Kerala Circle Conference of BSNLEU – A step in the right direction

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One of the strongest units of the BSNL Employees Union, Kerala Circle held its Circle Conference from 2nd to 4th December 2015. The Conference was organised in the same way as the All India Conference. A lot of preparations and campaigns were organised before the start of the Conference. Five seminars on various social and trade union topics were held with hundreds of people and important personalities participating in the nearby stations within the Kozhikode SSA. Hundreds of pamphlets on telecom development issues were circulated.

On 1st December, one day before the Conference, two processions participated by hundreds of BSNLEU, AIBDPA and BSNLCCWF comrades reached the Mudalakkulam maidan, near the Telephone exchange bringing the Union Flag and the Flag mast which were received Coms. MV Sadananadan and K.Sarojini, senior leaders  and by a large number of workers. V.A.N.Namboodiri, Patron of BSNLEU hoisted the union flag. The Conference was being held in the aftermath of the  heroic 4 month agitation on the casual-contract labour issues, against corruption and against victimisation.

The conference was inaugurated by Com. A.K.Padmanabhan, All India Presidet, CITU, who spoke in detail about the 2nd September strike and the tasks of the working class. During the three days Conference, in addition to the delegates session, Inaugural Session, Cultural Session, Cultural programmes, Trade Union Session and Open Session were held participated by prominent trade union leaders, leaders of friendly organisations, cultural luminaries etc. The participants of the cultural programmes were BSNL Employees themselves. A session was held to honour the All India and Circle leaders of the union who have recently retired, including Coms. R.Muralidharan Nair, former AGS.

Delegates actively participated in the discussions on organisation and also the issues of the telecom workers. Com.P.Abhimanu, General Secretary BSNLEU, inaugurated the Delegates Session and was through out in the Conference afterwards. He explained the all India issues and connected matters and replied to the questions raised by the delegates. Com. V.A.N.Namboodiri, Patron, P.V.Chandrasekharan, Senior leader, K.G.Jayaraj, General Secretary, AIBDPA, N.R.Somasekharan Nair, Secretary, BSNLCCWF (CCLU) and other leaders were present and addressed the Conference.

The Report and the Accounts presented by Coms. K.Mohanan, Circle secretary and S.Pratap Kumar, Circle Treasurer were approved after discussion. A good number of delegates effectively participated in the discussions.

Coms. A.V.Kuriakose, K.Mohanan and S.Pratapkumar were unanimously re-elected as President, Circle secretary and Treasurer respectively.

The conference was held in Com.S.K.Vyas Nagar (Tagore Centenary Hall), where excellent arrangements were made for the holding of the conference. The Reception Committee headed by Com.Pradeep Kumar, MLA, M.Bhaskaran, K.V.Jayarajan, District Secretary, M.Vijayakumar, All India org. Secretary, K.G.Sanjeevan, DS AIBDPA and other leaders made all arrangements for the successful conduct of the conference.

An amount of Rs. 40,000  on the spot donated by the delegates to the Chennai Flood Relief was handed over to Com. P.Abhimanyu, General Secretary, BSNLEU.

The 8th Circle Conference of BSNLEU Kerala Circle was memorable on all counts.

 

 

 

Free calls by BSNL for one week in flood-hit Chennai

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Ravi Shankar Prasad, Communications Minister stated in Parliament that in view of the heavy rains in Chennai, BSNL will provide free calls for one week and no lines will be disconnected.

BSNL is once again in the forefront to support the people in distress. BSNL comrades are also in the front for relief operations.

We congratulates BSNL and our comrades in Chennai and T.Nadu for their humanitarian efforts.

 

No Disinvestment of BSNL – Communications Minister

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Communications Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad, in a parliament reply  has stated that there  is no proposal to disinvest BSNL. He also stated that BSNL is improving its financial position. This is the victory of the BSNL employees. Their continuous struggle against disinvestment and privatisation and for the revival of BSNL is bearing fruits. Congratulations to the BSNL workers and their unions and Forum.

However, we have to be ever vigilant. The government which pursues the neo-liberal policy aggressively may be waiting for a suitable time to re-start its disinvestment line for BSNL. Eternal vigilance is required.

Kerala BSNLEU Circle Conference Started

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The BSNLEU Kerala Circle Conference started on 2nd December 2015 at Calicut with the flag hoisting by the Circle President, Com. A.V.Kuriakose at Com. S.K.Vyas Nagar (Tagore Centenary Hall.)

The Conference was inaugurated by Com. A.K.Padmanabhan, President, CITU. Com. K.Mohanan, Circle secretary welcomed all. Leaders of various organisations spoke. The Conference is continuing.

Flood Again in Chennai

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For a second time, Chennai is flooded. The people are in distress. The Airport is closed till tonight.

We extend our sympathy and support to the people of Chennai and hope that the water will recede early.

Lakhs of Tea Garden workers on strike in W.Bengal

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Lakhs of tea garden workers and employees   went on a  historic strike in North Bengal defying the tea garden owners and the TMC’s fatwa not to join the strike convened by the joint forum of the tea garden employees including the CITU led Chia Kaman Majdoor Union. The strike call was fully successful in the over 260 tea gardens out of a total of 276 tea gardens spread across   Darjeeling hills, terai and dooars. Baring a few handful few which clocked partial shutdown as to the presence of   TMC ‘s union all the other tea gardens remained closed as CITU State Secretary Dipak Dasgupta rushed to  North Bengal to hand over economic support to families of famished tea garden workers of the state. At the call of the major trade unions all the other unions of various industrial sectors too demonstrated in the state in support of the Strike call given by the tea sector trade Unions. It can be recalled that yesterday at the call of the Joint forum of tea garden workers, the tea workers observed relay hunger strike at 44 places in the region. The strike, convened by a Joint Forum of 24 different tea workers unions, comes against the backdrop of the death of 22 workers in the tea gardens of north Bengal since May 2015 due to malnutrition and diseases caused by hunger.

The W. Bengal Government should immediately act for discussion and settlement of the issues of the tea garden workers.

Press Conference at Calicut on 30th November 2015

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A well attended Press Conference was organised at Kozhikode Press Club on 30th November by the Reception Committee of the VIII Circle Conference of BSNL Employees Union, Kerala Circle to be held on 2-4 December 2015. It was attended by Coms. VAN Namboodiri, Patron, K.Mohanan, Circle Secretary, M.Vijaya Kumar, All India Org. Secretary, K.V. Jayarajan, Convener, Reception Committee, V.Bhagyalakshmi, Convener, Mahila Committee and other leaders. They focused the present situation of BSNL, the anti-PSU policies of the government and the efforts being made by the employees under the leadership of BSNLEU and the Forum of BSNL Unions/Associations to revive BSNL to its past glory. The details of the programmes of the Circle Conference were also given.

The Kerala newspapers have published the press release with good coverage.

40 Artists and Writers returned Awards to protest against ‘Intolerance’ and murder of writers – Minister

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Cultural Minister Mahesh Sharma told the Parliament today that 40  artists and writers have returned their awards to protest against “recent mishappenings against the writers” and the Sahitya Akademi has requested them to reconsider their decision.

What action the government has taken to attend to the complaints of the artists and writers? That is the moot question to be answered.

People protest world-wide demanding action for reducing gas emissions

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At the time when 150 nations’ heads are meeting in Paris Summit to discuss about the climate change and how to reduce gas emissions, protest rallies are being held in many countries demanding the summit to take concrete decisions to reduce the greenhouses gases so that the world is saved from the coming catastrophe.

As Prime Minister Narendra Modi stated in his speech in the summit, India is suffering much more due to climate change, even though it is  far behind in the list of countries emitting greenhouse gases. it is to be noted that the developed countries like US are leading the gas emissions.

US takes responsibility to fix climate – President Obama

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In his speech at the Paris Summit on Climate Change, which is attended by 150 nations’ heads,  US President Barack Obama has stated that US embraces responsibility to fix climate. As the second top most emitter country of greenhouse gases, it is correctly the responsibility of US to take the lead. But so far, US has not done much to reduce emission of greenhouses gases, but was compelling the developing countries like India to do so.

Let us hope that the assurance is not a passing remark and will be implemented.