Kapil Sibal, Communictions Minister has stated that a New Telecom Policy is going to be framed. He also stated that the spectrum will be delinked from the licences. He also stated that charges will be levied for the additional spectrum allotted to companies including BSNL.

Each Telecom Policy has been framed suit the requirement of the big business and MNCs. First telecom policy gave licences for private companies as also gave them the mobile licence first, ignoring DOT (BSNL was not formed at that time) and MTNL. According to the same policy Licence Fee was charged from the private operators, but on the pressure from them it was changed to revenue sharing resulting in a loss of about Rs. 50,000 crores to Government.

While introducing the second New Telecom Policy (NEP 1999), DOT services were privatised and BSNL was formed with the intention of disinvesting and later privatising it.  BSNL and MTNL, the PSUs,  were very much  discriminated in all respects. Government wanted disinvestment, introduction of VRS etc. in BSNL, but  it could not be implemented, only because of the strong opposition from the Joint Action Committee of BSNL. The Government has extracted more about Rs. 40,000 crores from BSNL towards dividend, taxes, licence fee etc., almost finishing the reserve money of the company. They insisted that BSNL pay maximum, almost double of what private companies have paid. Government lost more than 1.76 lakh crores in the 2G spectrum scam.

We do not know what are the major policy directions of the New Telecom Policy. We have to wait and watch and be ready for sustained struggles in case it is against BSNL and its workers.

I was at Mathura yesterday in connection with the Membership Verification campaign along with other leaders of the United Forum viz. Comrades N.D.Ram (SEWA BSNL), S.S.Tomar (BSNLMS) and R.S.Fauzdar, Circle Secretary, BSNLEU, UP (West) Circle. In the meeting,  the Circle Secretary of BSNL Casual & Contract Workers Federation , Com. Sonia Arora also spoke. She said that despite the orders of the Government and BSNL C.O. to pay the stipulated wages to casual and contract workers, only about half of that wage is being paid – about Rs.2000 to 3000. After the union has been started and she was elected as the Circle Secretary, she has been removed from work by a conspiracy between the mnagement and the contractor. This the case with many others also who are activists of the union. The management and contractors want to terrorise the workers so that they will not join the union and stand up for their rights. She spoke well and requested all those present to help the contract workers to get full wages and social security benefits.

Wherever I go the casual-contract workers come to me and narrate similar stories. I am ashamed of those officers and others who want to exploit these poor workers who are working sincerely and trying to meet both ends and to look after their families.

The Union has taken all these matters with the management, Parliamentary Standing Committee etc. But that is not sufficient. A strong and militant movement of the BSNL regular employees and the casual/contract workers led by the unions are very much necessary to weed out this injustice and ensure justice and fair play to these exploited workers.

It is as usual ! Nothing to be surprised ! The discredited and disgruntled leader has again come with hollow claims. This time, the claim made is about the achievement of Pension Revision of pre-2007  BSNL Retirees. After the implementation of VI CPC Recommendations, the leader claimed all the credits for the benefits, even though he was never a party to any discussions with the Pay Commission or the Government. He claimed the  credit for the IDA revision for BSNL absorbees, though he did not attend even half of the meetings on the negotiations with the BSNL Management. He claimed loud and high about his fight against the revisionist policies of Com.OPG, but when his union was merged with BSNLEU, his supporters in 7 major circles shifted to OPG side! In the middle of the crucial first membership verification, this leader ran away from the battle field, just like a soldier deserting his army when the fight is going on. A leader who can not function without the recognition of Government/ Management!

His latest claims is that the Pension Revision has been done at his behest! Wonderful. The two years hard bargaining in the Wage negotiation, the discussions in the DOT-BSNL-BSNLEU tripartite Committee, several discussions with the Secretary, DOT, Member (Finance), Member(Services) and other senior DOT Officers, the several strikes and agitations organised by the BSNLEU and United Forum as also AIBDPA (after it was formed), the struggles organised under Joint Action Committee, the agreement with the Minister after the 20th April 2010 strike, the discussions during the 1-2 December 2010 strike and assurances which are all documented with minutes and details of discussions which led to the present achievement of Cabinet decision on Pension Revision of pre-2007 BSNL retirees are nothing to this great leader. According to his claim, some information received from here and there are the real reason for the settlement. wonderful!

Workers and Pensioners have understood this self-proclaimed leader years back. They are amused. Further details on hollow claims of this leader follows.

As I have stated on 19th January 2011, that when the MNP (Mobile Number Portability ) is introduced from 20th January, the maximum loser will be BSNL unless immediate remedial measures are taken by the management. What I actually feared has happened. According to the statistics published to-day the Port-out from BSNL is 76,234 whereas the port-in is only 19,672 resulting in a los of 56,562 numbers for BSNL. Today (27-01-2011) alone the loss is 5894 ( 6587-693). All circles have lost. The worst losers are the following circles: Punjab, Haryana, Maharashtra, Orissa, W.Bengal and Kolkatta. .

 Unless immediate remedial action is taken, this shifting will have serious repercussion on BSNL. Management has to act fast. Workers also.

I attended meetings at Bangalore, Mysore and Hubli on 24th and 25th of January 2011 in connection with the Membership Verification programme. The meetings were attended by a large number of workers which indicated the growth of the organisation and the increase in the support base of BSNLEU and United Forum.

In addition, I am very happy that I could meet a lot of old comrades who are either  working or retired and still are actively connected with the organisation.  In Mysore, the original base of E.III(N) union (along with Mangalore), I could meet Coms. R.G.Bhandari, Mukundan, Gopalakrisnan and others, who worked hard  to strengthen our union. Now they are all retired, but is active in the All India BSNL-DOT Pensioners Association (AIBDPA). Even though the time was very short, at least I could meet them and exchange greetings and a few words. It was the same at Hubli. The AIBDPA had organised a meeting in which I, along with other leaders were felicited. The AIBDPA  under the leadership of  Comrades S.S.Patil, K.G.Deshpande, R.B.Patil and others are seriously working to strengthen the Association. But I missed one comrade, who not only filled Hubli with his activities but all of Karnataka for decades, but is no more. Com.M.Sadanand, who was the soul of our organisation in Karnataka and who was the first Circle Secretary of E.III (N) and BSNLEU was a comrade who sacrificed his entire life for protecting and safeguarding the interests of workers. I started my speech at Hubli remembering him and paying respectful homage.

While time passes away, many comrades also leaves us for ever. It is our duty to remember them and tread the path shown by them.

My Hearty and Revolutionary Greetings to all our comrades, friends and visitors on the 62nd Republic Day!

On this day, let us remember the thousands of martyrs who sacrificed their entire life and all for getting independance for the country. Let us remember the sacrifices of crore of our people who were part of the great independance struggle.

But the present rulers have forgotten all those sacrifices by the people. The recent scams of 2G, Adarsh, Commonwealth etc. as also the huge amount of black money slashed in the foreign banks indicate the way the ruling class is governing the country. The crony capitalism has  become more and more agressive. The issues of the people are forgotten. While the rich 10% control more than 80% of the assets of the country, the more than 80% of the people have only Rs.20 per  day to eke out their living. What huge disparity! What intolerable injustice!

Let us pledge and make all efforts to make a change so that all the people of the country is able to live a happy life!

The Supreme Court took  a serious view of  Communications Minister Kapil Sibal’s  comment on CAG report on 2G Scam as “erroneous” and commented that ” This is unfortunate. The Minister is supposed to behave with some sense of responsiblity”.  The SC also stated that the CBI is expected ” to carry on with the investigation without being influenced by any statement made by anybody in the press or otherwise”.

On the same day the PAC Chairman, Murli Manohar Joshi asked the Government whether the statement of Communications Minister Kapil Sibal was made “with the knowledge and permission of the Prime Minister?”.

The moot question now is, whether the Government will agree for a JPC to enquire in the matter as has been demanded by the Opposition parties ? If Kapil Sibal’s statement is with the knowledge of the Prime Minister, then the direction seems to be ‘No JPC’, which will have further problems for the government in the budget session. Can the government go to that extent?

The UPA II Government is steadily going on selling the PSU shares. NDA government’s motto that ” Business is not the business of the Government” is being loyally being implemented by the UPA II.  The Disinvestment Department is working over time to sell the nation’s valuable assets at cheap prices.

As per government reports, SAIL , ONGC  and Power Finance Corporation  (PFC) will be disinvested in the first quarter of 2011. IOC and Hindustan Copper will be disinvested in the next financial year, 2011-12. Other PSUs which are to be disinvested will be known later. The strong opposition from the Central Trade Unions including INTUC has not made any change in the governments’ privatisation policy. Strong and sustained struggles by the working class are necessary to stop this selling of family silver.

As such, it is most important that maximum workers participate in the Parliament March called by the Central Trade Unions and independent Federations to be organised on 23rd February 2011.

After the reshuffle of the Cabinet by the Prime Minister it has become clear that Shri Kapil Sibal will continue as Communications Minister.

We welcome and congratulate Shri Kapil Sibal on his appointment. We hope that he will try to reorganise and strengthen BSNL.

Unconfirmed reports have been received that the Cabinet in its meeting on 20th January has cleared the Pension Revision of pre-2007 BSNL retirees. As per the 20th April Strike agreement reached between  Joint Action Committee and Communications Minister, the Cabinet Note on this issue has been submitted to the Cabinet a few weeks earlier.

On contacting the Member (Services), Telecom Commission by Com.V.A.N.Namboodiri, Convener, Joint Action Committee, he informed that the matter can be confirmed after getting the decision from the Communications Minister.

This is a great achievement for which BSNLEU and Joint Forum has been fighting  all along. The concered retirees will be getting the Pension Revision from 01-01-2007.