23 Monday Nov 2015
The public outrage over the call-drops and compulsion on the government had its results. It is reported that 22,279 towers have been added all over India by the telecom companies. In Delhi alone, more than 2,000 towers have been erected. The results are also forth coming. The call drops have been reduced to a certain extent.
The decision of the TRAI to impose penalty for call-drops has been effective.
23 Monday Nov 2015
Posted in PSU
It is almost incredible. The 19 Public Sector Banks in the country are having Non-Performing Assets (NPA) of Rs. 2.6 lakhs as in September 2015. NPA means bad loans which are not repaid so far. The NPA in March 2015 was Rs. 2.3 lakhs.
These bad loans are mainly given to corporates and big business. The name of almost every big corporate house and big business concern are in the list of defaulters. They are given hundreds of crores of rupees as loan and they are not repaid. While, the banks take strong action to recover amount from the common man who takes loan, no such action is taken against the big fish.
On the one side the banks are crying about NPA, but again more and more such loans are given, resulting in the increase of the NPA.
23 Monday Nov 2015
Posted in BSNL - Better Service to the Nation, BSNL News
India ranks 129th among the world nations in the ranking of quality improvement in information and communication technologies as per report of the International Telecom Union (ITU). Denmark is first followed by Korea, Sweden and Ice Land and UK. US ranks 14th.
The Government, the Telecom companies, including BSNL and MTNL, and the workers have to jointly make all efforts for providing a better service to the people. In this connection, the Communications Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad has asked reports from BSNL and MTNL. Calling reports is not sufficient. Government should financially assist BSNL and MTNL to procure equipment as also waive the licence fee, taxes etc. as a one time measure. The Government is proposing to waive tax arrears of Vodafone and Nokia. Why not these benefits be given to BSNL and MTNL also, the government’s own companies?
23 Monday Nov 2015
Posted in CG Employees
It is reported in the press that Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority (PFRDA), is proposing to invest the NPS funds in the private equity and mutual funds. This proposal is being forwarded to the Finance Ministry for approval. Now, the NPS funds, the Provident Fund contributions from those central government employees who are recruited after 01-01-2004, are with the government only.
The proposal to hand over a part of these funds to private investors/equity is dangerous and may result it being completely wiped out in the turbulent market. The proposal is against the interest of the workers and is to be dropped. There should be strong protest from concerned stake holders.
21 Saturday Nov 2015
Posted in WORLD NEWS
Tags
The United Nations has unanimously passed a resolution against terror horrors and terrorist attacks and called upon its member states to prevent further attacks and eradicate its safe havens straddling the parts of Iraq and Syria.
‘The vote in the Security Council came barely 24 hours after the text was presented in New York by the French ambassador to the UN, Francois Delattre. Stunned by the attacks of one week ago in Paris, the French government had correctly calculated that sympathy and a new sense of crisis in the chamber would trump months of dithering and division on the combined issues of ISIS and the Syrian conflict.’ (Courtesy: TOI)
21 Saturday Nov 2015
Posted in CG Employees, VII CPC
Tags
The National Joint Council of Action (NJCA) of Central Government Employees has called upon the employees to observe ‘Black Day’ on 27th November 2015 protesting against the retrograde recommendations of the VII Central Pay Commission. None of the justified demands have been favourably considered by the CPC, including the lowest salary, allowances etc. Discrimination in salary between the lowest and highest has been widened. HRA has been reduced. EDA has not been included. It is the worst CPC recommendations so far.
Central employees are called upon to wear black badges and organise massive rallies and demonstrations on ‘Black Day’, 27th November, and prepare the workers for further struggles in the matter.
Central Pensioners fully support the demand of the NJCA. They are called upon to join the protest demonstrations and rallies and observe ‘Black Day’ on 27th November 2015
20 Friday Nov 2015
Posted in PSU
Tags
Mumbai, Nov 19 : Normal banking operations and bond market volumes took a hit today as the one-day “mass casual leave” by over 17,000 RBI employees affected the payment and settlement activities even as RBI said normalcy was restored.
The central bank’s staff had gone on one-day leave to press for better retirement benefits and restoring the RBI’s powers on monetary policy and public debt management.
The ‘Mass Casual leave’ was a good success. The RBI should discuss and settle the issues with out delay. (Courtesy: Ganashakti)
20 Friday Nov 2015
Posted in Telecom TU Movement 1991-2015
New Recognition Rules – CCS (RSA) Rules, 1993
The government issued the Central Civil Services (Recognition of Service Association) Rules, 1993 on 09-11-1993, amending the existing rules on the recognition of the associations/unions of central government employees. One of the major changes in the rules was that only a working employee can be the office-bearer of the association/union. Another was that the membership will be verified through the check-off system in pay rolls at such intervals and in such a manner as the government may decide
Important provisions of these rules are given below:
Spectre of Privatisation in telecom – N.Vittal as Secretary, Telecom
The appointment of N.Vittal, as Secretary, DOT and Chairman, Telecom commission in 1994 speeded up the move for privatization of the telecom sector as part of the neo-liberal policy of the government. Inviting the entrepreneurs to invest in the huge profitable telecom sector, he stated that Government should consider 10 years tax holiday or 16 % return to the private sector units for their investment in the sector.
Meanwhile reports also came that at Tumkur and Bangalore in Karnataka, Tirupur and Tutucorin in T.Nadu, Ghaziabad in U.P. etc. MNCs and their partners and collaborators among Indian monopoly houses have been invited to open new services to meet the existing and expanding demands for telephone.
It was also reported that two schemes will be implemented – BLT(Build, Lease and transfer) and BOT (Build Operate and transfer) were being finalized for the private operators.
In this background the three recognized federations met N.Vittal, Chairman, Telecom Commission on 26th April 1993. Vittal assured the Federations that the existing 4.7 lakh telecom workers will be fully protected, their career prospects would be guarded and the entire workforce will be given training in the new technologies for which a scheme will be finalized.
E.III (N) Union strongly protested these moves for privatization and expressed firm view that in the name of competitiveness we can not allow dual functioning.
The three recognized Federations, viz. NFTE, FNTO and BTEF, after the meeting with the Secretary DOT met and decided to go on strike in November 1993 to focus people’s attention on the policy of destabilization of the services in the name of liberalisation and deregularisation.
The demands for the strike are:
One Day Stay-in, Pen Down Strike on 31-12-1993
After one postponement of date, One Day Stay-in, Pen Down Strike was decided to be organized on 31st December 1993. Initially, OPG & Co. were not prepared for action. As usual, he expressed reluctance to fight against corporatization and privatization. But when ITSA, JTOA, FNTO, E.III, T.III and Administrative Union decided, OPG also agreed. Accordingly the strike notice was issued.
The demands raised in the strike were as follows:
The Chairman, Telecom Commission met the unions and discussed the issues, but there was no progress in settling the demands. Hence the strike decision was reiterated.
The strike was a complete success. Since the call was given by all the three Federations and the Unions, there was good co-ordination in the campaign and the implementation.
The Indian Telecom Service Association(ITS), the organization of the ITS officers, observed Protest Day on the same day, 31st December 2015 to synchronize their opposition to the move of the government for corporatization, by wearing black badges and extended full support to the strike by employees. The class II Officers’ Association, TESA, observed pay-boycott on the same day to fall in line with the united movement.
The government was prompt enough to declare the strike as illegal and threatened to punish the striking employees with orders of penal measures. The workers ignored them and fully participated.
Altogether the one day Stay-in, Pen Down Strike was a warning by all the employees to the government that any move for corporatization or privatization of telecom will be unitedly opposed.
US telecom MNC threatens H.P.Wagle, Chairman, Telecom Commission
It was reported in the press that Van E.Snowdon, Vice-President of ‘Vanguard’ one of the biggest cellular operator in USA, has threatened that, if necessary, that good offices of the International Monetary Fund(IMF) will be used through diplomatic channels to remove H.P.Wagle, ITS, Chairman, Telecom Commission from his post. The reason? He was not prepared to open the flood gates for any cellular company to open in the metros and stuck to the position that rules will be strictly implement. H.P.Wagle was the last ITS officer to hold the post of Chairman, Telecom Commission. He retired in September 1993. Afterwards no ITS officer was posted in that position. N.Vittal, the so called telecom expert was his successor. (To be continued)
20 Friday Nov 2015
Posted in BSNL News, General, P&T TU History
I am preparing a book on the developments in the Telecom Trade Union Movement since 1991 at the All India Conference of E.III Union at Bhopal in October 1991 and the victory of the progressive forces in the organisation. Many of the senior comrades and activists who are part of the great struggle for democratising the union and advancing forward can help me by sending information which will help me in preparing the book. Portion of the book is being published in this blog every week for the last few months. I shall be thankful if valuable suggestions and feed back are given.
V.A.N.Namboodiri
20 Friday Nov 2015
Posted in General, Postal Service, Telecom, Telecom TU Movement 1991-2015
“Great Leaders of P and T Movement”, a book on the life and activities of 9 leaders of the Posts and Telegraphs Trade Union movement will be released on 24th November 2015, the 61st anniversary of the formation on NFPTE. The 9 leaders are Babu Tarapada Mukherjee, Henry Barton, V.G.Dalvi, B.N.Ghosh, K.G.Bose, N.J.Iyer, K.Adinarayana, O.P.Gupta and Moni Bose. The author is Com. V.A.N.Namboodiri, Patron of BSNLEU.
The book reveals how the unions were formed in the P and Telegraphs, how much difficulty and victimisation they had to face, the growth of the organisation, formation of UPTW and NFPTE and the historic strikes of 1946, 1947, 1960, 1968, 1974 etc. as also the formation of BSNL.
