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The inhuman exploitation of contract workers in BSNL UP(E) Circle.

16 Wednesday Oct 2013

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The contract workers engaged in UP(E) Circle of BSNL are facing inhuman exploitation from the contractors.BSNL Management is either closing its eyes to these gross violation of rules and regulations or are a willing party to the same.
In the meeting of a some leaders and workers of BSNLCCWF held at Lucknow, the leaders placed the sharp facts before Com.V.A.N.Namboodiri, President of BSNLCCWF, who had come to Lucknow to attend the Circle Convention on “Revival of BSNL” on 15th October. Though the Minimum Wage as per government of India rules and BSNL instructions come to around Rs.6,000 in C class Cities for the unskilled, the wages paid are around Rs. 1,500 – 2,000, except in very rare cases. No EPF or ESI are deducted and remitted to the EPF/ESI authorities with the equal contribution of the Contractor/Principal Employer ie. BSNL. Workers are retrenched when they demand for their rights. The Circle Secretary, BSNLCCWF, Com. Tiwari himself has been retrenched months back. BSNLEU leaders have taken up the matter with the Management but no action from the latter.

It is shocking that the BSNL Management is sleeping over this injustice. Some of the General Managers, the top management of the SSAs, are stated to threaten the poor labours that if they raise the issue of minimum wage, EPF etc. they will be retrenched and even get arrested on false cases. This is a shame to the entire BSNL Management. If the contractor is not paying the minimum wage as per the orders of the Government of India and the orders of the CMD BSNL, they should be black-listed and kept out of the tenders. In some SSAs, it is told, that the BSNL officers themselves are paying the wages, but the amount is far below the minimum wage and EPF/ESI are not implemented.
The Circle BSNL Management should ponder how much they are violating the orders of the government and CMD BSNL and is becoming a willing party to the exploitation of the contract workers by the contractors.
This is shame to the entire BSNL itself. Each and every officer/employees of the BSNL as well as the management should come forward to put an end to this inhuman exploitation.

Aviation Minister Ajit Singh back-tracks of Air India Privatisation

07 Monday Oct 2013

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Civil Aviation Minister Ajit Sinch has been compelled to back- track from his statement on privatisation of Air India. Left Parties, BJP and other leaders have severely criticised the Minister for his statement that Air India will be privatised.
After the severe criticism the Minister has disowned his statement and stated that there is no proposal for privatisation of Air India. So far, so good!

But the mindset of the Minister as well as the government is clear. They were waiting for a chance to privatise each and every PSU. To justify their intent, they are putting all obstacles in the functioning of the PSUs to make them weak and financially unviable. Only sustained struggle and mobilisation of the people will be able to stop the government from their ill-advised policy of disinvestment and privatisation.

AIBDPA CEC Starts today, 5th October.

05 Saturday Oct 2013

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The Central Executive Committee Meeting of AIBDPA starts today at Jaipur with an Open Session at 1600 hours. The meeting will continue tomorrow, 6th October 2013.

General Giap,Hero of Vietnam dies at 102

04 Friday Oct 2013

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Hanoi, Vietnam — Vo Nguyen Giap, the brilliant and self-taught general who drove the French out of Vietnam to free it from colonial rule and later forced the Americans to abandon their grueling effort to save the country from communism, has died. At age 102, he was the last of Vietnam’s old-guard revolutionaries.

Giap died Friday evening in a military hospital in the capital of Hanoi where he had spent close to four years growing weaker and suffering from long illnesses, a government official and a source close to Giap said. Both spoke on condition of anonymity because his death had not been formally announced.

Giap was a national hero whose legacy was second only to that of his mentor, founding President Ho Chi Minh, who led the country to independence.

The so-called “red Napoleon” stood out as the leader of a ragtag army of guerrillas who wore sandals made of car tires and lugged their artillery piece by piece over mountains to encircle and crush the French army at Dien Bien Phu in 1954. The unlikely victory, which is still studied at military schools, led not only to Vietnam’s independence but hastened the collapse of colonialism across Indochina and beyond.

Giap went on to defeat the U.S.-backed South Vietnam government in April 1975, reuniting a country that had been split into communist and noncommunist states. He regularly accepted heavy combat losses to achieve his goals.

“No other wars for national liberation were as fierce or caused as many losses as this war,” Giap told The Associated Press in 2005 in one of his last known interviews with foreign media on the eve of the 30th anniversary of the fall of Saigon, the former South Vietnamese capital.

“But we still fought because for Vietnam, nothing is more precious than independence and freedom,” he said, repeating a famous quote by Ho Chi Minh. ( Courtesy: Ganashakti. )

State Convention of Forum at Trichur (Kerala)

14 Wednesday Aug 2013

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The massive gathering at the State level Convention of Forum of BSNL Unions/Associations of Kerala held at Trichur on 13th August was a clear indication of the interest and determination of the Kerala BSNL employees to strengthen BSNL and further improve it’s services to the people.
The Convention held at the spacious Town Hall was as per the decision of the National Convention on “Revival of BSNL” held at Mavlankar Hall New Delhi on 3rd August 2013, which adopted a Declaration, which analysed the reasons for the present declining position of BSNL and suggested ways and means to improve the financial position of the company as also to improve the services. It had pointed out that the reasons for the decline is the neo-liberal anti-PSU policy of the government, its non-honouring of the commitments assured at the time of formation of BSNL and the inefficiency of the top management. It also pointed out the necessity of more commitment and initiative on the part of the employees.
The Convention at Trichur was presided by Com. George verghese, Circle Secretary, SNEA. Com.K.Mohanan, Circle Secrtary BSNLEU and Convener, Forum and Com. Gopalakrishnan, DS BSNLEU Trichur welcomed all.
Com. V.A.N.Namboodiri, National Convener, Forum delivered the Key Address and explained all the important points of the Declaration adopted at the National Convention. He congratulated the Kerala employees who continued to ensure profit to BSNL, despite heavy odds.
The Central trade union leaders Shri T.V.Chandra Mohan (INTUC), Com. M.M.Verghese (CITU), Com.T.V.Ramachandran (AITUC), Shri V.Radhakrishnan (BMS), Com. Davis (CITU) as also Circle leaders Coms. P.V.Dharmadas (NFTE), Kochu Devasya (FNTO), T.K.Mangalanandan (AIBSNLEA), Thulasidharan Pillai (BTEU BSNL), Ramakrishnan (SEWA BSNL), U.Preman (TEPU) and T.V.Rajivan Nair (BSNLMS) and other leaders spoke.
The decisions of the convention was announced by Com.K.Mohanan, Convener of the Forum. It included organising SSA level conventions, meeting the central trade unions, M.P.s etc.
The Convention was a big success. It was the first state level convention as per the decision of the National Convention. Hearty Congratulations to the Kerala Comrades!

British gets Diwany from Mughal Empire Shah Alam

12 Monday Aug 2013

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August 12th is very important to the British Rule in India. It was on this day in 1765, that the Mughal Emperor Shah Alam granted the Diwany of Bengal, Behar (Bihar) and Orissa to the British. This gave the British a great advantage.

The Plassey War in 1757 in which siraj-ud-Daulah was defeated, the 1765 Diwany from Mughal Emperor and the suppression of Sepoy Mutiny ( First War of Independence ) of 1857 are some of the important years of British consolidation of their empire in India.

Red Salute to Com. S.R.Nayak – Last Journey

09 Friday Aug 2013

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Comrade S.R.Nayak, Circle Secretary, BSNLEU, Circle President AIBDPA as also the Convener of Forum of BSNL Unions/Associations, M.P.Circle who passed away on 8th August at the AIIMS Hospital, New Delhi was given a tearful farewell at Jabalpur today, 9th August 2013. He was 69.
His body was brought from New Delhi by an Ambulance accompanied by his wife and other family members who were staying at New Delhi for his treatment. The Ambulance was stopped at Morena, Gwalior, Dabra and other places where hundreds of workers paid homage to the departed leader. It reached Jabalpur, his home town, in the early morning of 9th August.
The body of Comrade Nayak was kept in his home till about 11.00 AM, where hundreds of people, including relatives, friends, and neighbours came and paid homage. Com.V.A.N.Namboodiri and other leaders visited the family members and conveyed condolence and consoled them. It was at this house that Com. Namboodiri visited and stayed several times earlier when he visited JB. Then the body was taken to the BSNLEU District Office, Wright Town Telephone Exchange, Jabalpur, where it was laid for about one hour in a specially made podium. He was covered with the red flag. Thousands of BSNL workers from all parts of Madhya Pradesh, leaders of unions including that of Central/State/PSUs, CITU and other TU leaders, a large number of local people – all came and one after another paid homage. Amidst slogans of Red Salute to Com. SR Nayak, Com. Nayak Amar Rahe etc. Coms. Badal Saroj, Secretary, CPI(M), MP, Promod Pradhan, CITU State secretary, laid wreath and paid homage. Coms.V.A.N.Namboodiri, President, Animesh Mitra, Acting GS, and S.C.Bhattacharya, CHQ Treasurer laid wreath on behalf of BSNLEU CHQ. Coms. S.C.Srivastava, Vice-President, AIBDPA, Jagadish Singh, All India Organising Secretary, H.S.Thakur, Acting Circle secretary, BSNLEU, A.K.Naik, AIDEF, and other leaders paid floral tributes to the departed leader. On behalf of Com. Sisir Bhattacharjee, the senior most P and T leader, a wreath was laid by Com. V.A.N.Namboodiri.
Comrades Vishnu Choudhary, BSNL Contract Workers Union, R.P.Avasthy, S.K.Mudaliar (TEPU), A.K.Mishra, (NFTE), Vivek Shrivasatava (SNEA), M.N.B.Nambiar (AIBSNLEA), Shaket Shukla (FNTO), Sunil Sharma (BSNLMS),Chakresh Akhupuria (AIBSNLOA), S.K.Mishra(AITUC), M.N.B.Pillai (BEFI), N.Chakraborty (AIIEA), B.B.Sharma (R.III), S.K.Nema(P.III),K.K.Mahapatra, G.M.Kumar (NRMU), A.K.Nayak (AIDEF), Ms. Saila Shukla (AIWDA), R.N.Ghosh (MPMSRU)Sheikh Ghani (BSNLCCWF)and other leaders also paid floral tributes. From the BSNL Management S/Shri B.K.Jog, GM and R.N.Telang (on behalf of CGM) paid tributes.
By about 12.00 AM, the body of Com. SR Nayak was taken at the head of a big procession to the cremation ground at Rani Thal Shmasan Ghat. Thousands of people from all walks of life participated. After the cremation, a brief condolence meeting was held which was addressed by Coms. Badal saroj and VAN Namboodiri. They reminded the audience about the sacrifices and the difficulties faced by Com. Nayak while serving and leading the workers. They called upon the workers to emulate the high ideals and hard work of Com. Nayak, despite his ill health.
The procession and the condolence meeting and the participation of the large number of people from all sections was a clear indication of the high esteem Com.Nayak was held through his selfless service for the people.
Com.S.R.Nayak, who was one of the senior most leaders of P&T and BSNLEU is no more. As one who has been associated with him for more than 40 years in the P&T Trade Union movement, I have the greatest respect and love for him, who took the task of organising the workers in the former Central Provinces and later Madhya Pradesh Circle and gave the correct leadership.
I convey my heartfelt condolences to the family members, comrades and friends in the great loss in the passing away of COM SR Nayak.
Red Salute to Comrade SR Nayak!

Meeting with GM (Estt.)

08 Thursday Aug 2013

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Meeting with GM (Estt.) on some burning issues:-

(1) Coms. V.A.N.Namboodiri, President, Animesh Mitra, Acting General Secretary, S.C.Bhattacharjee, Treasurer, BSNLEU and Com. K.G.Jayaraj, General Secretary, AIBDPA met Shri R.K.goyal, GM (Estt.) on 7th August, and discussed some burning issues of the workers. The leaders had a long discussion on the approach of Management related to CGA cases pending at Corproate Office. They cited the example of Uttarakhand, Karnataka, Kerala, West Bengal etc. where despite of vacancies and the applicants getting more than 55 points, cases were not settled. The GM (Estt.) stated that management has taken a decision not to reopen any case which had been rejected by HPC CO. The leaders disagreed on this and other views expressed by the GM. However, he agreed to communicate the cause for rejection to the concerned CGMT, if necessary.

(2) Stagnation, pay anomaly and pay loss issues were also discussed with the Management. Management desired to get some proposal to settle the issue. Union leaders told in the meeting some proposal which can settled the issue. Management is trying to settle the issue on priority based as it was told by GM (Estt.).

(3) Another important discussion took place on the issues related to provisions of superannuation benefits to directly recruited employees. Management has told some suggestions on the issue. The representatives told that BSNLEU will give its suggestions in the next week.

(4) The union leadership demanded in the meeting that EPF contribution for the left out casual labours should be from the date of engagement of casual labour strictly, as a follow-up of labour laws and wage based on IDA pay scale. GM (Estt.) stated that decisions can be taken in Management Committee.

Planning Commission recommends Restricting labour law

04 Sunday Aug 2013

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After fixing the poverty line at unbelievable low, the Planning Commission is now proposing changing the Labour Laws to suit the requirement of employers and foreign MNCs. Through continuous struggles, workers have been able to get some job security, bargaining strength and also right to strike when necessary. Now the Planning Commission wants to do away with all these safe guards to please the foreign investors.

According to reports the Planning Commission has suggested for changes in the industrial Disputes Act, The Factories Act and the Trade Unions Act. The changes include, increasing of working hours, removing restrictions of Lay-Off, increasing the % of votes in strike ballot to 70%.

The Central Trade Unions have to take this issue seriously so that the issue gets focussed and also that it is fought and defeated.

Casual/ Contract workers in Hazaribag on struggle

28 Sunday Jul 2013

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The casual and contract workers of Hazaribag, numbering about 300 are on strike for the last one week demanding payment of wages for the last five months since March 2013.Despite several discussions, the BSNL management has not implemented the payment of minimum wage, social security measures like ESI, EPF etc.
BSNL management should become sensitive to the condition of the poor workers and settle the issues urgently. It is a shame that a PSU like BSNL is exploiting the toiling workers.
We demand the BSNL Corporate Office as also the Circle administration to immediately intervene and ensure that the workers are paid the arrears of wages and all other claims are settled with out further delay.