Comrade Suseela Gopalan, senior leader of CPI(M), former Minister in LDF government in Kerala, Member of Parliament, former President of AIDWA and wife of Communist legend Com. A.K.Gopalan, passed away 17 years earlier on 19th December 2001. On her death anniversary, I pay my respectful homage to Comrade Suseela Gopalan!

She had always been close to the working class and was formerly Chairman of the P and T co-ordinating Committee Kerala. During her MP days, she took up a lot of issues of the workers in the Parliament and settled many of them. I had the opportunity to meet her and discuss the workers’ issues, while Com. AKG was alive and afterwards. She was always very helpful and took up issues with the government effectively.

Red Salute to Com. Suseela Gopalan!

The central government has issued orders empowering 10 central agencies like Enforcement Directorate etc. to snoop on any computer for the purpose of interception, monitoring and decryption of any information generated, transmitted, received or stored in any computer. This will result in complete snooping on the personal data of individuals and enable the government unlimited powers to victimise the people.
Political parties have strongly protested and demanded withdrawal of the order.

Certain discussions are going among the pensioners and in social media about how to get the pension revision with effect from 01.01.2017 for BSNL pensioners. Some pensioners unions have demanded for continuing the pension revision as was done w. e. f. 01.01.2007 as this was much beneficial compared to CG Pensioners pension revision. Some have demanded that it should be on the basis of VII CPC.

2. The pay revision and pension revision of CG employees were w.e.f. 2006, while the same for BSNL employees and pensioners w.e.f 2007. In the same way it will be in 2016 for CG employees and pensioners and for from 2017 for BSNL employees and pensioners.

3. The payscales for CG employees and pension revision are on the basis CDA scales recommended by CPCs. For BSNL employees it is based on IDA scales as per PRC which is higher.

4. Periodical CDA for CG employees and pensioners are granted after every six months on the basis of cost of living index. For BSNL staff and pensioners it is in every three months. From experience, we have seen that the latter is better.

5. Since pension was agreed to by the govt. at the time of formation of BSNL,
the govt was thinking of the same payscales as in govt.as granted to FCI employees etc.when it was made a public sector. Later Door Darshan also followed suit. But all the unions and associations were emphatic that since we are a PSU, we should get PSU scales on IDA. After a bitter struggle, better wage revision was got. Another serious struggle had to be organised for getting pension on the basis of the higher wages than that of CPC

6. This method continued in next wage revision. CG employees got pay revision and pension revision on CDA scales w.e.f. 2006 and BSNL employeers and pensioners as per II PRC on IDA scales wef 2006, which was higher. Sustained struggles had to be organised for getting both wage and pension revision.

7. Further struggles were organised to get 78.2 % IDA wage and pension fixation for BSNL which was higher than that of CGE.

8. All these demands were raised and struggles organised unanimously to achieve the demands. Nobody and no unions that of employees or pensioners demanded that the wage and pension revision should be based on CDA scales on the basis of CPC from 2006 etc., because the wave / pension revision as per PRC was better a d beneficial.

9. Coming to the wage revision from 2017 onwards, the workers demanded wage revision with 15% fitment as recommended by III PRC for PSUs.The AUAB demanded that affordabilty condition should be dropped. The management has recommended the IDA scales for executives and wage negotiation for non executives are going on.

10. Due to the struggles and threat of Indefinite strike by AUAB, the Communications Minister had discussion with AUAB on the major demands raised including wage revision. Some are settled and the discussion on wage revision is going on.

11. As per VII CPC the minimum wage granted for CG employee is Rs.18,000 while the scales demanded and under discussion for BSNL employeee is Rs. 19590. Discussion is going on. This IDA scale is better than the CDA scale of Rs.18,000.

12. Due to the affordability clause in the III PRC, some comrades felt that there may not be wage revision in BSNL and raised a demand of pension revision be made on the basis of VII CPC. They contended that there may not be any more PRC in the future. It is true that govt. will try any mischief w.r.t to CPC or PRC. In the past also some CPCs stated that there is no need for future CPCs. The workers have thwarted this attack in the past and will do so in future also. We have belief in the workers and their struggle.

13. The government will be only too happy if the wage revision and pension revision is done in BSNL on tbe basis of CPCs. The wage will be less, the pension will be less and three monthly DA increase need not be paid. Of course, the workers will never agree to such reduction. Pension can not be reduced as per present rules, but the government may impose the CDA scale as the basis for future pension as they calculated BSNL payscales for MTNL pensioners, when they demanded full govt.
Pension as in the case BSNL pensioners, instead of prorata pension.

14. Why should a demand be raised for CDA pension as per CPC, when the existing pattern on the basis of PRC is available and has been implemented in the past? Why should anybody go back to a lower payscale or lower pension or stagnation when a serious struggle is going on by tbe AUAB for the entire workers and pensioners?

15. The demand for CDA pension on the basis of VII CPC will result in umpteen anomalies creating a lot of hardship and differences to the workers. It will also be a handle to the govt to distance the pensioners from the workers.

16. Let us have confidence in the united strength of the workers’ and pensioners’ organisations to clinch a better deal for the workers and pensioners. Going back to a system which we have discarded from a better existing position will not be worthwhile. Some comrades may feel that it is impossible to achieve our demands in the present situation. I would only state that we have faced much more worse situation earlier and have come out successful. Let us continue our struggle for a better future. Many times we have made impossible in to possible.

Sorry Comrades, I have been on tour for some days and returned today. During these days I could neither put any posts nor reply to the comments. I have reached HQ and will continue my work.

The meeting of the Central Govt. Pensioners Association (CGPA) Kozhikode held today at KG Bose Bhawan  paid homage to the memory of Com. K.G.Bose, veteran leader of the CG Employees, and mentioned about the struggles and agitations led by him. Com. T.N.Nambiar, President CGPA presided. Coms. VAN Namboodiri, M.Balasubramanian, P.Kunhiraman, Balan Punnassery, Asokan, K.Sarojini. P.V.Chandrasekharan, P.C.Raghavan Nair, A.V.Viswanathan and other leaders addressed. The speakers mentioned about the close relationship of Com.KG Bose with Calicut.

44 years are over after the departure of Comrade K.G.Bose from our midst. It was on 11th December 1974 that our beloved leader Com. K.G.Bose passed away in a London Hospital, at the comparatively young age of 53.

But the  contribution of Com. K.G.  to the P and T Trade union movement during that period is beyond description. Born on 7th July 1921, he entered the P and T Department as a clerk in the DET Office, Calcutta in 1941. From the date he joined till his death in 1974, he was completely merged in the union activities, leading and guiding thousands of committed workers all over the country. His role in the 1946 P and T Strike, in the formation of NFPTE in 1954, exposing the revisionist leadership and leading the workers on the correct line – all are well known to the P and T workers. Thousands of young comrades like me have been inspired by him and became active workers of the union.

Com.KG was a fighter, a revolutionary, a leader who mingled with the workers and understood their aspirations and capabilities and molded them in to dedicated and determined activists. He was elected as President of NFPTE in 1970 and led the movement on the correct line. He was elected to the Bengal Legislature and was a Member of the Pay Commission for the State Govt. Employees.

His last days were in a London hospital, where he was taken for treatment of dreaded cancer. Though expert treatment was given, he could not recover and passed away on 11th December 1974, leaving all of us is complete darkness.

A few words from his last letter to the comrades in India is reproduced below:” I want to survive and continue my uncompromising fight against all injustices,  and  in this fight  I am not alone, thousands and thousands of comrades are with me and they are the source of my inspiration.”… ” We can not be a party to any proposal which may be considered as surrender of the principled stand by the common workers”.

The own building of BSNL Employees Union in New Delhi is named “K.G.Bose Bhawan” in his memory. There are many such union offices all over the country which are named after him. His wife, Com. Parul Bose, herself a staunch union worker, also passed away a few years back. Com. Moni Bose, the veteran trade union leader and one of the First Patrons of the BSNL Employees Union, who passed away in 2010, was his younger brother.

Recently when I was searching some old papers at my home at Calicut, I got a few letters which have been sent by Com. KG and which I have kept safely as a memory of the great leader. I feel fortunate that I could meet and be a dedicated follower of Com.K.G.Bose.

Red Salute to Com. K.G.Bose, the Eternal Revolutionary!

Dear Shri Manoj Sinha ji,
We, the undersigned Central Trade Unions, are aware that a notice of strike has been
served by all the Unions representing the employees and officers of BSNL all over the country. The proposed strike is to commence from 3.12.2018. (A copy is attached).
Thousands of workers (Non-Executives and Executives of BSNL) are retiring every month. Naturally, issues of their 3rd Pay Revision are still pending despite clear commitment given to them in that regard and that has created serious resentment among them. They are expecting at least 15 % enhancement/fitment in pay and payment of pension contribution by BSNL and revision of pension to BSNL retirees w.e.f. 01.01.2017, as made available to a number of public sector employees and
officers. Periodic pay revision is a right of the BSNL employees and officers and that right should not be denied to them more particularly when their dedicated services to BSNL made the company earn operating profit consistently at least since last four years despite difficult situation.

That timely payment to engaged contract/casual labourers is also a demand of prime
importance of theirs.
The employees also strongly feel that BSNL is not being provided a level playing field with the other service providers. Hence the demand for Allotment of 4G spectrum to BSNL is also being raised by the employees as per the proposals submitted by the BSNL Management.

We believe these demands are not only most reasonable, but even demonstrate their
commitment to BSNL.
We urge upon you to intervene and sort out the genuine demands of the employees through negotiations with the concerned unions and associations of the employees and officers to reach an amicable settlement and avoid any inconvenience to the public and the dedicated employees.

INTUC    AITUC    HMS     CITU     AIUTUC

TUCC     SEWA     AICCTU     LPF      UTUC

BSNL workers will start an Infefinite Strike from 3rd December demanding allotment of 4G Spectrum to BSNL, Wage Revision, Pension Revision, Pension Contribution on actual pay etc. This is a struggle for the existence of BSNL and a better service to the Nation.

Extend solidarity and suport to the fully justified strike.

The pollution in Delhi is increasing further making it difficult for the people. State government is taking many measures, but the situation is becoming graver. A morning photo of the city.