AIBSNLEA has demanded the Pension Revision w.e.f. 01-01-2017 on IDA scales with 15 % fitment. All major unions of the BSNL executives have taken the correct stand and demanded for 15% fitment on IDA scales. This is a good united move. AIBDPA from the first have demanded on the same line and met the Secretary DOT and given memorandum.

We are reproducing the post in the website of SNEA on Pension Revision of BSNL Pensioners.

“GS and President met Shri Prabhash Singh, Member(T&S), Telecom Commission on 09.03.2018 and held discussions on the following issues:

a) Pension revision for the Govt pensioners retired from BSNL with 15% fitment: We explained the meeting with the Hon Minister and the Secretary on the issue on 24.02.2018 in which Hon Minister directed DoT to take actions for the pension revision. The revision is due w.e.f 01.01.2017. Pension revision is not related with the affordability or paying capacity of BSNL. Union Cabinet already decided a fitment of 15% for the pay revision which will be applicable for the pensioners also. In 2007, Cabinet approved 30% fitment for the pay revision and the same was extended to the pensioners also. Accordingly we requested to move a Cabinet note separately for pension revision of the pensioners with 15% fitment, w.e.f 01.01.2017. Member(Services) assured to do the needful and told us to meet again in the first week of April for further discussions.”

We thank the SNEA leaders for demanding and taking up the issue of Pension Revision in the correct perspective.

Kisan March in Mumbai Azad Maidan. The Govt. will be compelled to discus and settle issues of Kisan before this red sea.

Latest report:

The government met the AIKS leaders, who are leading the March  at 2 p.m. on Monday.

Irrigation Minister Girish Mahajan said the government has agreed to their demands. “The government has agreed on 100% demands, including transfer of land title,” he said.

The farmers have agreed to withdraw the protest, he said, adding that a special train has been arranged for them to return home.

The ‘kisan rally’ which started from Mulund on Saturday night, reached Mumbai on Sunday. The farmers decided to march at night in order to avoid causing inconvenience to public.

The farmers intended to gherao the Vidhan Bhavan in Mumbai on Monday and voice their demands, which include a complete farm loan waiver, implementation of the recommendations of the M.S. Swaminathan Commission, providing forest rights and better compensation for land acquired by the government.

The government was compelled to agree to the demands and the farmers have agreed to withdraw the agitation on the above assurance.

Hearty Congratulations to the Farmers, their leaders and AIKS!

Com.K.G.Jayaraj, General secretary, AIBDPA has written to the CMD BSNL demanding restoration of the medical allowance formula. The same is given below:

AIBDPA/ BSNL-MRS/2018 March 4, 2018
Shri.Anupam Shrivastava
CMD, BSNL, Bharat Sanchar Bhawan
Janpath, New Delhi-110001
Sir,
Sub: Proposed curtailment of payment for outdoor treatment with voucher and without
Voucher- reg
Ref: Letter of AGM(SR) No.BSNL/39 -1/SR/2018 Dated 01-03-2018 addressed to the recognized unions.
BSNL management vide letter referred to above has proposed
(1) to reduce the annual ceiling of outdoor treatment to both employees and retired employees to 12 days of Pay with DA as per the existing orders with retaining the existing provisions like waiver of outdoor ceiling in case of Chronic diseases etc and
(2) to withdraw the medical allowance without voucher facility to retired employees in cities covered by CGHS facility.
We strongly protest against the above proposals and request your immediate intervention to desist from such a move.
It is mentioned in the letter that the above measurers are proposed due to the financial constraints of BSNL. While appreciating the concern of the management we are of the firm opinion that drastic reduction in the annual ceiling , about 50%, will put the lower salaried employees and retirees into difficulties. And it will be a great discrimination to deny the quarterly medical allowance being paid to retirees residing in CGHS covered places. Now, availing CGHS facilities by the BSNL pensioners is only optional and most of the BSNL pensioners are unwilling to opt CGHS due to lack of sufficient facilities and the required medicines in the CGHS dispensaries/well centers.
In this connection we have a reasonable and simplified suggestion which may be helpful to reduce the expenditure to a great extent.
A uniform amount, irrespective of pay, be determined both for yearly ceiling for outdoor treatment with voucher and for payment of quarterly medical allowance without voucher as the consultation fees to doctor and cost of medicines are one and the same for lower salaried and higher salaried employees/ retirees.
A reasonable amount be fixed as the annual ceiling of outdoor treatment with voucher with retention of existing provisions like waiver of ceiling for chronic diseases etc.
So also uniform monthly medical allowance of Rs.2000 be paid to all the retirees for outdoor treatment without voucher . Medical allowances are being paid monthly and uniformly by the central government and most of the PSUs including banks.
It is hoped that the above suggestion be considered positively.
Thanking you,
Yours faithfully,
K.G.Jayaraj
General Secretary.

CC: Ms.Sujata Ray, Director (HR), BSNL, Bharat Sanchar Bhawan, Janpath , New Delhi.
Com.P.Abhimanyu, General Secretary, BSNLEU, Dada Ghosh Bhawan,New Delhi-110008.

Com.N.P.Padmanabhan, who was called respectfully and with great regards as ‘Pappetan’ by the P and T workers and comrades, left us on 5th March 1994. He functioned as the Circe secretary of the P.III Union (NFPTE) Kerala Circle, as Convener of the mighty P and T Co-ordinating Committee and also as Convener of the Confederation of Central Government Employees and Workers for many years. He also worked for two terms as the Secretary of NFPTE.
A valiant fighter for the cause of the P and T and Central Government employees, he led the P and T employees in Kerala during the 1968 historical strike and also many other agitations. He took the lead in organising local struggles to settle local issues. P and T House in Thiruvananthapuram, the union office where he stayed, was the centre where many union leaders came for discussion and advise. The struggles he organised and helped settlement is beyond counting. He was an orator of great persuation and the workers got inspired.
Pappettan was dismissed in the 19th September 1968 strike and was not taken back till 1979, when the Janta Government came in to power. Most of the others were taken back by about three years. He was arrested in the 1960 strike and jailed. He was transferred several times for union activities.
I had long years of contact with him since 1960 strike. He inspired me and also a large number of workers to take up responsibilities in the union. His courage in facing any difficult situation and crisis is well known. He was a close associate of Com.K.G.Bose in fighting against the anti-working policies of the government and and against the revisionist line of OP Gupta and team.
On this 24th death anniversary we pay respectful homage to the memory of Com.N.P.Padmnabhan and pledge continue the struggles for the cause of the workers.
Red Salute to Com. Pappettan!

BSNLEU and BSNLCCWF Kerala Circle has called upon all units to organise mighty demonstrations in front of BSNL offices on 2nd March protesting against the inaction on the part of management and contractors for payment of wages to the contract workers which caused an innocent worker to commit suicide due to mental agony. Com. Do keep Kumar, a contract worker from Pathanamthitta committed suicide yesterday due to mental agony.

Organise the protest demonstration with massive participation.

The PRC IDA Fitment was better earlier and now also for BSNL Pensioners. Why go for a different and lesser fitment than 15%?

We are surprised to see a demand in the website of one pensioners association as follows:

“We request the respected leaders of Service Unions to fight for their pay Revision and leave the issue of Pension Revision. Our task has become much for difficult now. “

The above association completely forgets that it is mainly because of the continuous struggle of the BSNL Unions associations/Forum/Joint Forum representing the BSNL employees that the wage revision in 2000 was settled which benefitted the BSNL pensioners. It was again, the struggle of both the employees as well as the pensioners that the wage and pension revision were settled in 2007 which again benefitted workers and pensioners. The glorious struggle for settlement of 78.2% IDA fixation as well as pension fixation has not been forgotten by the pensioners. It was in the meeting of the DOT with the Forum/Joint Forum that the break through came for cancellation of the 60:40 ratio and the government took the full responsibility for the pension to BSNL retirees. Now also it was after the massive demonstration of Parliament March by the employees and Pensioners which compelled the DOT and Minister to meet and discuss the issues and the present positive development came. The serious discussion with both DOT and Minister is given in the websites of the unions and it can be seen how much they were compelled to go back from their tough stand and negotiate with the employees.

In the same way the Medical Advance without voucher was restored to pensioners, only after the unions in the National Council agreed that, the same be restored to pensioners first and they have no objection to it.

It has become the habit of certain pension associations to criticise the service unions for non-settlement of issues and when the issues are settled by the struggle of the workers, claim the  credit for the same. Wonderful!

Let nobody forget that ” Today’s pensioners were yesterday’s workers and that today’s workers are tomorrow’s pensioners”

CENTRAL TRADE UNIONS DECIDES TO OBSERVE ALL INDIA PROTEST DAY ON 15TH MARCH 2018 – Press Statement

The meeting of the Central Trade Unions held on 22nd February 2018 at INTUC Office New Delhi expressed indignation and strongly condemned the Government of the day for their intensified attack on the lives and livelihood of the people and seriously compromising the national interest.

Attack on working class centering around dismantling labour laws designed to completely casualise employment conditions through various routes like amending Contract Labour Act, introducing Fixed Term Employment etc has assumed aggressive height. Further it is noted that the Government is out to erase the public sector from the industrial map of the country. Specific cases of attack on privatization of railways, opening coal mining to private and foreign companies without any restriction whatsoever, mass scale privatization as well as destruction of defence production network through widespread outsourcing, thereby dismantling the almost half of the ordinance factories are some of the examples of the gross anti-people and anti-national actions of the Govt. Accumulation of huge non-performing assets of the public sector banks arising out of pilferage of bank-funds by deliberately defaulting private corporate coupled with recent explosion of frauds with bank fund engineered by the same corporate class is also a reflection of the anti-national act of the Govt indulging and patronizing the same big-business class.

The Central Trade Unions reiterated their utter condemnation against the Union Budget 2018-19 which is basically anti-worker and anti-people in character and engineered a deception on the mass of the people through loud populist slogans without actually making any resource allocation.

The Central Trade Unions denounced the Govt of India’s surreptitious move in postponing the 47th session of Indian Labour Conference, thereby reducing tripartism to a mockery.

CTUOs noted with satisfaction the surging struggles by the working people in different sectors throughout the country, both organised and unorganized.

The workers and federations of coal and transport have been preparing for united industrywide actions to be undertaken shortly. All the Federations of Defence Production workers have jointly decided to go in for nationwide strike on 15th March 2018. Many more sectoral actions are in the offing.

The CTUOs while reiterating their resolve to intensify preparation for indefinite strike in the days to come, calls upon all their constituents and working people in general irrespective of affiliations to jointly observe

ALL INDIA PROTEST DAY ON 15TH MARCH 2018
· In solidarity with the striking Defence Production workers against anti-national privatization move
· Against the Anti-people Deceptive Union Budget 2018-19

The CTUOs will meet shortly after 15th March 2018 to decide their next course of united countrywide action.

INTUC, AITUC, HMS, CITU, AIUTUC, TUCC, SEWA, AICCTU, UTUC, LPF

The March to Parliament by the BSNL workers on 23rd February 2018 as per the call of the BSNL Unions and Associations was a huge success with massive participation of the workers from all parts of the country. Comrades from the length and breadth of the country came to the capital to show their anger and distress at the negative attitude of the government on the most important demands like wage revision, pension revision, pensionary benefits to the BSNL recruitees, cancellation of the formation of a separate tower company bifurcating the towers of BSNL, reduction of retirement age from 60 to 58 etc. Thousands and thousands thronged the capital to participate in the March. More than one thousand comrades from All India BSNL DOT Pensioners Association (AIBDPA) also participated. They always participated in the programmes of All Unions and Associations, because they know that today’s workers are tomorrow’s pensioners and that it will be only through the valiant struggles of the workers that the issues of pensioners also will be settled.

The gathering point for start of the March was the large space in front of the Eastern Court, occupying the offices of BSNL and MTNL. From 0900 hours onward comrades started coming with the flags and banners of their unions/associations. By about 10.00 hours the square was filled and many comrades had to stand on the pavement of the road. The March was inaugurated by Com. Tapan Sen, M.P. and General Secretary of CITU, the mighty organisation of the Indian working class. In his powerful speech, he congratulated the workers, supported the demands and warned the government that BSNL workers not only knew how to improve the services, but also to go on mighty struggles, which will hamper the entire service. He stated that the entire central trade unions are supporting the united struggle of the BSNL workers. Comrades from other central trade unions, Com. Vidya Sagar Giri (AITUC) and Shri Zile Singh (INTUC) also address the gathering.

After the inauguration and the speeches, the Parliament March started with the banner of the ALL Unions and Associations in front with the General Secretaries leading. Slogans focussing the demands and protesting against the negative attitude of the government on the justified demands were raised, which echoed again and again in the streets of the capital. There were more than thousands and thousands of workers with a good number of pensioners also, whose future also depended upon the settlement of the demands. The procession marched through the streets of Delhi towards Parliament, where it was stopped in front of the Parliament Police Station by three lines of blockades and by a big police force. There was clashes between the workers who wanted to march ahead and the police who wanted to stop them. At last it was decided to hold the rally there itself with the advance vehicle converted in to a temporary stage. The entire street as also both the sides were filled up by the workers. Com. P.Abhimanyu, General secretary BSNLEU welcomed all and spoke about the demands and the need to continue the struggle, till the demands are met. Com. Chandeswar Singh, GS, NFTE, Com. K. Sebastin, GS, SNEA, Com. Prahlad Rai, GS, AIBSNLEA, Com. K. Jayprakash, GS, FNTO, Com. N.D. Ram, GS, SEWA BSNL, Com. Ravi Shil Verma, GS, AIGETOA, Com. Mallikarjuna, President, BSNL MS, Com. S.D. Sharma, GS, BSNL ATM and Com. G.L. Jogi spoke. Com.V.A.N.Namboodiri in his speech supported the struggle, congratulated the workers and assured that the entire pensioners and casual- contract workers will be with the BSNL workers in their fully justified struggle.

Later a meeting was held at Sanchar Bhawan between the Secretary, DOT, Smt. Aruna Sundera Rajan and the general secretaries of the unions and associations, where almost all the members of the Telecom Board were present. Detailed discussions took place and the demands were strongly put before the DOT. The meeting with the Communications Minister will be held next day, 24th February 2018.

The massive parliament March has been a wake-up call to the DOT as well as the government. The government, now can not continue its slumber on the demands of the workers. They will have to act and act decisively. It is a question of ‘Do or Die’ for the workers. As in the past, the BSNL workers workers will continue their struggles till the demands are met.

Unity for Struggle, Struggle for Unity and Unity and Struggle for Progress!