CLC Conciliation on MTNL Pension and other issues

03 Tuesday Dec 2013

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The conciliation Meeting by the Chief Labour Commissioner on the Pension for MTNL employees as also other issues were discussed in the meeting held today, 3rd December 2013. Com. V.A.N.Namboodiri, Convener, United Forum of BSNL/MTNL Unions representatives of MTNL Unions/Associations participated. Shri S.K.Chand, Dy. CLC presided.
After discussion the meeting was postponed to 3rd February 2014 with the direction to the MTNL Management to depute a General Manager level officer who can participate and take decision during the discussion.

Karnataka Govt. bringing ESMA

02 Monday Dec 2013

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It is reported that Karnataka Government has moved a bill in the Winter Session of the Assembly being held at Belgaum against striking workers. The bill called Essential Service Maintenance Bill, when passed will be utilised against striking workers in the essential services like water, power, health, transport etc.
The striking worker can be punished will jail term or fine or with both.
We strongly oppose this draconian bill. We, the Central government employees, had the bitter taste of the draconian Essential Service Maintenance Ordinance promulgated by the Central government at the time of the historic strike of July 1960 when thousands of the striking workers were put in jail. Even those outsiders who supported and gave solidarity to the strike were arrested and jailed.
We strongly oppose the ESM Bill and support the Karnataka workers fighting against this draconian Bill.

Selling of the Nation’s Wealth is High Agenda for Government

02 Monday Dec 2013

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One of the most important agenda of the UPA-II government has been and is the selling of the Nation’s wealth to the private on the plea of reducing the financial crunch. But it is more than that. The government wants to wealth of the Nation’s wealth for maximising the profit of the private corporates.
Tomorrow, 3rd December 2013, a meeting of the high level Ministers are going to take place to speed up the Disinvestment process. A target of Rs.40,000 crore was fixed for 2013-14 through selling shares of PSUs, but so after it has received only Rs. 1325 crores by selling shares of six PSUs.
Government wanted to disinvest 10% shares of Coal India Ltd. but due to strong opposition from the trade unions, it could not be done. Now the government is proposing to sell 5% of the shares of CIL. Government has 90% shares in CIL now.
Further the government is proposing to hand over the balance shares of 49% shares of BALCO and 29.5% shares of Hindustan Zinc Ltd., the majority shares of which are are already with Vedanta group of companies. These were sold in 2001-03 despite strong opposition and strike from the unions. Now both these will be fully under the private companies. This is what the government wants to do with all PSUs one after another.
I am sure the workers of these PSUs will fight against this privatisation process. They should be given full support and solidarity.

CLC Meeting on MTNL issues

02 Monday Dec 2013

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The Conciliation Meeting on the issues of MTNL including the Pension issues called by the Chief Labour Commissioner will be held at 1100 hours on 3rd December 2013 at Shram Shakti Bhawan, New Delhi. On the issues, Com. VAN Namboodiri held discussions with Coms. Kaushik and Mangeram , leaders of the United Forum of MTNL Unions.

The meeting with Member (Finance) and Director (Estt.)

02 Monday Dec 2013

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Today, 2nd December, Com. V.A.N.Namboodiri, Advisor AIBDPA & President, BSNLEU, Com.K.G.Jayaraj, General Secretary, AIBDPA and Com. Animesh Mitra, Dy. General Secretary, BSNLEU met Mrs. Annie Moraes,Member (Finance), DOT and discussed the issues of 78.2% IDA Merger and Anomaly of those who retired within 10 months of formation of BSNL. The representatives expressed their displeasure over the delay being caused for one or other reasons. The Member (F) assured that as the file has been received from the Department of Pension and Pensioners’ Welfare with a query, it will be replied with minimum delay as far as possible despite the usual official procedure.
Regarding anomaly also, further delay is caused due to some more details required by the Department of Pensions and Pensioners’ Welfare.
Representatives also met Shri Prachish Khanna Director (Estt.), who stated that the draft of reply of 78.2% IDA to the Dept of P&PW is finalised and will be sent as early as possible after ratification by the higher officers. As for the anomaly issue, BSNL is being addressed for furnishing the required particulars.

We want 5 days week – Bank Employees Demand

02 Monday Dec 2013

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The United Forum of Bank Unions (UFOB) has demanded that the working days in a week should be fixed as 5 days for the bank employees. This is one of the demands the Forum has put forth before the Bank Management along with other demands raised in the 10th Bi-partite Wage discussions.
I completely agree with this demand of the bank Employees. When the life has become so fast and the journey time taken for attending the office is increasing through traffic jams and also that the office can save energy charges for one day, thee is full justification for the demand. Further, the people may not suffer much because of the ATMs, e-banking etc.
The Bank Management has to seriously consider the same.

Bali WTO meeting – Will India stick to its position?

01 Sunday Dec 2013

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The WTO ministerial meeting is going to be held from 3rd to 6th December in Bali. In the meantime India had put its position clear that there will be no compromise on the food security agenda. It stated that ‘it will be firm on the core agenda of food security while pursuing a “persuasive and constructive” dialogue.’Minister Anand sharma has stated that the food security ensured in the Food Security Bill will continue.

Statement is alright. But whether India will stand to its words in the face of the strong opposition from the imperialist countries? Of course, the general elections are coming and the government seems to have no choice.

Delhi Elections on 4th December – Campaigns in full stength

01 Sunday Dec 2013

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The Delhi elections this time seems to be a fully prepared fight. Between the Congress which wants to continue its 15 years rule and BJP which wants to take over from Congress are in a life or death fight. But both of them are unsure and nervous.
The third party is the AAP – Aam Admi Paty. It has nothing to lose since this is the first time it is contesting, after the party was formed about one year back. Whatever it gets is a victory. Though it may get some seats, it is not claiming of forming the Ministry.
Delhi is really a metro, the Capital city. People from all other states of the country have a good presence here. Hence many local parties of the nearby states are also contesting. But they also do not claim much.
The Left Parties, CPI(M), CPI etc. are also contesting, but in a few seats. They are putting maximum efforts for making their presence felt with a few seats.
If one looks at the entire situation, the chance seems to be for a hung assembly – a situation which Delhi never has experienced. Either Congress or BJP got majority in the earlier elections.

Left Parties Protest against Snatching away 0f Democratic Rights

30 Saturday Nov 2013

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Thousands of people joined in the sit-in protest to condemn snatching of democratic rights of the people in the state for over past two and a half year. At the call of Left Front, the protest held at the Rani Rasmani Road near Esplanade, Kolkata which started at 1 PM and continued till 5 PM. Biman Basu, Surjya Kanta Mishra and other Left Front leaders were present in the sit-in protest.

The Left Front had organized a public meeting at the same place to propagate its agenda of protest where Biman Basu, the Chairman of the Left Front committee, while presiding over the public meeting had condemned the state sponsored attack on Democratic rights.

The sit-in and the public meeting avowed the rejection to the state government’s policy of curbing democratic space in all possible way. The protest movement took score of the age of anarchy in the educational sector that has been observed by the ruling party and its agents from the day of coming in to being of the TMC government. The growing number and magnitude of attacks on women of this state has already put the question of social security of women at high alert. Yet the state government is observing uninterrupted inaction to address or settle those alarming issues. On the contrary their agents are sometime being vocal to make women themselves feel as guilty as if they are the one who are to behave themselves to stop this social degeneration. The leaders and activists present at this protest movement condemned the killing of the student leader Sudipto Gupto in police custody and rejected the state governments fabricated trials to misinterpret the murder as an accident. The distress tale of democracy in this state has more chapters as the people of this state are compelled to witness a spine-chilling reign of terror that has been unleashed by the ruling party and accordingly supported and supplemented by the state administration. Numerous events of false cases against left activists and leaders are being charged upon every now and then where from the day this government has took office, the people have witnessed 138 of left leaders, activists got murdered and no one was arrested or faced police probe. The Saradha scam had ruined many people of their hard-earned savings yet the state government has not filed a single case against the convict of this scam. Names of ruling party leaders and even the CM have always been attached with the fraud cheat-fund company Saradha, even when a ruling party Member of the Parliament is arrested by the police administration the names of other leaders and even the CM have come up once again. It is visibly impossible for any state controlled institution to observe neutral probe of this case, hence the demand of CBI probe on the Saradha scam case echoed at this protest again and again.

The leader of the Opposition of West Bengal Assembly Surjya Kanta Mishra and other Left Front leaders were present at the sit-in protest and they addressed in the public meeting and took score of all aspects of anti-democratic installations being observed in this state.

Issues for presentation by Forum in Awareness meeting.

30 Saturday Nov 2013

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Issues for Presentation by the Forum of BSNL Unions/Associations in the meeting with the CMD BSNL on 30th November 2013

(1) Procurement of equipment like Broadband Modem, Cables, Mobile lines etc.
While BSNL C.O. intimates that equipment like Modem, Cables, Mobile lines, Jointing kits, drop wires etc. are purchased and available, the heads of SSAs are stating that the same are not available with them. This contradictory position is untenable. Adequate equipment should reach field level to provide connections and maintain them effectively.

(2) Providing new landline connections.
The reports from field level indicate that although people apply for new landline and Broad band connections, they are discouraged by field level management stating that it is not feasible to provide the same due to lack of cable lines in that area. In some SSAs, the registration for new connection is made, but one or two months afterwards, the waiting list is wiped out stating that there is no feasibility.

This position is completely unacceptable. The responsibility of BSNL is to register and provide new connections and maintain them effectively. Whatever has to be done in this matter has got to be done.

(3) Providing new connections in new colonies/flats
In all the towns/cities, new colonies are coming with hundreds of houses/flats. They require telephone connections, landline/mobiles. The private telecom companies are maximum utilizing this opportunity by laying cables to these colonies/flats and immediately providing connections. BSNL is far behind in this respect.

BSNL should aggressively take up this issue, which will help in increasing connections and revenue in a big way.

(4) Fresh Recruitment of Staff.
While more than one lakh thirty thousand non-executives had retired since formation of BSNL, the recruitment, except in the cadre of TTA, has been almost nil. This has adversely affected the maintenance of the telephones and efficiency. Fresh blood is required in any organization to grow. The average age of the non-executives has already reached more than 50 years and one can not expect maximum efficiency, though they are well experienced.

Fresh recruitment in the non-executive cadres has to be taken on a fast-track basis.

(5) Discontinue Telephone Advisory Committees (TAC)
In the present circumstances when the telecom services are not monopoly of the government and many competitors are in the field, there is no necessity for the Telephone Advisory Committees, unnecessarily spending a lot of money. BSNL Management should take up the matter with government to get the TACs discontinued.

(6) Maintenance of Batteries etc.
It is reported from many SSAs that the batteries which are very important for the maintenance of the exchanges and BTSs, are in bad condition resulting in break-downs. This need to be attended on a fast track basis.

(7) Circulation/ Propagation of BSNL Plans for Subscribers.
Except in very few circles and SSAs, the new plans and projects of the BSNL are not given publicity and the people are unaware of the same. Even in front of the Customer Service Centres in many places, such information are missing. This has got to be done in an aggressive way.

(8) Meeting the subscribers at his/her premises.
There is urgent need of majority of the officers /employees to be in the field, instead of sitting inside the offices. BSNL should not wait the people to come to it, but instead should reach to the people. Meeting the subscribers at his/her premises and getting feed back from them will go a long way in better customer relations and for solving the problems their problems satisfactorily.

(9) One Window System for dealing with customers.
Now the subscribers/customers are feeling difficulty in conveying their grievances and issues and in many places, they are asked to meet several officials/counters for the same. The subscriber feels harassed. In all the customer service centres and offices, One Window System should be arranged for the customers’ issues.

(10) Roll –out Plans for LTE / 4G.
At present, the 2G services are completely unsatisfactory as per reports received from the field. There is a lot to be improved. In addition, the LTE/3G/4G have to be rolled out in a big way.

(11) BBNL and Role of BSNL.
As per the reports in the media, BBNL is going to become a full fledged telecom company. It is not clear what will be the role of BSNL in BBNL in the new situation and what will be the impact on BSNL. BSNL should get the priority status in BBNL, instead of being a silent partner.

(12) Works Committee at SSA level.
BSNL Corporate Office has already directed regular holding of Works Committees at SSA level as demanded by the unions. Despite reminders from C.O. , many SSAs have not yet started the process.

The Works Committee meeting is intended to discuss about the developmental programme, increasing efficiency etc. The field level staff with their experience will be able to give good suggestions on the above issues. The management can explain the actual requirement from the staff. Such discussion followed by concrete action will be effective both on expansion, maintenance and better customer relations.

The Works Committee has to be extended to circle level also, where a higher form of discussion, considering the entire circle, can take place.

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New Delhi V.A.N. Namboodiri
30.11.2013 Convener, Forum