BSNL Employees strength reduced to 2,34,000

06 Wednesday Aug 2014

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BSNL started with a staff strength of about 3.5 lakhs in 2000. There were about 3.10 non-executives and 40 thousand executives. During the last 14 years more than 1,40,000 have retired. About 30,000 new recruits, mainly in TTA and JTO cadre have been appointed by BSNL.

Now, what is the present strength of BSNL? As in July it is 2,34,216. The number of executives are 48,164 and the non-executives 1,86, 052. About 800 ITS officers are also working on Permanent Deputation. Thus the total can be increased to 2,35,000.

It is to be remembered that while P and T Department was bifurcated in 1985, DOT had about 6 lakhs staff. It got reduced to 3.5 lakh in 2000 due to retirement and no recruitment.

About 10,000 to 15,000 employees are retiring from BSNL every year, which results in drastic reduction of staff. By ab out 2015 almost all the staff recruited in DOT will retire, except a few appointed on compassionate grounds, regularised casual labour etc.

The average age of the present employees are around 50 years and is going high every year. There is an urgent need for recruitment since fresh blood is required for any organisation.

But the BSNL Management is least worried about it. Now some executives may be engaged. But again, it will not be regular appointment. Management is thinking of engaging  executives on contract.

This policy has got to be changed. BSNL being a public sector should give more employment, provide better service and should be financially viable. The actions being taken by the Govt. and the BSNL Management are not conducive to a healthy public sector. Struggle has become inevitable to maintain BSNL.

Demonstration on 7th August on the major demands of the non-executive employees of BSNL

06 Wednesday Aug 2014

Posted by in AIBDPA - BSNL DOT Pensioners

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The JAC of Non-Executives in BSNL has given call to organise massive lunch hour demonstrations on 7th August 2014 at C.O., Circle and SSA levels as also Badge Campaign on the 30 Points Charter of demands submitted by JAC. It is most important that the programmes should be massive and no employee should miss it. It is crucial that each and every body attends and make the BSNL Management realise that the workers will not any more tolerate the neglect of the workers’ issues by the management.

At Corporate Office, the demonstration will be at Lunch Hour.

Why DOT is opposing the CAG audit of broadband allocation to Reliance Jio?

06 Wednesday Aug 2014

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The opposition of the DOT to the move of the CAG to audit the allocation of broadband to Reliance Jio is not that surprising. It has been complained earlier also that the allocation was not above board.

The CAG in its draft report has stated that it was surprising how the government has allotted the broadband to a company with a networth of only Rs.2.5 crore while the bid amount itself was Rs. 12,847 crore.

Of course, it is a company owned by Mukesh Ambani, the richest person in the country and the policy of the Government is to favour big corporates.

LIC Agents Protests Insurance (Amendment) Bill

06 Wednesday Aug 2014

Posted by in PSU

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The wide-spread opposition against the Insurance (Amendment) Bill presented in the Parliament is increasing day by day. The All India Insurance Employees Association (AIIEA) has declared that they will go on strike if the amendment is adopted. Left and other opposition parties are also opposing.

Now it is the LIC Agents who have come to the forefront opposing the bill. The Life Insurance Agents Association of India with a membership of 11.78 lakhs, has expressed its strong opposition to the bill and organised demonstrations in many parts of the country. They are afraid that the bill is completely against the interests of the agents.

Disinvestment of PSUs, SAIL, RINL and HAL

06 Wednesday Aug 2014

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The government moves fast on the Disinvestment of PSUs. It wants to give all benefits of these PSUs for maximising the profits of the private companies. Now it is the turn of HAL, SAIL and RINL.  5% shares will be sold in SAIL, 10% each in HAL and RINL.

Another PSU, Tyre Company of India, will be fully sold.

This is as per statement of the Finance Minister Arun Jaitley in the Parliament.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hiroshima Bombed – Mass Murder by US

05 Tuesday Aug 2014

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59 years are over after the mass murder and destruction of Hiroshima by the US on 6th August 1945 by dropping the first atom bomb any where in the world. The World War II was almost over with Japan and other axis countries surrendering to the US-Russia-Britain allies. There was no necessity at at all to drop such an atom bomb, since the war was already over.

US wanted revenge on the people of Japan and utilised the opportunity to test its atom bomb. Hiroshima was completely destroyed. 70,000 people burned and died on the spot. Another 70,000 died later due to burns. Many thousands were deeply wounded and disabled for life. But the US lust for murder was not over. It put another bomb on the city of Nagasaki on 9th August again killing about 90,000 or more.

Atom, Hydrogen and nuclear bombs are piled with the super powers. These are bombs with the power of hundreds of times of the bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. What will happen if some of them are fired to targets, even by mistake. It is stated that the bomb-piles are capable of destroying the earth several times.

Peace is the only alternative. While we remember all those lakhs of people who died and lived dying, the UN and all others should make all out efforts to get all these atomic weapons destroyed for ever.

Government got Rs. 35,792 crores from Telecom Companies

05 Tuesday Aug 2014

Posted by in BSNL News

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Communications Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad stated in the Parliament on 4th August 2014 that the Government got a total of Rs. 35,792 crores from the telecom companies during the last three years. The income for the three years are as below: Rs. 11,396.2 crore (2011-12), Rs. 11,439.27 crore ( 2012-13) Rs. 12,957 crore (2013-14).

This includes the amount paid by the BSNL and MTNL also.

Govt. plans for Telecom Finance Corporation

05 Tuesday Aug 2014

Posted by in PSU, Telecom

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In a reply to a question in Parliament, Communications Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad stated that it is proposed to set up a Telecom Finance Corporation which will be registered as a non-banking and non-deposit infrastructure company. It will be a Public Sector Company under the administrative control of DOT.
The Telecom Finance Corporation is intended to help the private telecom operators, who require massive funds for expansion, there is no doubt about the same. It is expected to be started by 2017. Whether there will be any benefit for the PSUs, BSNL and MTNL?

August 5 – Friedrich Engels’ Death Anniversary

05 Tuesday Aug 2014

Posted by in Obituary, Tributes

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Today, 5th August 2014, is the 119th Death Anniversary of Friedrich Engels, who died on this day in 1895.
Engels was the close associate of Karl Marx and co-author of Manifesto of the Communist Party. They jointly wrote and published many books on capitalism and how to change and move to Socialism.

Red salute to the memory of Friedrich Engels !

Press Release by Forum on report of consultant.

05 Tuesday Aug 2014

Posted by in BSNL News

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FORUM OF BSNL UNIONS / ASSOCIATIONS
D-7, Telegraph Place, Gole Market, New Delhi – 110 001.

Press Release 05th August, 2014

BSNL Employees to organise Protest Demonstrations
on 12th August, 2014

The Forum of BSNL Unions/Associations has called upon the Employees to organize massive demonstrations on 12th August against the M/s Deloittee Committee report recommending retrenchment of more than 70,000 employees, engagement of executives on contract basis, reduction of SSAs from 334 to 167 and concentration of power at Circle (State) level, resulting in deterioration of services. The social obligation of the government to provide universal service is given a go-bye and restructure is suggested on the basis of revenue only, that too erroneously.

The retrenchment of thousands of workers and induction of executives on contract basis is recommended based on the wrong propaganda that the increased wages of employees are the main reason for the loss of BSNL. But the fact is that for the last four years, there has not been any increase in the total wage bill. On the other hand, it has been reduced due to the retirement of 10,000 – 15,000 employees every year. Even with one lakh more workers, BSNL was reaping huge profits up to 2009 – 2010.

The loss to BSNL has been due to the reduction in revenue from the earlier Rs.40,000 crore to Rs.26,000 crores within these years, which happened mainly due to non-procurement of equipment like mobile lines, cables, Broadband modem, drop wire, telephone instruments etc. It is also to be noted that BSNL Management is canceling requests for landline telephones stating that there is no feasibility to provide them.

The Forum of BSNL Unions / Associations have been crusading for the last many years to provide a better service to the customers, but which has been stone walled by the Govt. and Management by not procuring necessary equipment. The top level Management, mostly ITS officers on deputation from govt., and not absorbed in BSNL, are casual and least interested on the growth of the company.

The report of the Deloittee consultant is prepared in tune with the neo-liberal policy being implemented by the govt. to weaken and privatise the telecom PSUs. One of these, Videsh Sanchar NIgam Ltd. (VSNL), has been handed over to Tata years back. It is in this context that the Forum of BSNL Unions / Associations have given call to organize massive demonstrations against the anti-BSNL, anti-worker report on 12th August, at Corporate Office, Circle & SSA levels.

Forum demands the Govt. and BSNL Management to outrightly reject the report and start discussion with the Unions / Associations to improve BSNL and it’s services.

Sd/-

V.A.N.Namboodiri
Convener
Mob: 09868231431