Category Archives: Forum

Kashmir struggling to recover

21 Sunday Sep 2014

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After a long period I got a call from Com.Nisar Ahmad, Circle Secretary BSNLEU, J and K today. I have been trying to contact him for many days. He narrated in brief what has happened and what is happening in Srinagar and other parts of Jammu and Kashmir. It is total devastation. It is the Army and the youth who have been in the forefront of saving the people from the floods.
Almost everybody in Srinagar has been affected. The houses of Coms. Nisar Ahmed, Bashir Khan and all of our BSNL employees have been affected as all the people have been affected. The government offices were all under water as also hospitals.
After the water has started receding, the rehabilitation work has started. But it will take a long time for recovery. Help from all quarters is required.
The Forum of BSNL Unions/Associations had called upon the BSNL employees to donate one day basic salary to the J and K Fund and requested the BSNL Management to deduct it from the salary of September, payable in October 2014. Forum has also demanded the management to immediately arrange advance of one month salary to the affected J and K BSNL Employees.
Let us all do our maximum to assist the J and K people in their time of disaster and difficulties.

Recover the Rs.41 crore arrears from private telecom companies

11 Monday Aug 2014

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Press note issued by V.A.N.Namboodiri, Convener, Forum of BSNL Unions/Associations

Recover the Rs.41 crore arrears from private telecom companies

While BSNL is in loss, there are huge arrears on rent to be recovered
from the private telecom companies for sharing of the BSNL Towers. The total
amount as on May 2014 is Rs.41.04 crore. Airtel have to pay Rs.10.68 crore
followed by Idea (Rs.6.01 crore), Vodafone (5.48 crore) RIL (5.33 crore) Aircel
(4.95 crore) TTSL (3.90 crore) etc.
The arrears have been increasing months after months. Altogether about
3000 towers have been provided for sharing.
The Forum of BSNL Unions / Associations demands BSNL and the govt.
to ensure that the due arrears are collected without any further delay.

Protest Demonstrations on 12th and 21st August 2014

10 Sunday Aug 2014

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FORUM OF BSNL UNIONS / ASSOCIATIONS
ORGANISE PROTEST DEMONSTRATION ON 12TH / 21ST AUGUST
The meeting of the Forum of BSNL Unions/Associations held on 4th August 2012 has called upon the BSNL employees to organise massive lunch hour demonstrations at Circle and SSA levels on 12th August 2014 to express their mighty protest against the recommendations of M/s Deloittee Consultants, which includes retrenchment of about 70,000 non-executives, recruitment of executives on contract basis, reducing the 330 SSAs to 167 without any scientific basis, concentrating the powers on services, maintenance etc. at Circle from the SSAs etc. which are neither in the interests of the BSNL, its employees nor the customers.
It is to be noted that neither the BSNL Management who appointed the Consultant, nor the consultant itself, has taken the employees and their organisations, who are also important stake-holders, in to confidence before finalising the report. The Forum, the Unions and Associations, who are making all out efforts to improve the services and co-operating with the BSNL Management for improving the financial viability of the PSU have been completely sidelined, unlike in the past. Despite seeking for a copy of the report of the consultant and also a meeting with the CMD to discuss the matter, no response has been received from the management. Sorry to state, this is unbecoming of a management which wants the co-operation of the employees in running the company successfully.
Under the circumstances, the Forum has called upon the employees to organise protest demonstration on 12th August in SSAs and also Circles. The Protest Demonstration at BSNL C.O. will be held on 21st August, on which date the meeting of the Circle Heads will be held at Corporate Office to take decisions on the recommendations of the Consultant.
In the past, the united actions of the unions/associations had compelled the Government and the BSNL Management to scrap their proposals for disinvestment and also retrenchment through VRS, thus saving from deterioration as happened in some other PSUs. If the recommendations of the present consultant are accepted and implemented, BSNL and its employees will be in peril. Hence it is necessary that all the employees and their organisations should stand and protest as one, making the government and BSNL Management to understand that the employees are not to prepared to accept any anti-BSNL decisions.
• Organise Massive Demonstration on 12th August at Circle / SSA with massive participation.
• Organise Massive Demonstration at Corporate Office on 21st August.
• Let each and every employee participate in the Protest demonstrations to ensure success.
To General Secretaries of unions / Associations of BSNL. They are requested to direct their Circle/District Secretaries to jointly organise the programme successfully.
V.A.N.Namboodiri, Convener, Forum.

Organise Massive Protest Demonstrations on 12th August 2014 against anti-worker Consultant report

04 Monday Aug 2014

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The Meeting of the Forum of BSNL Unions / Associations held today, 4th August 2014 has decided to organise massive demonstrations on 12th August at Corporate Office, Circles and SSAs against the anti-worker, anti-BSNL recommendations of the Consultant M/s Deloitte appointed by the BSNL to recommend on the financial viability and revival of BSNL. The recommendations are intended to retrench more than 70,000 non-executive employees, reducing the number of SSAs from 330 to 167, concentrating the work to Circle offices, engaging of Off Roll ( contract ) Executives etc. There will be no promotional prospects for the non-executives, and almost the same for the executives. Neither the Consultant, nor the BSNL Management has taken the employees or their unions/associations in to confidence in the matter, keeping these important shareholders completely in the dark. This seems to be a dark conspiracy. Naturally the employees are enraged. The decision of the Forum to organise mighty demonstrations on 12th August, when the meeting of the Heads of Circles is being held in Corporate Office, Delhi is most appropriate.
The Forum has already written to the management to furnish a full copy of the report and demanded discussion on the report. The Forum is seeking a meeting with the Communications Minister also.
The Joint Action Committee /Forum has earlier defeated such attacks on the workers like VRS and Disinvestment through united struggles. This time also it will be not be different. But unity and determination is a must. Let us meet each and every BSNL employee and prepare them for sustained struggles to achieve victory.

Meeting of Forum on 4th August 2014

03 Sunday Aug 2014

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An Emergent Meeting of the Forum of BSNL Unions/Associations will be held at 04.00 AM on 4th August 2014 at BSNL MS office, New Delhi to discuss about the report of the M/s Deloitte Consultants on the financial viability and revival of BSNL.

It is to be noted that neither the BSNL Management nor the consultants have taken the unions/associations in to confidence in appointment of Consultant, discussion or in finalising the recommendations. This is an arbitrary method entirely different from the past. The Unions/associations were given opportunity to discuss and present their views before the consultants, like M/s KPMG etc.

As per available reports on the recommendations, the same are against the workers. About 70,000 workers will be made surplus. Network, Transmission etc. will be shifted to circles from SSAs. 330+ SSAs will be reduced to just 167. Instead of recruitment, the roadmap is for outsourcing. It is recommended to close the Telecom Factories. Whether the report is for revival or for favouring the private companies to finish BSNL?

The meeting of the Heads of Circles is scheduled  on 12-13 August 2014 to discuss the recommendations. Before that,  the Forum has to meet and finalise its  views and plan to safeguard the interests of the workers. There can not be any delay in the matter.

 

 

Forum Meeting on 18-07-2014 – Decisions

18 Friday Jul 2014

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FORUM OF BSNL UNIONS / ASSOCIATIONS
D-7, Telegraph Place, Gole Market, New Delhi – 110001
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Meeting of the Forum held on 18th July 2014

A meeting of the Forum of BSNL Unions /Associations of Non-Executives and Executives was held today, 18th July 2014, at the Local council Room, NTR, Eastern Court, New Delhi. Com. C.Singh, President, presided.
Com.V.A.N.Namboodiri, Convener, welcomed all and briefed the meeting about the developments after the last meeting. Further he metioned about the agenda items.
After detailed discussions, the follwing decisions were taken:
1. Master Service Agreement signed on 2nd May 2014 between BSNL and Reliance Jio Infocomm Ltd. on the sharing of towers, BTS,Antennae etc.
The meeting discussed the issue based on the available information. While the agreement may bring some revenue to the BSNL, the entire issue has to be thorughly loked in to including certain doubts raised by the participants. Hence it was decided to meet the management and to have a discussion on the issue.
2. 78.2% IDA fixation for the Pensioners
The Convener explained the present situation that the DOT has intimated to the Dept. of Expenditure their reply to the comments raised by the latter. With regard to the pre-2007 pensioners, a Cabinet Note is necessary. With regard to the post-2007 pensioners, the DOT mentioned that notional fixation could me made on the basis of certain cases settled earlier. On 60:40 ratio regarding pension payment, DOT informed that till 2010, the pension payment has been within 60% of the payment made by BSNL to DOT.
The meeting was of the firm view that no compromise could be made on the full payment of pension from 01-01-2007, when 78.2% IDA fixation became due. The DOT orders have to be suitably amended. In the same way, the Forum should strongly take the case to ensure that the 60:40% condition of payment of pension is cancelled.
These cases should be taken with the DOT and the Communications Minister.
The meeting came to an end with vote of thanks from the chair.

V.A.N.Namboodiri
Convener.

Forum Meets on 18th July

17 Thursday Jul 2014

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The Forum of BSNL Unions and Associations will be meeting at 1600 hours on 18th July 2014 at Local Council Room NTR, Eastern Court, Delhi to discuss certain important issues including the Agreement made by the BSNL Management with Reliance Jio on sharing of the towers.
All the Forum Constituents are requested to be present.

Agreement between BSNL and Reliance Jio on sharing of towers, BTS etc.

13 Sunday Jul 2014

Posted by in BSNL - Better Service to the Nation, Forum, PSU, Telecom

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We are surprised to know that BSNL has made a Master Agreement on 2nd May 2014 with Reliance Jio Infocom Limited on Passive Infrastructure Sharing with the condition of sharing of Towers, BTS, Antenna, Feeder cable etc. the agreement is for 15 years with.
The rent for one month for Ground Tower is Rs. 38,700 and for the Roof Top Tower Rs. 24,900. For the first three years, there will be reduced rate.
The entire details of the agreement are not with us and hence it is not possible to comment of the details of the same. But, however, such a massive agreement involving about 60,000 towers, connected cables etc. is not a small matter. The unions/associations, who have got important stakes should have been consulted before taking any such action.
It is to be noted that the JAC/Forum of Unions and Associations have gone on strike and stopped unbundling and and sharing of towers in the past. We feel that this agreement is a calculated move to give the benefit of our towers cables etc. to the Reliance Jio which is one of the big corporate in the country owned by Mukesh Ambani.