Govt. appoints Advisor to Telecom Centres of Excellence

The Central Government has appointed Shri Vikram Upadhyay of Indian Angel Network as Advisor to the Telecom Centres of excellence established earlier. The TCOEs are working on key issues like technology management, rural application, next generation network, policy etc. The Advisor will be on the job for examining and deploying the applications of the TCOEs commercially.

AIPRPA Inaugural Conference at Vellore.

The Inaugural Conference of the All India Postal and RMS Pensioners Association will be held at Vellore (T.Nadu) on 19-20 July 2014. Com.K.G.Jayaraj, General Secretary, AIBDPA, will address the Inaugural Conference, along with other leaders of pensioners organisations.
Our Best Wishes for the Success of the Conference.

MEETING OF SCOVA ON 24TH JULY POSTPONED

SCOVA Meeting Postponed.

It is intimated by SCOVA that owing to unavoidable circumstances, the 25th meeting of the Standing Committee of Voluntary Agencies (SCOVA) earlier proposed to be held on 24th July, 2014 under the Chairmanship of Hon’ble MOS (PP) will be rescheduled.The date, time and venue of the SCOVA meeting will be notified on finalization.

Postal Department in Profit, Modernisation continues, a Report

NEW DELHI: Postal Services in the country has beaten its revenue target three years in a row, exceeding the target by 9.5 per cent in fiscal 2013-14, Parliament was informed today.
The government had set a revenue target of Rs 7,522.02 crore for the Postal Services in 2011-12, while the Department registered revenue of Rs 7,899.40 crore.
“The revenue generation of Postal Services is increasing every year and the targets for each coming year are raised by the Government,” Minister of Communications and IT Ravi Shankar Prasad today said in a written reply to the Lok Sabha.
In the year 2012-13, the revenue stood at Rs 9,366.50 crore against a target of Rs 8,762.75 crore, he added.
In 2013-14, the revenue stood at Rs 10,720.94 crore as against the target of Rs 9,787.52 crore, he said.
Responding to a separate query, the Minister said 1,735 post offices were modernised under Project Arrow against the target of 1,759 post offices during the 11th Plan.
“During the 12th Plan, 2,500 post offices are proposed to be modernised under Project Arrow with an outlay of Rs 284 crore,” Prasad said.
During the first two years of the 12th Plan, 880 post offices have been modernised and so far, 2,615 post offices have been modernised under the 11th and 12th Plan, he added.

OUR CONGRATULATIONS TO THE POSTAL WORKERS AND THEIR ORGANISATIONS!

Pensioners Struggle in Argentina

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The pensioners and retirees in Argentina are on struggle.As the global capitalist crisis has worsened,strong plans are made to ensure the surplus profit of the agro-industrial, commercial and banking monopolies with rising unemployment, precarious work, not registered with depressed wages and pensions and pension under the basic needs.
Active workers and Retirees organised massive rallies on 23rd April at the capital,Buenos Aires which was participated by thousands.

The struggle continues.

Australia cuts Pension and Medicare – Workers on the Struggle path.

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Australia’s Tony Abbot Government is on an Austerity Move and has brought an Austerity Budget. Its budget deficit has reached a deficit of $ 68 billion. It now is putting the entire burden on the workers and pensioners. The present budget will result in:

1. Pension Age increasing to 70 with 30% of people dying before 70
2. Slashing $80 Billion from the states Health and Education
3. Changing indexation for calculating the pension which will produce lower increases which could see some pensioners living below the poverty line.
4. Introducing a $7 co-payment to see the GP which is the thin edge of the wedge to bring in a user pay system similar to the US ” if you haven’t got the money too bad”.

The Australian workers have decided to fight and defeat this anti-worker, anti-pensioner budget.

About Railway Budget itself

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Despite the protests from the opposition political parties and the employees unions, the BJP Government seems to be determined to proceed with the PPP and Privatisation of the Railways, part by part. First it is the Railway Stations. Through PPP or Privatisation, these stations are going to be entrusted with private companies in the name of modernisation, making more comfortable etc. etc. For whom? For the passengers, of course. But that is the catch. It will be mainly for the high class passengers.
And what the passengers will have to pay? The tea, refreshments will become costly. Newspapers may become costly. Platform Tickets will become costly. All these will go up by twice or thrice. The example of privatised Airports like Delhi and Mumbai are well known. After the Private companies took over the airports from Air-Port Authority of India, the prices of all commodities went up rocket like. The price of tea went up from Rs. 20 to Rs.40-60. that of Coffee went up to Rs. 80 – 120 and refreshments in the same high rates. Even the passengers have to pay airport charges of Rs. 300-400 to higher rates for international travel. Car Parking charges went up from Rs. 20 to 80 or above. Railway passengers may have to pay additional charges for entering the Railway Station. All know the experience of the Toll Roads. Even after the tender period is over, tolls are collected at exorbitant rates.
The BJP Government is advancing on the same neo-liberal policies, which was the path of Congress government. But now more aggressively.
The opposition parties in the parliament have strongly opposed the government proposals for PPP and privatisation. But it should not be limited to parliament alone. Protest should spread over the entire country to compel the government to backtrack.

BSNL C.O. Issues Strict Reminders for Implementation of Minimum Wage, EPF, ESI etc. for Casual/Contract Workers.

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The BSNL Management has issued stern reminder orders dated 08-07-2014,to all the CGMs directing them for payment of Minimum Wage, implementation of Social Security measures like EPF, ESI etc. to the Casual and Contract Workers. The CGMs have been asked to bestow personal attention and file returns that the effect the orders have been strictly implemented. This follows the meeting of the BSNLCCWF President Com. V.A.N.Namboodiri with the CMD BSNL, GM(Admn), GM(Estt.) and other concerned officers and discussion on the issue. The order is put in the BSNLCCWF Website bsnlccwf.com

Leaders of BSNLEU and BSNLCCWF are requested to utilise this opportunity to meet the GM and other local officers and pressurise them to pay minimum wage and implement the social security measures in their particular SSA. They are also requested to verify whether any wrong report is being sent from the SSA to higher authorities on this count. Such information may be immediately sent to BSNLEU and BSNLCCWF CHQs to pursue the case at C.O.level.

Communications Minister must meet the Unions

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Immediately after the General Elections and formation of the new government at centre, Forum of BSNL Unions/Associations has sent a letter congratulating the new Communications Minister, Shri Ravi Shankar Prasad, on 26th May 2014 along with a request for a meeting to discuss about the most important issues on the Revival of BSNL along with one or two staff issues. It is almost one and half months since the letter was given.

We know that the Minister will be very busy with three important portfolios like Communications, IT and Law. We understand that the Parliament was is session in between and now also the Parliament is in session. It is very difficult for a Central Minister to find time.

But in between he had met the private telecom companies, met the BSNL Management a few times and also many stake holders. We feel that the 2.5 lakh employees are also important stakeholders of the BSNL and their unions also should be taken in to confidence and they should be given opportunity to meet the Minister. This is only but just and fair.

When the office of the Minister was contacted in person twice, it was stated that the Minister has got the Forum Memorandum and the minister will meet. But so far it has not been arranged.

We feel the Minister should meet the Forum leaders at the earliest, finding some time between his busy schedule.

Council Seats – BSNL Management’s Stand is untenable

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In the VI Membership Verification of Unions in BSNL, two unions, BSNLEU and NFTE have been granted recognition and allotted seats in the National, Circle and Local Councils at the ratio of 9:5. BSNLEU CHQ has nominated 9 names to the National Council for the allotted 9 seats. But unfortunately the BSNL management has accepted only 5, stating that the other 4 names, being members of other unions, will not be accepted. For the last more than one year after the formation of the new council, 5 seats are vacant due to the adamant stand of the management. This also is the situation in many circle and Local councils. The names nominated by BSNLEU are that of members of its allies in the verification.
From the First Membership verification onwards, the names of alliance unions were being nominated. Though the Management did not agree at first, it was compelled to accept the nominations on the strong protest from the recognised union. This convention continued till the V Membership Verification. Thus it can be seen that the stand of the Management is completely wrong.
The recognised union represents the entire workers and it has got the right to nominate any employee, whether he is a member of be the recognised union, of any other union or no member at all. It is the right of the union and it can not be objected. This is completely unfair labour practice. It is an infringement on the right of the trade union.
BSNL Management should come to its senses and take a correct decision to allow the nominated officials as Staff Side members in the National, Circle and Local Councils.