, Arup Sarkar highlighted also the burning problems of the contract and casual and contract workers.

Meeting with Director (HR) BSNL on Casual – Contract Labour issues.

19 Thursday Feb 2015

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Com. V.A.N.Namboodiri, President, BSNLCCWF met Shri A,N,Rai, Director (HR), BSNL and discussed about the implementation of EPF for casual labours from 2000,  BSNL wages for the casual labours instead of CG wages, Gratuity etc. Director (HR) stated that the EPF orders from 01-10-2000 will be issued shortly, which has been approved by the BSNL Board. Other issues are being seriously considered.

Delhi Government on regularisation of contract workers.

18 Wednesday Feb 2015

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The AAP Government is on the move to regularise the thousands of contract workers who are engaged under the  various ministries. The details of the same are being collected. In the meanwhile, the Kejriwal Government has issued instructions not to retrench any contract labour.

We congratulate the AAP Delhi government in considering the case of the toiling workers. We hope that the Government will regularise the contract workers at the earliest. We also demand the central government and the BSNL to regularise the casual and contract workers engaged by them.

CEC Meeting of BSNLCCWF W.Bengal Circle at Jalpaiguri

16 Monday Feb 2015

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The Circle Executive Committee meeting of BSNLCCWF W.Bengal Circle was held at Jalpaiguri on 13-14 February 2015. Com.Tapas Ghosh, Secretary General BSNLCCWF attended on 13th and addressed the CEC and Com.V.A.N.Namboodiri, President addressed on 14th February 2015. The meeting discussed about the issue of the casual contract workers and decided to continue sustained struggle to settle the demands.

The Open Session on 14th was also addressed by Com. Namboodiri, who is also the National Convener of the Forum of BSNL Unions/Associations. it was also addressed by the leaders of the BSNL Unions/Associations.

Circle President Com. Govinda Das presided. Circle Secretary Com. Tapas Ghosh submitted the report which was approved by the house. The discussion by the delegates were very educative and positive.

 

How the regular works are being made temporary

03 Tuesday Feb 2015

Posted by in BSNL - Better Service to the Nation, BSNLCCWF - Casual and Contract workers

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According to a latest report on industry, it is stated that out of the total 39.74 crore workforce in the country, only 4.97 crores are in the formal sector leaving 34.77 crore in the informal sector.

Even in the formal sector, out of the 4.97 crores, 2.88 crore are temporary workers. In the informal sector most of the workers are temporary only. Thus the temporary workers/ contract workers form more than 90% of the workforce. Most of these workers are denied minimum wage, social security measures like EPF, ESI etc. and have no job security at all.

The ruling parties, mainly Congress and the BJP, never took care about these toiling workers. They are continuously exploited for the benefit of and for maximizing the profits of the rich and powerful.

The sustained struggles of the 11 Central Trade Unions have focused on the seriousness and urgency of the issues to be settled. The struggle of the casual and contract workers in BSNL is part of this great struggle for survival.

BSNL Casual Contract Workers’ Massive Dharna in UP(East)

23 Tuesday Dec 2014

Posted by in BSNLCCWF - Casual and Contract workers, Uncategorized

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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.

Meeting with GM (CA) on Gratuity to Casual labour

17 Wednesday Dec 2014

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Com. VAN Namboodiri, President, BSNLCCWF today, 16th December 2014, met Shri M.N.Punde, GM (CA), Corporate Office and discussed about provision of Gratuity to the families of expired casual labour as also to the casual labour who has completed sixty years and will be retiring. The details were explained. GM(CA) assured to look in to the matter.