AIBDPA ALL INDIA CONFERENCE AT MYSURU

03 Thursday Nov 2022

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Notice has already been issued for holding the All India Conference of AIBDPA at Mysore on 20th and 21st December 2022.Serious issues like Pension Revision, Medical claims, Implementation of Parliament Standing Committee recommendations, organisational matters etc. will be seriously discussed and agitational programmes decided for achieving the same.

Do Not Delay Wage revision in BSNL.

03 Thursday Nov 2022

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Wage revision is due in BSNL wef 01.01.2017. Management is delaying the wage revision and discussion with the recognised unions on the plea that the company is not in profit. This is a lame and ant-worker excuse. BSNL is not profitable due to govt policies and not because of any slackness on the part of the workers. It is necessary that the BSNL management should urgently discuss the matter with unions and revise the wages urgently.

WHETHER BSNL ABSORBED PENSIONERS ARE CENTRAL GOVERNMENT PENSIONERS?

03 Thursday Nov 2022

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WHETHER BSNL ABSORBED PENSIONERS ARE CENTRAL GOVERNMENT PENSIONERS?

One of the Pensioners organisations widely campaigns that BSNL absorbee Pensioners are central government Pensioners and therefore eligible to get CPC fitment in pension revision.

BSNL Pensioners have retired from a CPSE, registered under Company Act .So we are PSU retirees but with Special Status of getting pension from the Central Government.

Whether BSNL pensioners are covered under CCS( Pension) Rules.

Yes, we are covered under CCS (Pension) Rules but with certain conditions.

Why the conditions and why not consider at par with central government Pensioners?

Because we have retired from a CPSE with combined service of both government and PSU. We are at par with central government Pensioners by virtue of Rule 37A of CCS(Pension)Rules,1972 barring pension and dearness allowance. We are getting higher pension due to IDA pay scales. Also we are having dearness allowance based on IDA being granted quarterly, that is four times in an year which is more beneficial. Whereas central government Pensioners are getting Dearness Relief based on CDA and only twice in an year.

These are the basic differences between central government Pensioners and BSNL pensioners.

Whether any provision in PRC for pension revision?

No, but we got our pension based on IDA pay scales from 01-10-2000 and again got our pension revision from 01-01-2007 as per 2nd PRC fitment. We also got the benefits of 78.2% IDA fixation only based on PRC.

Apart from the above benefits non-executives are also getting IDA instalments though there is no mention about them in the orders being issued by DPE.

Whether BSNL pensioners associations demanded 7th CPC for recommendations for BSNL pensioners pension revision.?

AIBDPA submitted a memorandum and had a discussion with 7th Pay Commission along with Com.S K Vyas, Secretary General, NCCPA on all the issues other than pension, dearness allowance and medical benefits.

Why?

We had a definite understanding of the issue that we are better placed on these three issues.

Is there any recommedation of pension revision of BSNL pensioners by the the 7th CPC?

No.

Then, is there any chance of government agreeing for CPC fitment.?

No. This point was elaborately clarified by the government in the discussion Member (Service) had with various Pensioners organisations on 17-10-2022 despite tall claims of acceptance of the demand of CPC fitment by one of the Pensioners organisations.

We can dream big and lavishly. But reality will be different and hard. But certain people refuse to come out of the world of dreams and illusions only to delay the settlement.

Thousands of our fellow pensioners have already expired without getting the benefits and it is continuing every day. So let us think practically and strive for early achievable settlement unitedly.

AIBDPA Kerala CEC at Ernakulam

30 Sunday Oct 2022

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Kerala Circle Executive Committee meeting held on 29th October, 2022 at K G Bose Bhavan, Ernakulam started with paying rich tributes to Com.P V Chandraseharan, the legendary leader who effectively guided and led AIBDPA to a militant organisation. The meeting also remembered the valuable services of Coms.M R Chandran and K Krishnan and other leaders who passed away during the intervening period. In his encouraging inaugural address, Com.V A N Namboodiri, Advisor gave a good account of national situation and the issues of the workers, peasants and the pensioners. He also highlighted the militant functioning of AIBDPA during the last thirteen years filled with numerous struggles on genuine issues of the pensioners, latest being the historic Sanchar Bhawan March on 24-08-2022. Com.K Mohanan, Circle President presided. Com.N Guruprasad, Circle Secretary welcomed and presented the report on activities.

Com.K G Jayaraj, General Secretary reported on the latest developments on medical benefits and pension revision as a result of our sustained struggles, including the great Sanchar Bhawan March. He also appealed to help the Reception Committee of the AIC to make the Myssuru conference a great success. Com.R Muraleedharan Nair , AGS spoke on the excellent arrangements made by CHQ for the Sanchar Bhawan March and a fitting farewell and homages to Com.PVC during his last journey from Ernakulam to Thiruvananthapuram. All the district Secretaries and most of the Circle Office beares participated in the discussion. The meeting took important decisions including agitational programme against the unhelpful and negative stand of certain officers in most of the BAs in utilizing the allotted medical fund.

AIBDPA demands Pension Revision with 15 per cent fitment as per III PRC. Not zero per cent fitment as proposed by DOT

25 Tuesday Oct 2022

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Above is the proposal presented by DOT with zero percent fitment as per III PRC. AIBDPA demands that it should be 15 percent fitment as recommended by III PRC

Central Govt. should restore Train concessions to senior citizens

24 Monday Oct 2022

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The Senior Citizens Friends Welfare Association (SCFWA), Kerala, demands the Central Government to restore the train ticket concessions to senior citizens, which was unilaterally withdrawn by the Central government during the Covid period. 50% concession in tickets were being given to women aged 58 and above and 40% concession given to men aged 60 and above. There is no justification to deny the concession to the aged people, whose contribution to the society is well known.

V.A.N.Namboodiri, President, SCFWA

PENSION REVISION OF BSNL RETIREES

24 Monday Oct 2022

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Pension Revision of BSNL retirees on the basis of III PRC or VII CPC?
BSNL Retirees are due for Pension Revision wef 01.01.2017. Last revision was wef 2007. Fifteen years are over. But it is being delayed on the plea by the government that Pay Revision of the BSNL employees have not been done. Pay Revision for working employees and Pension Revision for retired employees are their right and a must. Recognised Unions of BSNL as well as AUAB are making all efforts for Pay Revision and Retired Employees Associations are making all efforts for Pension Revision.
The Pensioners’ Organisations have told the government, that the delay in pay revision of BSNL employees should not delay pension revision as also that pensioners are fully justified for pension revision as per Rule 37 A, Remittance of Pension Contribution by BSNL to DOT, Cancellation of 60: 40 condition and as such, full liability lies with the government etc.
The continuous discussion by the pensioners associations with the DOT, Minister, Issues taken by the M.P.s, historic Sanchar Bhawan March on 24th August 2022 participated by more than two thousand BSNL pensioners etc. etc. have compelled the DOT to call for a meeting and discuss the issue with associations. During the discussion, the DOT had stated that Pension Revision is delinked with pay revision as demanded by all associations. The discussion was based on 3rd PRC and the proposal of zero percent fitment was protested and rejected by all the pensioners organisations. The associations which participated in the discussion with DOT as well as the joint meeting of associations have given their report to their members which is well known.
There is unanimity among the associations that there should be pension revision wef 01-01-2017 and that It need not wait for Pay Revision. But there are two opinions on how to implement pension revision. AIBDPA and certain other associations have demanded for Pension Revision with 15% fitment as per III PRC, while AIBSNLPWA and certain other associations have demanded Pension Revision as per VII CPC. There would not have been a different approach among the pensioners associations had the Pay Revision of the BSNL employees been done and pension revision done based on the same. The non-pay revision has created the present situation.
A look in to the past pension revisions after formation of BSNL will be helpful.
1. Pay Revision wef 01.10.2000 was made converting from CDA scales to increased IDA scales demanded unanimously by all BSNL unions after thorough discussion amongst themselves. The pension revision was also made accordingly. It was an improvement from V CPC of 1996, which benefitted both workers & Pensioners. Pay scales were higher, IDA increase getting every three months, instead of 6 months for CG employees & pensioners. No union insisted to continue with the payscales recommended by the V CPC.
2. Pay Revision and consequent Pension Revision as per II PRC wef 01.01.2007 benefitted both workers & BSNL Retirees. No demand by any union of workers or associations of BSNL Retirees for pay revision / pension revision as per VI CPC as for central govt employees / pensioners. This also benefitted the workers and pensioners of BSNL.
3. III PRC recommended 15 % fitment for executives. Negotiations start for non executives. Pay scales suggested. BSNL refuses pay revision on the plea that BSNL is in loss. Pension Revision is also not done on the plea that pay revision is not done. This created the present situation of non-revision of pension. Had Pay Revision been done for employees, pension revision would have automatically followed.
4. In this situation, all pensioners associations demanded delinking of pension revision from wage revision since wages are to be paid by BSNL and pension is to be paid by govt as per 37A, as also cancellation of 60:40 condition which could be achieved after long struggles. AIBDPA and some other pensioners unions demand pension revision as per III PRC with 15 % fitment. Some other associations demand pension revision as per VII CPC.
5. Now that pension revision is delinked and that govt has the fitment of III PRC, without any complication, govt can give pension revision as was done wef 2007.
6.For pension revision as per VII CPC, the hurdles are many. BSNL Pensioners are getting pensions based on IDA scales while CPC scales are on CDA. BSNL pensioners are getting DR revised every three months, while as per CPC it is only once in six months. Reconversion from IDA to CDA will create innumerable anomalies. (It is to be noted that even after about two decades, some of the serious anomalies due to conversion from CDA to IDA scales are yet to be settled).
7.The fitment benefit of both III PRC and VII CPC is almost equal. While there are umpteen problems for pension revision based on VII CPC, the only problem for pension revision by III PRC is that pay revision is not done. Once delinking is effected, this problem is no more. How to remove the anomaly between pre-2007 pensioners and post-2017 pensioners are to be settled by giving them notional fixation with the same fitment at the time of retirement, if the pay revision is not made before that as per III PRC.
8.By demanding Pension Revision as per III PRC, the complications are almost nil as it is following the pension revision of 2007.
9. In the meeting on 17-10-2022 ,it is made clear that DoT and DOP&PW are thinking of pension revision on the basis of III PRC.
The above situation indicates that all pensioners associations can unitedly demand for pension revision as per III PRC with 15% fitment which is more achievable and beneficial to pensioners, as was done at the time of pension revision from 2000 and 2007.
V.A.N.Namboodiri
Advisor, AIBDPA.

BSNLEU WINS IN MEMBERSHIP VERIFICATION

14 Friday Oct 2022

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HEARTY

CONGRATULATIONS

TO BSNLEU!

BSNL Employees Union, the militant organisation in BSNL has again won the first position with massive support of the workers in the Membership Verification in BSNL held on 12th October 2022. This is the 8th consecutive time that BSNLEU is winning and becoming the Main Recognised Union.
Hearty

Congratulations

to Coms Animesh Mitra, President, P.Abhimanyu, General Secretary and other leaders at all India, Circle, SSA, Branch levels as also to the workers who voted for BSNLEU!

V.A.N.Namboodiri

CG Pensioners are more than employees

29 Thursday Sep 2022

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Number of Central Govt Pensioners as in August 2022
1. Defence 36,03,609
2. Railway – 14,82,223
3. Civil – 11,28,441
4. Telecom – 4,32,968
5. Postal – 3,28,999
Total 69,76,240
( As per Parliament Reply given on 03.08.2022).
The disturbing fact is that the number of central employees at present are less than 40,00,000, much less than that of pensioners.This is due to the undeclared ban on recruitment, unjustified reduction of posts, VRS/CRS etc. Now Agni Path programme in Defence will further reduce the number of defence forces. These anti-people programmes are being implemented while crores of educated youngsters are wandering seeking jobs.
It is a welcome fact, while the number of govt jobs and fresh recruitment in Centre and most states are being reduced, the number of new jobs and recruitment are increasing in LDF ruled Kerala State.