In the meeting of the Parliamentary Standing Committee held on 14th January at New Delhi, Com.V.A.N.Namboodiri, President BSNLEU &  BSNLC&CWF presented all the issues connected with the non-regularisation of Casual Labour, non-grant of TSM to Casual labour, non payment of minimum wages to casual and contract labour as also non-extension of social security benefit to the workers etc. He also furnished several documents in this connection. When the BSNL Management was asked about these by the committee, they could not reply. The written report given by them was dismissed by the committee as very casual and devoid of facts. Next meeting is now fixed on 24th January in which the management is again called. Union may not be called as we have given our points. However, union is preparing a detailed note to be given to the committee enclosing additional relevant documents. In this connection, We require all relevant information from the Circles immediately. We request that all such information be immediately sent to me by fax  at No.011-25894862.

As the verification date is nearing, both NFTE and FNTO has split. It can be seen that the negative role being okayed by both these organisations have resulted in some sections coming out and forming separate union.

In NFTE, two senior most leaders, Com.R.K.Kohli and Com.N.T.Sajwani, former General Secretary, NFTE has quit NFTE and formed a new organisation called NFTBE (National Federation of BSNL Employees). They have joined United Forum, the alliance led by the present recognised union BSNLEU. It is the same with the newly formed Federation of National Telecom BSNL Employees Union (FNTBEU) led by senior leaders Coms.Jayamary and Andiappan.  They have  declared that they will support BSNLEU in the verification. More members from NFTE andFNTO are going to desert the parent organisation due to the wrong line being adopted by the top leadership of both unions.

Much pressure is being put by India Inc on the government of India to put the Employees Provident Fund (EPF) deposits in the private equities. Big business wants this huge funds to be made available for them to use in the stock market. The Pension Fund Regulatory & Development Authority (PFRDA) bill presented in the Parliament is proposing the same. The government is toying the line of the India Inc.

The workers are completely against this and have expressed their strong protest. But that will not be sufficient. A big movement involving the entire working class is required to defend and protect their hard earned savings. The promise of better benefit by putting the pension corpus in the private hands is nothing but sugar coated bitter poison.

Mobile Number Portability (MNP) has been introduced in Haryana Circle since 24th November 2010. It is going to be implemented all over India by 20th January 2011.

What is MNP? MNP allows a subscriber to change the service provider while retaining the original number. Naturally, the service providers which have maximum number of telephones are sure to be hit, and new comers benefitted. There is the chance that BSNL will suffer  greatly. Airtel, Vodafone etc. also may be hit, but  BSNL  probably may be the biggest loser. In fact, it seems that MNP is being introduced so that the private companies will benefit at the cost of telecom PSUs, BSNL and MTNL.

One more reason why the management and workers together should ensure a better service to the people so that they will continue with BSNL/ MTNL.

The Supreme Court asked the Central government why it is reluctant to disclose the details of huge and unaccounted  money depositied in foreign banks. The Supreme Court was making this remark, while hearing the case filed by Ram Jethmalani, noted criminal lawyer. Solicitor General Gopal Subramaniam appearing on behalf of the government stated that he will seek instructions from the government in the matter.

The government will not disclose the list, since most of the concerned persons are from big business, political bigwigs and influential persons including bureaucrats. Unless the court issue order to disclose the names, nothing will happen.

I express my deep grief and sorrow at the loss of more than one hundred lives and serious injuries to many people due to the stampede at Pulmedu near Sabarimalai temple. Most of them were returning after pilgrimage to Sabarimalai temple.

I convey my heartfelt condolences to the bereaved families and friends.

It is well known that MNCs are capable of  twisting the decisions and instructions of the Government of India, if they don’t suit them. But here is a case in which the MNC completely disobey the instruction of the Government.

The Govt. of India has been issuing instructions after instructions to the makers of Reasearch In Motion (RIM) which manufactures the Blackberry, that  the company should make suitable solutions to intercept internet, email services etc. The company did not make the solutions and the government has been extending the date lines several times. Even after months no solution has been found. The government seems to be afraid to take action against the MNC.  Now the company has agreed to provide a solution for the GOI to intercept messenger, email and internet services, but they bluntly refused to make solutions to intercept in the case of its Enterprise  Server.

Whether the Government will face this refusal point-blank and cancel the license or impose penalty? You need not expect any such thing from this government which is very loyal to the big business and the MNCs.

THe Defence Production Policy unveiled by the Defence Minister A.K.Antony  proposing private participation in Defence Production. So far these productions were being made in the nine defence PSUs and 50 and odd Ordnance Factories. The new defence policy is  according to the privatisation, globalisation policies. * We will protect the PSUs, strengthen them, and at the same time bring in the private sector by reducing the space for foreign suppliers” the policy states.  But  the people and workers know from their own experiences that these are for propaganda sake to hood wink the people and gradually privatise the defence production and also bring in more foreign companies as in the case of telecom.

It is time for the defence workers to resist and defeat the proposals which are a threat to the security of the country.

After sustained struggle by BSNLEU and BSNLC&CWF, BSNL management was compelled to issue orders on minimum wage etc. in the early part of 2010, but it was not implemented in most of the SSAs. Despite our continued requests the corporate office did not do any thing to improve the situation. Once the issue was raised before the Parliament Standing Committee on Labour, the management became frantic and panicky. Instead of implementing its own order on wages, the management at lower levels have started retrenching the workers who are working for the last 10  to 20 years.

Struggles have started in many SSAs against the retrenchment. The matter was brough to the notice of the Standing committee on Labour on 14th January 2011.

It is the duty of the BSNLEU leaders at all levles to take up the issue with management and also give full support and solidarity to the agitating casual and contract workers.

A meeting of the Parliament Standing Committee on Labour was held at Parliament Annexe Committee room today,  14th January 2011 at 1500 hours. The committee was presided over by Shri Hemanand Biswal, M.P., Chairman of the Committee. Members of Parliament, who are members of the Committee were present. The meeting was being held on the representation given by Com. V.A.N.Namboodiri, President, BSNLEU & BSNL Casual and Contract Workers Federation to the Chairman on 13-11-2010 through Com. P.R.Natarajan, M.P. who is a member of the Committee. Com.Namboodiri had met Shri Sanjeeva Reddy, INTUC, President & M.P. who is also a member of the Committee.. Both the unions as well as the management side were invited to present their views on the issues.

The Unions were invited first. Com.V.A.N.Namboodiri, President BSNLEU & BSNLC&CWF  presented the case with relevant documents. The issues of regularisation of TSMS and Casual Labour, grant of TSM to eligible casual labour, non-payment of justified wages to the casual and contract workers, non-implementation of orders on social security measures  etc. were brought to the notice of the Standing Committee.  He also brought to the notice of the Committee that contract workers were being retrenched in large numbers after the management was compelled to implement the government orders on minimum wage to contract workers. The presentation by Com. Namboodiri took about more than 40 minutes. Comrades Suresh Kumar (BSNLMS) and Subramaniam (BMS) supported the statements of Com.Namboodiri and wanted to sort out these issues.

The official side was invited next. S/Shri C.Chandrasekhar, Secretary DOT, S,C.Misra, Member(Services)other top DOT officers,  Gopal Das, CMD BSNL, D.P.Dey, Sr.GM(Estt). H.C.Pant, Company Secretary and GM(Legal), M.S.S.Rao, GM (Admn) and about 10 other officers were present. The session ended quickly as the Committee felt that the written reply given by BSNL Management was not clear and not to the point and asked the official side to submit necessary replies after which the meeting will be held. It is understood from reliable sources that the Chairman and Members of the committee expressed their dissatisfaction at the replies given by the Management.

In preparing the presentation and discussion after the meeting along with the other union participants, Coms. Animesh Mitra, Circle Secretary, W.Bengal and Tapas Ghosh, Secretary General , BSNLC&CWF contributed much.

A detailed report on the discussion will be published later.