Category Archives: Disinvestment

Cabinet decides to disinvest Air India

28 Wednesday Jun 2017

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The Cabinet today decided to disinvest Air India. The report by the PTI is given below:

“The Union Cabinet today, 28th June 2017,  cleared disinvestment of debt-laden Air India but the final modalities, including the quantum of stake sale, will be decided by a group of ministers.

Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said the Cabinet has given “in-principle” approval for disinvestment of Air India.

A group will be set up to finalise modalities/details of disinvestment of Air India, including the quantum of stake sale, he said.

The civil aviation ministry is charting out the disinvestment of the state-run carrier.

Surviving on taxpayers’ money, Air India has been in the red for long and various proposals, including government think tank Niti Aayog’s suggestion for complete privatisation, have been made.

The airline has a debt of more than Rs 52,000 crore and is surviving on a Rs 30,000-crore bailout package extended by the previous UPA government in 2012. “

100% Disinvestment or Open sale of profitable PSU, HLL

15 Thursday Jun 2017

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The earlier plea of the government that the only the loss making PSUs are being sold, is now abandoned. Whether the PSU is profitable or not, it is going to be sold today or tomorrow. The design of the  government is very clear that all the PSUs, along with their land, will be handed over to the private corporates. There is no difference whether they are connected with the security of the nation, whether they are public services or in any  most important sector.

The latest information is that the profitable Hindustan Latex ( HLL Lifecare Limited ), a Mini Ratna company, is being sold with 100% disinvestment. It has a net revenue of 1,127 crores  and profit of Rs. 31 crore in 2015-16. This PSU has been profitable for continuously and situated in Kerala.

AI and AI

29 Monday May 2017

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So far AI meant Air India. But now the ‘AI’ is more and more being used for Artificial Intelligence.

Government wants to eliminate Air India by closure or by strategic sale. Then, only one  AI will be there – Artificial Intelligence, which means more and more robots and robotics, mainly benefitting the corporates, rich and powerful, thus reducing the workforce.

However, the Air India workers and the people will not allow the major PSU, Air India, to be privatised. There is going to be sustained struggles, that I am sure.

All Profit making PSUs to be listed

18 Saturday Feb 2017

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The Central government has taken decision to list all the PSUs making profit for the last three years in the market for disinvestment / strategic sale.The expected amount to the government through strategic sale /disinvestment for the next financial year is a whooping Rs. 72,500 crore. There are 71 PSUs making profit continuously.

The Modi government is aggressively continuing its ‘selling the family silver’ to benefit the private corporates and big business. Whatever disinvestment or strategic sale so far done has shown how the people’s wealth is being handed over to the corporates for paltry sums.

Not only the trade unions, but a massive movement by the people is needed to stop this anti-national move of disposing of the nation’s wealth.

An Open Appeal to all the Executive and Non-Executive Unions/Associations in BSNL

06 Thursday Oct 2016

Posted by in BSNL, Disinvestment, Forum, General

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Dear Comrades, Colleagues and Brothers,

As a former Convener of the Joint Action Committee, Joint Forum and Forum of BSNL Unions/Associations, I wish to present the following appeal to all of you for a patient hearing and favourable consideration.

As all of us are fully aware, the formation of BSNL, corporatising the DOT services was the first step towards privatisation. Even before that, private telecom companies came in the scene. All the assistance, support etc. promised  by the government was an eye wash to make the employees get absorbed in the new corporation, BSNL.

Within a few years, all of us  experienced the move towards privatisation of BSNL by government through disinvestment and retrenchment. It was only through the united mighty struggles of the workers under the leadership of the JAC/Joint Forum/Forum that disinvestment and VRS/CRS could not be implemented in BSNL. It was a great achievement of the united struggle of the workers. It is to be noted here that almost all the PSUs stand disinvested and VRS/CRS implemented.

Privatisation not only means handing over this great government asset to the private for garnering huge profits, it also adversely affects the national security and results in loss of jobs to the employees.

The latest position of the government is to implement the recommendation of the NITI AYOG, to strategically sell BSNL and MTNL. When protests arose from the workers, NITI AYOG denied the report, but it is known to all that it is a ruse to confuse the workers from going on struggle. The present situation is very critical to the future of the PSU and the workers.

Through the initiative of the Forum and full co-operation from the Management, maximum efforts are made to improve the finance and better the services, which has borne fruit. This year, 2015-16, BSNL is in operational profit of about Rs. 3,000 crore. It is estimated that by 2017-18, BSNL will post profit.

It is, at this stage that the new danger of strategical sale is coming. At this crucial stage, we find the Forum, which has to take initiative, stands divided. BSNL Unions/Associations have always come together when there was any serious danger to the company and the workers.

This is the time for action. Any delay may result in untold hardship to the employees, sale of BSNL and retrenchment of tens of thousands of workers,  as was done in the case of ITDC Hotels, VSNL etc. Once there is no BSNL and MTNL, the charge for telecom services will rise many fold, as the experience of other countries have shown.

Action requires unity of all the workers/unions/associations. The JAC/Joint Forum/Forum has been the united force of the workers to defeat the anti-worker policy of the government. There have been differences between the unions/associations on demands or priority on demands etc. but all have stood together like a rock when any serious attack came on BSNL or the workers. This is the force that kept BSNL alive.

Therefore, my appeal to all the Unions/Associations is that at this crucial juncture let us join together under the leadership of the Forum as before and fight the menace of strategic sale and privatisation. The government move can be defeated only if we all are united and ready for struggle.

I hope that all unions/associations will ponder on these issues and will come together as before and unitedly fight for the survival of BSNL and the workers.

With Warm Regards,

Yours Comradely,

V.A.N.Namboodiri

Former Convener of JAC, Joint Forum and Forum of BSNL Unions/Associations

New Delhi, 06-102016

 

Vedanta Group wants purchase of balance shares of BALCO and Hindustan Zinc.

22 Monday Aug 2016

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During Bajpayee government BALCO and Hindustan Zinc Limited was handed over to Vedanta  Group through strategic sale. 51% in BALCO and more shares  in HZL was sold at that time. Vedanta Group now wants all the shares to be purchased so that it will get control of all the assets of the company without any government control. The UPA government did not take any decision in the matter earlier. Such handing over will be against the interest of the nation and the workers. It should not be allowed.

Move to disinvest Air India

22 Monday Aug 2016

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The central government is moving for disinvestment of Air India, if the reports in the papers are any indication. On the plea of reducing the loss of the company, the Air India wants to sell shares to the extend of Rs.10,000 crores. This is nothing short of gradually increasing the disinvestment of Air India with the programme of privatisation in future.

DEFEAT GOVT. MOVE FOR STRATEGIC SALE OF BSNL AND MTNL !

20 Wednesday Jul 2016

Posted by in BSNL, Disinvestment, Forum, SAVE BSNL CAMPAIGN, Telecom TU Movement 1991-2015

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BSNL has always been a target of both the UPA and NDA governments to be attacked and finished. BSNL was formed as a PSU with the intention of privatising after some time. As all know, telecom sector with its huge profit, has always been a paradise for the corporates, Indian and foreign. BSNL stands as a challenge to these corporates for minting unlimited profits. The government company had to be either killed or gradually privatised through disinvestment. In order to achieve this, BSNL has to be discredited, made loss making so that there will be on reaction from the public. The continuous growth of BSNL for the first five years was a shock to the government as well as the corporates. The move of the government to reduce the number of employees through VRS was defeated by the complete strike and sustained struggles of the workers who stood together like a rock. Move to disinvest was also defeated in the same way.

It is at this time that the government intervened and cut the entire equipment procure programme of BSNL, not once but thrice. It was just like sending an army in the forward area without arms and ammunition. Only through a magnificient strike, the damage could be lessened, which at least allowed the company to move slowly forward.

The posting of loss for the last four years encouraged the government to bring their long pending agenda of privatisation to the forefront. The proposal of NITI Ayog for strategic sale of BSNL and MTNL is nothing but handing over the companies to the corporates for garnering huge profits and grab the lakhs of acres of land in the centre of towns. People know how Maruti, the country’s prestigious company, was transferred to Japan’s Suzuki. People know how VSNL, another telecom company was handed over to Tata for a pittance.

The NITI Ayog’s present recommendation is a jerk action, seeing that BSNL is being revived after the joint efforts of the management and the workers under the leadership of Forum of BSNL Unions/ Associations. ‘Customer Delight Year’, ‘Service With A Smile’, ‘Free Night Call’ and such other programmes have improved both service and the financial position. There is an operational profit of about Rs. 2,000 crore this year and there may be real profit from next year. In such a situation, the government will not be able to implement its sinister schemes. Hence the government’s urgency to move with lightning speed for strategic sale.

The workers of BSNL will never allow a VSNL in BSNL. BSNL is their bread and butter. More than that, it is the pride and glory of the country, which served them dedicatedly and sincerely for the last one and half century with out fail. The telecom workers have a glorious past of fighting against wrong polices of the government. They will march ahead in this struggle path with maximum unity and determination.

We call upon all the Unions and Associations in BSNL to close their ranks immediately and come together under the Forum of BSNL Unions and Association to fight and defeat the sinister move of the government to kill BSNL and MTNL. The internal and other differences have to be kept aside at this crucial juncture. It is just like a national emergency for the BSNL and MTNL employees.

Remember how the private management of VSNL, ITDC Hotels, BALCO etc. after privatisation, retrenched the women workers, SC/ST employees and then more than half of the employees on one pretext or other, pushing them to the crowd of the crores of unemployed in the country. Some of them even committed suicide without finding themselves unable to maintain their families. All the assurances were broken and the workers were thrown to the steets.

Do we in BSNL want such a situation? NO! We will fight and defeat the  ugly monsters who wants us to be thrown to the streets. Let each and every worker come under the mighty Forum to save BSNL and save their own future!

UNITY FOR STRUGGLE !

STRUGGLE FOR UNITY !

UNITY AND STRUGGLE TO DEFEND BSNL AND OUR EXISTENCE !

 

 

Prepare for serious struggle against closure / strategic sale of BSNL

03 Sunday Jul 2016

Posted by in BSNL, BSNL - Better Service to the Nation, BSNLEU, Disinvestment, Forum, General

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It is reported in Hindu that BSNL, Air India etc. are recommended to be closed / strategically sold by NITI Ayog (former Planning Commission) along with many other loss making PSUs. It is also reported that the government may not accept the recommendation in the case of BSNL immediately, since the government fear stiff opposition from its 2.5 lakh employees. ITI is already in the list. It is also reported that the government will start with ‘low hanging fruit’ and later proceed with the big catch.

The intention of the government is very clear. It wants to handover the most profitable telecom sector completely to the private, including BSNL. VSNL is already sold. BSNL seems to be the next target, since Delhi based MTNL, may be the last target because of its being in the capital of the country with all government offices, including that of President, Prime Minister, Defence establishments etc.

Its inability to impose VRS and disinvesment in BSNL earlier, due to strong protest and agitation from the workforce, only is keeping the government from privatising/closing BSNL. Any weakening of the Forum / united movement of the workers will be utilised by the government to implement its dark agenda. The workers can not be caught unawares.

Strengthen Forum of BSNL Unions/Associations to fight against privatisation/closure of BSNL!

Govt. move to sell surplus land with PSUs

27 Monday Jun 2016

Posted by in Disinvestment, General, PSU

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The committee appointed by the government to recommend the policy of creating a land bank of the surplus land of the PSUs is in its last phase. The recommendations are expected to be submitted in a few weeks.The proposal is to sell the surplus land available with the PSUs. The corporates have been putting much pressure onthe government to get these lands in the centre of the cities for real estate and for construction of big hotels and other business buildings.

Though the committee is expected to recommend to utilise these spaces for government departments, the main intention is only to sell it to the corporates. Already the buildings and land of the closed PSUs are under sale.