A meeting is held at the Sanchar Bhawan today the 24.02.2018, between Shri Manoj Sinha, Hon’ble Minister of State for Communications and the All Unions and Associations of BSNL. Together with the Minister, Secretary, DoT, Special Secretary, DoT, Joint Secretary (Admn.), DoT, OSD to the Hon’ble Minister, DDG (Estt.), DoT, CMD BSNL and Director (HR) BSNL were present. From the All Unions and Associations of BSNL, Com. P. Abhimanyu, GS, Com. Chandeswar Singh, GS, NFTE, Com. K. Sebastin, GS, SNEA, Com. Prahlad Rai, GS, AIBSNLEA, Com. K. Jayaprakash, GS, FNTO, Com. N.D. Ram, GS, SEWA BSNL, Com. Ravi Shil Verma, GS, AIGETOA, Com. Mallikarjuna, President, BSNL MS and Com. S.D. Sharma, GS, BSNL ATM, participated in the discussions. The representatives of the AUAB heartily thanked the Hon’ble Minister for taking out time to meet them. Detailed discussions took place on the memorandum submitted to the Hon’ble Minister, the details of which are as follows:-

Note on the discussion.
(1) 3rd Pay Revision.
So far, the DoT has been maintaining that BSNL employees are not eligible for 3rd Pay Revision. In
today’s meeting the Hon’ble Minister agreed that the issue of 3rd Pay Revision of BSNL employees
would be processed and would be taken for the approval of the DPE and the Cabinet. This is a great
achievement. We have broken the stalemate that prevailed in the Pay Revision issue. At the same time
we have to be vigilant, till the final approval is given by the Cabinet.
(2) Formation of Subsidiary Tower Company.
The AUAB representatives expressed their apprehension that in the name of formation of the Tower
Company, the 66,000 mobile towers of BSNL are being snatched away from BSNL. They also pointed
out that the decision of the Cabinet that, the Subsidiary Tower Company would remain under the control
of BSNL Management, has been violated, through the appointment of an IAS officer as the CMD of
Subsidiary Tower Company. They further pointed out that even BSNL Management was not taken in to
confidence in the appointment of an IAS officer as the CMD of the Subsidiary Tower Company, which
clearly shows that the Subsidiary Tower Company would not be under the control of BSNL
Management. The reply given by the Hon’ble Minister in this regard is non-committal and not
satisfactory. The AUAB has to find ways and means to ensure the rolling back of the Subsidiary Tower
Company.
(3) Pension Revision.
The representatives of AUAB strongly argued that pension revision should be done to the BSNL
pensioners. It was pointed out that the BSNL pensioners and the Central Government pensioners are
covered by the same rules. They argued that when pension revision is settled for the Central
Government pensioners, the same should not be denied to the BSNL pensioners. The Hon’ble Minister
assured that needful action would be taken to settle this issue, and directed the Secretary to take
necessary action.
(4) Calculation of Pension Contribution.
It was strongly argued that pension contribution in respect of BSNL employees cannot be calculated on
the basis of maximum of the pay scale, when the same is calculated on the basis of actual basic pay, in
the case of Central Government employees on deputation. It was pointed out that as per the DoP&T
order issued in 2006, pension contribution of the Central Government employees is being deducted on
the basis of actual pay only w.e.f. 01.01.2017. The Hon’ble Minister directed the Secretary, DoT, that
this issue should be settled as per Government orders.
(5) Allotment of 4G spectrum to BSNL.
The AUAB representatives pointed out that it will be extremely difficult for BSNL to compete with the
private operators, without providing 4G service. They strongly argued that the proposal of the BSNL
Management, for the allotment of 4G spectrum by the Government, should be accepted. The Hon’ble
Minister replied in the positive and assured that needful action would be taken and spectrum will be
allotted to BSNL.
(6) Reduction of retirement age from 60 to 58.
The AUAB representatives strongly argued that the retirement age of the BSNL employees should not
be reduced from 60 to 58, as a measure for the revival of BSNL. The Hon’ble Minister told that the
government is not having any proposal to reduce the retirement age from 60 to 58.
(7) Left out issues of the 2nd PRC.
The AUAB representatives pointed out that this issue is lingering on very long time and needs to be
settled. The Hon’ble Minister stated that this issue would be looked into by the Secretary, DoT.
At the end of the meeting, the Hon’ble Minister stated that the representatives of AUAB could meet him again,
as well as the Secretary, DoT, in continuation of today’s meeting. The representatives of AUAB heartily
thanked the Minister for his positive response to most of the issues.
After the meeting with the Hon’ble Minister, a meeting of the AUAB was held in the FNTO’s office. All the
General Secretaries expressed their satisfaction with regards to the progress in the issues. They also expressed
the view that all these have happened only because of the united struggles and massive mobilisations by the
entire Non-Executives and Executives, for which they deserve appreciation.
(Courtesy: BSNLEU Website)

Nirav Modi, who looted Punjab National Bank and other PSU banks thousands of crores of rupees and left the country now says that he will not pay the dues to the workers, because the authorities have raided his companies! This is the real face of the corporates. Nirav Modi has looted and kept his loots in foreign banks and real estate there and says no money to pay wages for the workers who toiled for his companies. The vulgar face of crony capitalism!

The Central cabinet has decided to denationalise coal mining. Coal mining was the monopoly of PSU Coal India Limited, although private companies were allowed to mine for their own limited use.

According to the present decision the monopoly of CIL is taken away and private companies can mine for commercial use.

One more decision against the public sector and in favour of corporates.

Privatisation programmes go on aggressively. The loss is to the nation and the common people.

It is reported that Air India is in operational profit for the last two years. Congratulations!

Indian Labour Conference Postponed After RSS-Affiliated BMS Threatens To Boycott Prime Minister Narendra Modi

“BMS decided to boycott ILC due to the centre’s anti-labour policies,” RSS trade union President said.

The Centre has indefinitely postponed the Indian Labour Conference to be inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi after RSS trade union BMS threatened to boycott it over the Union budget that was “unsympathetic to labour and workers”.

At the 47th ILC scheduled to be held on February 26 and 27, trade unions and employers were to discuss key issues over employment and security of workers.

The Union Labour and Employment Ministry, the host of the conference, has not explicitly explained the reasons for calling it off. “The ILC has been postponed. Inconvenience is regretted,” the ministry sent the message to trade unions, BMS president Saji Narayanan told Outlook.

Trade unions, including the RSS-affiliate Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh, had earlier threatened to boycott the event, alleging their demands were not met in the Union Budget. To avoid embarrassment perhaps, the ILC now stands cancelled.

“BMS had decided in its national executive meeting in Ambaji in Gujarat, held from February 6 to 8, to boycott ILC due to the centre’s anti-labour policies. Two words were totally missing from this year’s budget- labour and worker,” Narayanan told Outlook.

THE BMS, however, demand the ILC to be convened soon, and the government should “do their homework.”

“ILC should not be a ritualistic or ceremonious event. The government has not done sufficient homework. We demand that ILC should be convened at the earliest with sufficient home work by the government,” the RSS trade union president said.

In an exclusive article for Outlookindia, Narayanan had said the BJP government at the Centre is nothing more than UPA III.

The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), the nucleus of Sangh Parivar cosmos, had made it evident that it is upset with the Modi government’s economic policy decisions and, like a ventriloquist, has been lashing out through its affiliates like BMS and Swadeshi Jagran Manch.

Other central trade unions invited to the Conference had other reasons to boycott it. Upset with the government’s decision to not invite Indian National Trade Union Congress (INTUC), the second biggest central trade union in the country, as many as 10 central trade unions described the move as “discriminatory” and “undermining the spirit of tripartism.”

The unions had also expressed displeasure over not taking action on the unanimous recommendations of the 43rd, 44th and 45th ILCs especially on formulation of minimum wages, same wages and benefit for same work as regular workers for contract labour. (Courtesy: Ms Vimala Vidya)

Lalit Modi, Vijay Mallya, Nirav Modi, Vikram Kothari – the list is unending. They are  robbing the poor people’s money deposited in the banks, with the full connivance of the bank management and their political masters. It is not small amount. The three-four barons mentioned alone have captured more than Rs. one lakh crore of rupees from the PSU Banks and left the country, with the full knowledge of the government. In fact, it might have been some of the political leaders who might have arranged the escapade , because it is also their own necessity having close connection with these cheats.

During the UPA and  NDA governments, India has become one of the countries, where corruption, bribery, cheating, black market, money laundering and all after effects of implementation  of crony capitalism have flourished unchecked. The present Modi Government has topped in the game.

When crores of young people with out jobs, poor people with out food are somehow dragging their every day life, these barons treat themselves in posh hotels, build/purchase palatial building in India and abroad, spend their times with world celebrity models, and is show cased in all big functions, including that are participated by the Prime Minister and other ministers. These vulgar exhibitions of wealth and plunder are glorified by the print and other medias, of course which are owned by the same corporate class.

The general elections are going to take place next year. These ruling classes which supports the rich to rob the poor should be thrown out. This crony capitalism which has engulfed the country in to worst misery can not be allowed to continue.

Political freedom we got in 1947. The struggle for economic freedom has to continue.

Kerala State has offered to take over the loss making PSU, Instrumentation Limited Palakkad, considering the large number of employees and their future. It asked the Centre to clear the arrears of salaries of the employees as it can not take the responsibility for the same. The central government has not agreed so far and the process of handover has not started.

The mother unit of the PSU at Kota has already been closed. BJP is making all  obstructions to the take over of the Kerala unit by the state government, since it will clearly show the difference between the pro-PSU policy of the LDF and the anti-PSU stand of NDA.

The question is of the employment of more than 300 employees of the PSU and also strengthening of the PSU. The central government should hand over the PSU to state government after clearing the dues.

It has been reported that a RSS-BJP sponsored “Ram Raj Rath Yatra” has been flagged off from Ayodhya in U.P. yesterday which is supposedly to retrace the route of Rama to Sri Lanka, as described in the Hindu epic Ramayana. This was flagged off by the VHP General Secretary.
The disaster and communal clashes as also the demolition of the Babri Masjid which followed the infamous Ratha Yatra of Advani in 1996 is well known. There is no doubt that the present Rath Yatra, which is supposed to pass through M.P.,Maharashtra, Karnataka, Kerala and end at Kanyakumari in Tamil Nadu, is also being organised with similar intentions.

Both the central and state governments have to be alert for immediate strong actions to avoid any communal disturbance.

The BJP government is continuing its discrimination against INTUC, the second largest central trade union in India. Invitation was not extended to INTUC by the government to the the 47th Indian Labour Conference (ILC) to be held on 26-27 February 2018 on flimsy grounds. All the Central Trade Unions have strongly opposed the discrimination and alleged that it is politically vindictive.

The plan of the government to divide the workers need to be defeated. The government should invite invite INTUC also to the Convention.

BSNLCCWF extends full support to the programme of Satyagraha by All Unions and Associations of BSNL. It will start from 30th and will be continue upto 3rd February, 2018. A resolution was adopted in the CEC meeting of BSNLCCWF at Raipur in which the CCWF called upon the casual contract workers to mobilise active support to the regular staff in the satyagraha and Work According to Rule programme. 3rd PRC, protest against tower company and no VRS are the main demands of the 2 lakh Executives and Non-Executives in BSNL. Modi govt. has also taken a negative stand to settle the genuine demands of the workers. So we will be also with the regular staff agitational programme.(Courtesy: BSNLCCWF website)