Struggle inevitable for regularisation of casual labour in BSNL.

30 Thursday Aug 2012

Posted by in BSNLCCWF - Casual and Contract workers

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The Minister of State for Communications, Shri Milind Deora has replied to a question raised by Com.Tapan Sen, M.P., in the Parliament that there are 3,348 casual labour engaged in BSNL, and that they can not be regularised in view of the Supreme Court Judgement in Umadevi case against regularisation.

This is a distortion of facts. On the basis of the same judgement of the Supreme Court and as per the DOP&T orders referring to the judgment, hundreds of casual labours in many departments of the central government have been regularised. If BSNL was not formed, these casual labours who were actually engaged by the DOT before formation of BSNL, would have been regularised as in other departments. Formation of BSNL could not be used to deny the right of these casual labours who are continuously working for more than 15 years or so.

This denial of justice has to be fought not only by the casual workers, but by the entire BSNL workers. In fact the unions of the regular employees should organise the struggle to get their colleagues to be regularised. BSNL Employees Union and its leaders at various level have to take initiative for the agitation to get justice rendered to these maximum exploited section of workers.

The BSNL Management have the responsibility to regularise these workers.

Govt. move to sell PSU lands

30 Thursday Aug 2012

Posted by in General

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The Department of Public Enterprises has moved a Cabinet Note proposing to create a Public Sector Development Authority for unlocking the prime lands owned by the Public Sector Enterprises of the Central Government. These lands are mostly in the central place of the cities and towns and will fetch high prices. The Corporates and the Private companies have been pressurizing the government to sell these lands for real estate purposes etc. It is suggested that the proceeds of the sale would be used to make the loss-making PSUs to become financially viable. But the fact is that as in the case of mines, water, spectrum etc. the land also will be sold at cheap rates to the corporates resulting in windfall gains and heavy loss to the government and the nation.

The proposal has to be seen as part of the neo-liberal policy of the government using the nation’s assets for maximization of profit for the corporates and the MNCs.

 

Increase FDI, Reduce subsidies on diesel and LPG – Standing Committee

30 Thursday Aug 2012

Posted by in General

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The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Finance has recommeded to improve the FDI, It has also suggested reduction in the subsidy on diesel and LPG. But it is not unanimous recommendations. The M.P.s from the Left Parties who are members of the Standing Committee have strongly opposed these suggestions.

Already the subsidies on petrol, diesel, LPG have been reduced. The Committee’s recommendation, if accepted, will raise the price of these utilities and will cut in to the already cut expenditure of the poor. The Chairman of the Committee is former Finance Minister and BJP leader Shri Yashwant Sinha. Both the Congress and BJP are together is reducing the subsidies to the poor. It is only the Left Parties which stands up for the downtrodden and toiling masses.

PSUs are the hens that lay golden eggs.

29 Wednesday Aug 2012

Posted by in PSU

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The government is trying to disinvest and gradually hand over all the PSUs to the private corporates, stating the PSUs are in loss or some other excuse. But a look at the profit that the PSUs make and the amount they contribute to the Central Exchequer will show that the government is misleading the people.

The top ten profit-making CPSEs in 2010-11 had made a profit of  Rs. 66,729 crores. The total profit by all CPSEs is Rs. 1,13,769 crores. They have contributed to the central exchequer is Rs.1,56,124 by way of dividend, interest, customs duty, corporate tax, sales tax etc.

In fact, PSEs are the hens that lay the golden eggs for the Central Government. And the same government is on the way to kill them one after another.

A strong movement is to be launched to stop the government from this perilous and anti-nation conspiracy.

National Convention of Workers on 4th September 2012

29 Wednesday Aug 2012

Posted by in TU News - India

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The Central Trade Unions BMS, INTUC, AITUC, HMS, CITU, AIUTUC, TUCC, AICCTU, UTUC, LPF and SEWA have decided to organise an All India Convention on 4th September 2012 at Talkatora Stadium New Delhi to plan the future agitational programmes on the major demands already raised in the 28th February Strike in which more than 10 crore workers all over India participated. BSNLEU was also was party to the decision and strike.

Despite such a strike participated by workers more than any other strike in the past, the government has not even called the leaders nor agreed for any of the demands raised in the strike. On the contrary the government is proceeding with more anti-worker actions, disinvestment programmes, and pro-corporate decisions granting subsidy after subsidy to them. No action is being taken to curb the high rising prices.The  exploitation of the crores of contract labour continues unabated.

I hope that the All India Convention will discuss all these issues and take necessary decisions on agitational and other suitable programmes. BSNLEU will also be participating in the convention.

NTR Circle is a special circle, has special problems

29 Wednesday Aug 2012

Posted by in BSNLEU

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The Circle Conference of the BSNLEU Delhi NTR Circle Conference was held today, 29th August  2012 at the CTO dormitory Hall. I was invited to inaugurate the same and I did the same speaking briefly on the issues faced by the working class with special emphasis on BSNL issues. The need for better service and development and expansion were also stressed. Com.P.Abhimanyu, General Secretary, BSNLEU and also CGM NTR, CGM ETP and others addressed. Com.H.L.Makkar, senior leader and President of Circle Union presided. Coms. Chiddu Singh, Vice-President and R.S.Chauhan Circle Secretary welcomed and all and presented with shawls garlands etc. There were good number of delegates.

NTR Delhi is a special circle. While STR,STP,ETR,ETP,WTP,WTR and NTP are all non-territorial circles, Northern Telecom Region is a territorial circle with large number of workers, including the CTO Delhi. It has got staff in J&K, HP, Punjab, Utharakhand, UP, Haryana and Rajasthan. These are all district unions. Delegates from most of these circles were present. So the problems of almost  9 circles have to be discussed by the circle union.

Since the NTR circle was the force and support base of BSNLEU in Delhi along with the Corporate office circle, the management has been continuously trying to shift staff from NTR to Corporate Office, DOT, Haryana, UP etc. so that the staff in NTR can be reduced. This has actually reduced the staff to almost 50%. Despite strong protest by the union, the transfer and deputation could not be stopped. This conference also discussed the matter and demanded the management to stop this unjustified process.

I could not attend the conference fully since I had to come back to my home, the day being ONAM, the main festival of Kerala.

Cancel the coal block allocations

28 Tuesday Aug 2012

Posted by in Corruption

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The Left Parties and other opposition parties have correctly demanded that the coal blocks allotted to private companies with out auction and which have incurred Rs.  1.86 lakh crore to the nation should be cancelled as was ordered by the Supreme Court in the 2G scam. It is only very reasonable and appropriate. Denial of this demand will naturally point out that this loss was incurred with the full knowledge and involvement of the government.

 

More achievements by BSNLEU / Forum of BSNL Unions.

28 Tuesday Aug 2012

Posted by in BSNL News

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It is understood that the BSNL Board has approved:

1) 78.2% IDA fitment 2) NE-12 Payscale and 3) Recruitment of 2670 TTAs. The first has been part of the 13 June strike agreement. The second is on the basis of the agreement with BSNLEU on NEPP and the third is as per the requirement of the company. All the three are good decisions and I congratulate the management for the decisions which will benefit the company and the workers.

It is time to ensure better and better service to the people. The management should ensure adequate equipments for development, expansion and maintenance. That is lacking at present.  Let all of us try our best to improve the services and financial position of the union.

 

Congratulations to Kerala,H.P.,NE-I, NE-II, J&K, Odisha, Assam Circles

27 Monday Aug 2012

Posted by in BSNL News

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As per latest  unaudited accounts of BSNL, it is reported that Kerala, NE-I, NE-II, J&K, Assam and Odisha circles have been able to get profits for the company. In Kerala Circle, the profit for this year is Rs. 149 crore compared to last years Rs. 76 crore.

Congratulations to all the workers and management for the improvement. Let all the circles try to get profit and more profit to the company.  We can Save BSNL and workers!