Category Archives: BSNLEU

Press release issued by the Central Trade Unions on 8-9 General Strike

07 Monday Jan 2019

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The entire trade union movement in the country have jointly given a call for two days countrywide general strike on 8-9 January 2019 against anti-labour, anti-people and anti-national policies of BJP-led NDA Government, from the National Convention of Workers held on 28th September 2018 at New Delhi.

The Ten Central Trade Unions, Independent Federations and Associations of various sectors have been consistently fighting against the policies of BJP-led NDA Government with two successful general strikes, one on 2nd September 2015, and then on 2nd September 2016. After that a three day Mahapadav on 9-10-11 November 2017 at Parliament was held with massive mobilisation of workers, followed by general strike by almost 80 lakhs of Anganwadi-Asha-Mid Day Meal Workers & other scheme workers on 17th January, 2018 for regularization and implementation of unanimous recommendations of 45thIndian Labour Conference to give them “Worker” status and social security, as well as satyagraha protest actions in January and February 2018 all over country were organised jointly by the unions in districts and state capitals. Besides these, in between, big agitations by sectoral unions at national and state level and the agitations by various sectors have been organised throughout this period.

The Central Government failed to respond, refused any dialogue, undermined tripartism, did not hold Indian Labour Conference for the last more than three and half years and instead, continued its aggressive attack with arrogance on the lives and livelihood of the working people. Desperate attempts are being made to make gross pro-employer changes in labour laws, both piecemeal and also hastening the codification of 44 central laws into four, totally ignoring the viewpoints of trade unions. An attempt is being made to usurp funds accumulated in various welfare boards, in the name of providing “universal Social Security”. Unilaterally and through arbitrary notification on fixed term employment through executive order on the one hand and through gradual replacement of workers by apprentices in various establishments on the other, the very concept of regular employment and job security is being sought to be wiped out from the workplaces. Now the cabinet has come out with amendments into the Trade Union Act, 1926 which are irrational, highly discretionary and extremely damaging to the independent functioning of unions. It is designed with the dubious intention to cripple unions, to promote pocket unions or tout unions.

At the same time, the Govt policy of mass privatization of strategic PSUs, crucial infrastructure and public utilities, specially targeting the ports, airports, telecom, financial sector etc, with defense production and railways thrown open for 100% FDI, is aimed at loot of the national assets and resources on the one hand and destruction of country’s economic base on the other.

In this background the preparations of strike are receiving support from all sections of the society. The unions in Banks, Insurances, and Coal and non-Coal mines, Petroleum, Post, Telecom, Engineering, Manufacturing, Steel, Defense, Health, Education, Water managements & projects, those in Power/Electricity, Road Transport, the Central & State Government employees and Auto-Taxi unions etc and so on have served required notices of strike at their union levels to the appropriate authorities. The unions in the unorganized sector are well in preparations for massive strike action along with rastaroko, rail roko type of agitations through massive mobilizations. Railway unions have expressed their support and would organise solidarity actions.

The unions and associations of agricultural workers, plantation workers, scheme workers, construction, beedi, vendors-hawkers, hamalies/loaders-unloaders, and others are mobilizing for show of strength on streets during two strike-days.

Modi Government, in the last three months, since we declared our decision of two days general strike from the National Convention of workers on 28th September 2018, has increased its pace of attacks on workers instead of dialogue with unions. With every passing day, the Government is coming forward with more of aggressive policies to ruthlessly cripple public sector undertakings and to safeguard the loot by the corporate houses through provisions of IBC Act and various other measures to the detriment to economy.

The farming communities through their associations have also extended support to the strike as the Government has failed to address their issues as well. The organisations of students and teachers of various universities have declared their support.

With the wider support emerging than ever before, the workers and their unions are in upbeat mood to make this 2-day strike historic, in order to defend the country’s economy and also defend their rights and to hit back at the Government which is being caught in the web of biggest scam of Rafale deal.

Two Days Strike on 8-9 January 2019

01 Tuesday Jan 2019

Posted by in BSNL, BSNLEU, CG Employees, PSU

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New Year 2019 is opening with a massive strike of more than 20 crores of workers on 8-9 January 2019 on 12 demands. All Central Trade Unions except BMS are part of the struggle. Central, State government employees, PSU workers and all other sections of workers are participating. BSNL Employees Union along with other unions have also given call. BSNLCCWF has also given call for strike.

AIBDPA, the biggest organisation of the BSNL-DOT Pensioners has extended all support and solidarity to the strike.

Let us make the strike a complete success!

BSNL increases its Market Share – Congratulations!

29 Saturday Dec 2018

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Despite cut throat competition and government favour to private telcos and discriminating BSNL, the latter has increased its market share both in total connections ( mobile + Land line) and also in mobiles. There is a slight decrease in the land lines.

From 9.66 % market share in mobiles in 2016 BSNL has increased it to 12.64 % in 2018. In the total it is 9.59% in 2016 to 10.48% in 2018. The loss in land lines is from 58.63% to 52.64%, which is mainly due to the change over from landlines to mobile.

This increase in the market share is mainly due to extra effort made by the BSNL management and BSNL workers under the leadership of AUAB. Hearty Congratulations!

But unfortunately the total loss has increased  to Rs.4844 crore. While there were five circles ie. Andaman – Nicobar, J and K, Karnataka, Kerala, and Odisha in profit last time, it has been reduced to two circles ie. Andaman and Kerala only this year. Kerala’s profit has also been reduced from R. 584 crore to 373 crores.

The main reasons for this downfall are demonetisation, GST, favouring of Reliane Jio and other telcos by the government, discriminationg and ignoring its own company, BSNL, by not allotting 4G Spectrum, not allowing to take loans for expansion etc.

The government should allot 4 G spectrum immediately, allow BSNL to take loans, reduce the pension contribution to be paid by the BSNL on the basis of actual pay instead of maximum of the pay scale, The various payments to the government should be allowed in more installments as allowed to private telcoms etc. The government should also direct all the central, state governments as well as central/state PSUs only to avail the services of BSNL and MTNL. The vacant buildings and quarters should be rented to the state government/PSUs etc. Various departments of the government will be able to have training classes etc. in the ALTTC, BRAITT, RTTCs  etc. Monetisation   of unused plots also can be made made, of course, taking in to consideration future developments.

Prime Minister is reported to have stated ‘ PSUs are born to die’. We don’t agree. BSNL is born to live and improve and become a mighty and efficient service.

Pensioners and outsiders as office bearers of workers’ Unions / Associations?

27 Thursday Dec 2018

Posted by in AIBDPA - BSNL DOT Pensioners, BSNL, BSNLEU, CG Employees

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A question has been raised by some comrades/friends that what is the necessity of pensioners/outsiders being elected as office-bearers of workers’ unions and associations in central government establishments, PSUs etc.? Is it not against the interest of the workers? Is it not denying the workers their legitimate right to lead their own organisations? Some other connected questions are also being raised.

The principle that the workers themselves should be the leaders of their organisations is correct and not wrong. Then why, most of the unions/associations are having retirees/outsiders as leaders of the movement.

It has got historical and practical reasons. Take for example the case of central government employees. The first to be organised in India were the Railway as also Posts and Telegraph workers. The pioneers of the P and T trade union movement like Tarapada Mukherjee, Henry Barton, Dada Ghosh, K.G.Bose and others were all either removed / dismissed from service, jailed, punished for their trade union activities. V.G.Dalvi, who organised the Postmen in 1919 was an Advocate, who could not be departmentally punished for his trade union activities. Secondly electing office bearers from outside trade union leaders, including M.P.s, gave the benefit that the employees issues could be directly raised in the Parliament etc.Hence since 1946, and especially after 1954 when NFPTE was formed, NFPTE itself and most of its affiliated unions elected sitting M.P.s as their President and sometimes other office-bearers also. This gave much benefits to the workers in raising their demands with the government and fighting against victimisation after the 1960, 1968 strikes etc. when lakhs of workers were victimised and sent out of service. The marathon discussions in Parliament on the issues of the P and T workers, victimisation etc is a shining example. This was the case with Railway Unions also. In the NFPE and NFTE, this system continued till the 1990s, when the Central government issued new recognition rules under which no retired employee could function as office bearer of the service unions. Due to strict implementation of the rule, on retirement, the office-bearer became a non-office-bearer. The union had to elect a working employee to the post.

In the PSU unions, not only pensioners but outsiders are also allowed to be office-bearers. Outsiders can be elected to the extend of 33% of office-bearers. Pensioners are included in the category of workers and can be elected without any limit. In the private establishments, usually some of the leaders are from central trade unions only so that they are always in the mainstream of workers. They have full trade union rights, unlike government employees.

Retired leaders are elected as office bearers since the workers feel that their past experience in the trade union movement or service unions enable them to lead the movement better. Some are reelected even after retirement for respect for their past service. It is due to this that a small percentage of retired workers continue to lead the organisations.

Ultimately, it is the workers who decide that who are to be the office-bearers of the union. Nobody needs to have any grudge when the conferences democratically elect the retired employee or outsiders as office bearers. However, restricting the number to the minimum is always preferred since that will enable the workers themselves to lead their organisations and decide their own destiny.

A further question is raised by some friends. Whether any worker can be elected as office-bearer of the pensioners’ unions/associations? Personally I am for this idea that young and energetic workers can be elected as office-bearers who can help a lot. In fact, in most of the government departments and PSUs, the pensioner organisations have been formed with the help of the unions of workers. In BSNL, the workers organisation BSNLEU took initiative in forming the pensioners association, AIBDPA.

Warm Greetings to the newly elected office-bearers of BSNLEU.

26 Wednesday Dec 2018

Posted by in BSNLEU

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The IX All India Conference of BSNLEU held at Mysuru from 17th to 20th December 2018, has unanimously elected the following office-bearers:

President : Com. Animesh Mitra, West Bengal
Vice-presidents : (1) Com. Balbir Singh, Ludhiana, Punjab
(2) Com. Nagesh Kumar Nalawade, Maharashtra
(3) Com. R.S.Chouhan, NTR, New Delhi
(4) Smt. K. Ramadevi, Andhra Pradesh
(5) Com. M.K. Dave, Gujarat.
(6) Com. K.S. Soun, Uttarakhand.
General Secretary : Com. P. Abhimanyu, Puducherry.
Dy. General Secretary : Com. Swapan Chakraborty, NE-I
Asst. General Secretaries : (1) Com. Sampath Rao, Telangana
(2) Com. S. Chellappa, Tamil Nadu
(3) Com. John Verghese, Maharashtra
(4) Com. Prakash Sharma, Madhya Pradesh
(5) Com. R.K. Mishra, UP (East)
(6) Com. Vijayakumar, Kerala
Treasurer : Com. Gakul Borah, Assam
Organising Secretaries : (1) Com. Ramesh Chand Sharma, Haryana
(2) Com. Sisir Kr. Roy, CTD, Kolkata
(3) Com. P.K. Jain, Rajasthan.
(4) Com. Amarjith Singh, Himachal Pradesh.
(5) Com. Naresh Pal, UP (West).
(6) Com. M.C. Balakrishna, Karnataka.
(7) Com. Irfan Pasha, Karnataka.
(8) Com. S.D. Chowdhary, TF-Mumbai
(9) Com. P.R. Parameswaran, Kerala.

Hearty Congratulations to all the office-bearers!

AUAB writes to DOT on reducing pension contribution on actual pay

26 Wednesday Dec 2018

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The letter writteny the AUAB to the Secretary DOT on the above subject is reproduced below.

ALL UNIONS AND ASSOCIATIONS OF BSNL (AUAB)
No: UA/2018/56 26.12.2018

To,
Ms. Aruna Sundararajan,
Secretary, Telecom,
Sanchar Bhawan,
20, Asoka Road, New Delhi, 110001

Respected Madam,
Sub: – Pension Contribution on actual basic pay instead of maximum of the pay scale – early reply to the
clarification sought by Department of Expenditure, Ministry of Finance on the methodology – reg.
The All Unions and Associations of BSNL (AUAB) extremely grateful to your goodself and DoT for making a
very positive recommendation to Department of Expenditure, Ministry of Finance for making Pension
Contribution on actual basic pay instead of maximum of the pay scale for the BSNL employees absorbed
from DoT, as assured by the Hon Minister. DoT made the recommendations based on the DoP&T Order No.
2/34/2008-Estt. (Pay II) dated 19.11.2009 issued in super session of OM dated 15.05.2000 as per the
recommendations of 6th CPC. Government revised order relating to pension contribution payable w.e.f
01.01.2006, the date of implementation of 6th CPC. The pension to the employees absorbed in BSNL is paid
by the Government vide provisions under Rule-37 A and the pension contribution is paid under the
provisions of FR 116.
It is understood that last week, Department of Expenditure sought some clarifications in this regard on the
methodology of payment of pension contribution by BSNL and the effective date. Since the revision of pay
scales has taken place w.e.f. 01.01.2007 in BSNL, naturally the date of effect of the above OM will be from
01.01.2007. Considering the financial condition of BSNL, the excess payment of about Rs.2,200 Crores paid
by BSNL since 2007 as Pension Contribution may be refunded to BSNL.
A suitable reply in this regard may be sent to Department of Expenditure immediately, facilitating DoE to
take a positive decision in this regard at the earliest as assured by the Hon Minister.
Thanking you

Notice for General Strike on 8 th and 9th January by BSNL Employees.

24 Monday Dec 2018

Posted by in BSNL, BSNLEU

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BSNL Employees Union
National Federation of Telecom Employees
BSNL Mazdoor Sangh
Telecom Employees Progressive Union
______________________________________________________________________________________________
24.12.2018
To
The Chairman & Managing Director,
Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd.,
Bharat Sanchar Bhawan,
Janpath, New Delhi – 110001.
Sir,
Sub: – Notice for General Strike on 8th and 9th January, 2019 – reg.

In accordance with the provisions of sub para (1) of section 22 of the Industrial Disputes Act, 1947, it is hereby notified
that the BSNL employees will join the General Strike, being organised on 8th and 9th January, 2019, on the following
charter of demands.

Demands:
1) Urgent measures for containing price-rise through universalisation of public distribution system and
banning speculative trade in commodity market.
2) Containing unemployment through concrete measures for employment generation.
3) Strict enforcement of all basic labour laws without any exception or exemption and stringent punitive
measures for violation of labour laws.
4) Universal social security cover for all workers.
5) Minimum wages of not less than Rs 18,000/- per month with provisions of indexation.
6) Assured enhanced pension not less than Rs.3,000/- p.m. for the entire working population.
7) Stoppage of disinvestment in Central/State PSUs and strategic sale.
8) Stoppage of contractorisation in permanent perennial work and payment of same wage and benefits for
contract workers as regular workers for same and similar work.
9) Removal of all ceilings on payment and eligibility of bonus, provident fund; increase the quantum of
gratuity.
10) Compulsory registration of trade unions within a period of 45 days from the date of submitting application;
and immediate ratification of ILO Conventions C 87 and C 98
11) Against Labour Law Amendments
12) Against FDI in Railways, Insurance and Defence

Thanking you,
General Secretaries

Resolution adopted in the 9th All India Conference of BSNLEU, on Pension Revision for BSNL Retirees.

23 Sunday Dec 2018

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Resolution adopted in the 9th All India Conference of BSNLEU,
on Pension Revision for BSNL Retirees.

This 9th All India Conference of BSNL Employees Union held at Mysuru from 17th to 20th 2018 welcomes
the assurance given by the Honorable Minister for Communications, Sri Manoj Sinha, on 3.12.2018 in
the meeting held by him with AUAB (All Unions and Associations of BSNL), for delinking pension
revision for the BSNL pensioners from pay revision of serving employees . This Conference demands for
immediate approval for this delinking.
This Conference further demands that the pension revision be done for the BSNL Pensioners from
1.1.2017 as well as those retired after 1.1.2017, on the basis of 15% increase on basic pension plus
119.8% DA , on par with the IDA Pay Revision ordered by DPE on the basis of 3rd PRC
recommendation.
This Conference demands the DoT and Government of India for automatic revision of pension on the
basis the highest fitment benefit granted in IDA pay revision for executives in future also.

A unique decision on recognition of BSNL Unions – BSNLEU shows the way.

23 Sunday Dec 2018

Posted by in BSNLEU, General

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“Mysuru All India Conference takes historic decision to strengthen working class unity!
The Mysuru All India Conference has taken a historic decision to strengthen working class unity. This is the time when greater unity has to be built to settle the wage revision, pension revision and to safeguard BSNL from the attacks of the government. Revival of BSNL is our historic task. Without unity, we cannot achieve all these. This is not the time to quarrel among us on petty issues. This is not the time to test who is bigger and who is smaller. Particularly, the unity of the two recognised unions- BSNLEU and NFTE- is the need of the hour. The Mysuru All India Conference deeply deliberated this. Finally, the Conference decided to get the Recognition Rule modified, to strengthen unity. As per the Non- Executives’ Recognition Rules, if the first union gets 50% votes or more, than the second union will not get recognition. The Mysuru All India Conference has unanimously passed a resolution, demanding that this clause should be removed. We are hopeful that this will pave the way for closer coordination and understanding between the BSNLEU and NFTE- the two major trade unions of BSNL.” (courtesy: bsnleu.in)

It is also to be remembered that BSNLEU, the lone recognised union in BSNL in the last membership verification, demanded the government to recognise the second largest union in BSNL and thus the second union, NFTE got recognition. The present decision takes one more step in this direction. Congratulations to BSNLEU!

At this stage when further unity is being brought, let us not forget the past also. In the first membership verification in 2002, NFTE got about 1,05,000 votes and got recognition while BSNLEU got about 90,000 and became the second union. BSNLEU demanded that the BSNL management should recognise two unions in BSNL as was done in DOT ie. NFTE and FNTO. The BSNL Management was prepared for the same, but Com.O.P.Gupta, SG NFTE, threatened the the management with approaching court as also agitational programmes. Hence, the the management did not grant recognition to BSNLEU. In the next verification, BSNLEU became the sole recognised union, and continued as such till the last membership verification when BSNLEU itself demanded for the recognition of the II Union which made NFTE eligible for recognition. Now going one further step BSNLEU has demanded that even if the first union gets more than 50%, the second union should be recognised. This is an unparalleled decision and certainly will reduce the bitterness in the membership campaign and also go a long way in united struggle for BSNL and its workers.