Govt. owes Rs.110 crore to Air India for VIP travels

16 Monday Jan 2012

Posted by in PSU

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.The Air India is in serious financial difficulties and does not have money even to pay salaries to its employees. It is going through hard times. The financial crisis has arisen mainly because of the anti-Air India and pro-private carrier policy of the government and the decisions of former Civil Aviation Minister Praful Patel, who openly supported the private companies.

Now certain  news has been published in the newspapers. The Central Government owes about Rs. 110 crore to Air India towards payment for the tours conducted by the President. Vic-President, Prime Minister etc. to foreign countries. These relate to the period since 2008 and some earlier. The files are all pending with the government only. Why these bills are not paid? There is complete inertia in the government.

The Central Government should immediately pay these bills to the Air-India. It will help the company as also stop the humiliation of the concerned VIPs including President of India.

 

BSNL to outsource its 40,000 mobile towers

16 Monday Jan 2012

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BSNL is planning to outsource its 40,000 and odd towers in a bid to reduce its expenditure in maintenance and operation of the same. It is reported that about 20-25% of the total expenditure of the company relates to this item alone. It is also reported that the company has already started leasing /sharing the towers with the private companies.

These are all parts of the neo-liberalisation policy. After spending thousands of crore o f rupees for installing and making all infrastructures, they are being allowed for the use of the private companies for a minimum revenue sharing or rent. The maximum benefit of the towers is handed over to the private companies on a silver plate. The loss of the company, a creation of the wrong policy of the government and the inefficient management, is made a justification for the same.  CMD BSNL has stated that the process may get about Rs. 3,000 crore to BSNL. We have to watch and see.

It is to be noted that such important decisions are taken by the management even without consultation to the unions, important stakeholders of the company.  Unions get the information through the newspapers/media only.

USO Fund denies support to BSNL on loss making land lines

15 Sunday Jan 2012

Posted by in BSNL News

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The Administrator of Universal Service Obligation Fund (USOF) is reported to have denied the request of the BSNL for subsidy support to meet the losses being incurred for operating wire line connections in rural areas.  BSNL had shown that about Rs. 10,000 crore  loss is incurred by the company for implementing the social commitment of the government in providing connections in the rural areas/villages.

The Government, which has taken away all the surplus cash of the BSNL through 3G,BWA Spectrum charges, Notional loan, Dividend etc. is refusing to help it at the time of crisis.  The JAC and Unions have to take up the issue with the DOT and the Minister urgently.

Air India assures salary payment – Staff ends the non-attendance

15 Sunday Jan 2012

Posted by in TU News - India

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The crisis in Air India for the last few days has ended after discussion between the Air India CMD Rohit Nandan and the representatives of the Pilots. A good number of pilots have been boycotting duty protesting against the non-payment of salary for the last two-three months. Other staff like Stewards and Air Hostesses in international flights were absenting since they were paid neither salary nor the allowances (expenses) for staying in foreign stations.  Many flights were cancelled during the last one week.

Air India, which is in a serious financial crisis, mainly due to the anti-PSU and pro-private companies policy and decisions of the Central Government, especially that of the former Civil Aviation Minister Praful Patel , has been demanding subsidy from the government. But the government has not responded to the extent required.

Finance Minister meets Central Trade Unions on pre-budget discussions

15 Sunday Jan 2012

Posted by in TU News - India

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The Finance Minister  Pranab Mukherjee will be meeting the Central TUs on Monday, 16th January, to have their views before the finalisation of the budget proposals.

The trade unions are expected to raise the issues of the abolition of the contract labour, increase the minimum wage, social benefits like EPF & ESI etc. to them. They are also expected to raise the demand to have more employment generation as also increase the interest rate on Provident Fund decided by the EPFO. All the major National Trade Union centres are expected to participate in the meeting.

BSNL may lose Mini Ratna Status – HMT, Hindustan Papers and Hindustan Newsprint also.

15 Sunday Jan 2012

Posted by in BSNL - Better Service to the Nation

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The Department of Public Enterprises (DPE) is proposing to re-examine the Mini Ratna status of the PSUs which are not performing to the required level for the last three years.

BSNL may come on the radar. Though it was eligible for Nava Ratna Status on the basis of its performance earlier, the same was denied and only Mini Ratna was granted to it. But if the said proposal of the DPE is accepted, there is a chance that BSNL may lose its Mini Ratna status also, since its performance for the last two years have not been up to the mark. It is well known that BSNL has been posting losses mainly because of the anti-PSU policy of the government and the lack-lustre performance of the top management.  After the ‘Customer Delight Year’ project has been started by the JAC, the negative trend has changed for positive, but to what extent  is not known.  However, the DPE will have to think about this trend also before taking any action to downgrade BSNL. The BSNL Management and the unions should strongly demand not to demote the PSU.

HMT, Hindustan Papers and Hindustan Newsprint are also on the radar of the DPE for taking away the Mini Ratna stauts from them.

S and P downgrades European Countries – France and Austria lose AAA status

15 Sunday Jan 2012

Posted by in WORLD NEWS

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The global recession is on. This time it is the 9 European countries that have been downgraded by the global rating agency, Standards & Poor, from their present rankings. France and Austria, the ratings of which were AAA, have also been downgraded. The other countries which are demoted are Italy, Spain, Portugal, Cyprus, Malta, Slovakia and Slovenia.

This is a big blow to France which is going to have election shortly. The downgrading will have serious implications for the Euro economy.  It may be remembered that the ratings of US was demoted from AAA+ last year after the global economic crisis.

One after another, the capitalist countries are facing the inevitable crisis that is the integral part of the capitalist system.

The tele-statistics, November 2011 released by TRAI with highlights by Com.Mihir Das Gupta.

14 Saturday Jan 2012

Posted by in BSNL News

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Telephone Subscribers’   Base in India
for the month of November 2011

SERVICE
PROVIDER
COMPANY

W I R E L I N E

W I R E L E S S

T    O  T  A  L

Wireless
VLR
Proportion
%

Number

Market Share
%

Number

Market Share
%

Number

Market Share
%
Bharti Airtel

3314165

10.05

174692673

19.75

178006838

19.40

89.46
Reliance

1262297

3.83

149130185

16.86

150392482

16.39

64.89
Vodafone

0.00

146841278

16.60

146841278

16.01

83.30
BSNL

23308483

70.72

96011338

10.86

119319821

13.01

52.96
Tata

1382592

4.19

83390360

9.43

84772952

9.24

54.01
Idea

0.00

103992365

11.76

103992365

11.34

92.26
Aircel/   Dishnet

0.00

60958611

6.89

60958611

6.65

54.42
Uninor

0.00

34181955

3.87

34181955

3.73

59.55
Sistema

46762

0.14

14494591

1.64

14541353

1.59

48.47
MTNL

3449038

10.46

5647022

0.64

9096060

0.99

35.14
Videocon

0.00

5480217

0.62

5480217

0.60

42.09
Loop   Telecom

0.00

3223924

0.36

3223924

0.35

40.02
S-Tel

0.00

3563152

0.40

3563152

0.39

31.37
HFCL Infotel

197419

0.60

1152801

0.13

1350220

0.15

44.29
Etisalat/   Allianz

0.00

1610824

0.18

1610824

0.18

25.37
Total

32960756

100

884371296

100

917332052

100

71.85

TELE DENSITY

              
Urban

6.92

159.92

166.84

 
Rural

0.93

36.05

36.98

 
Overall

2.74

73.44

76.18
Broadband = 13.13 million  
Source:

 
TRAI Press   Release

 
dated 9th   January, 2012

 

HIGHLIGHTS

 

v  In Wireless (GSM+CDMA) segment, monthly growth substantially declined to 29.7 lac in November’11 compared to October’11. Top three performers in net Wireless Subscribers addition in Nov.’11 are: Idea (21.7 lac), Uninor (18.6 lac) & Reliance (10.1 lac). Tata lost huge 44.5 lac subscribers, followed by Videocon (5.9 lac), BSNL (1.8 lac) & HFCL (61K).

v  Amongst BSNL Circles, Tamil Nadu (including Chennai) recorded highest Wireless Subscribers’ growth of 1.2 lac in Nov.’11 followed by Kerala (96K), Rajasthan (85K) & Karnataka (79K). Six Circles posted negative growth in Nov.’11 viz. Bihar (3.4 lac),  Maharashtra (3.3 lac), NE (1 lac), Haryana (13K), HP (9K) & Gujarat (2K).  In VLR position of Nov.’11,Maharashtra Circle tops with 67.66%, followed by Andhra Pradesh- 66.74%, J&K- 65.49%, Kerala- 64.66% &NE- 60.86%. Kolkata TD continues to occupy the last position with 34.52%.

v  VLR – Visitor Location Register shows the actual number of active Wireless telephones. In November 2011, VLR report indicated that only 71.85% (63.54 crore) of all wireless subscribers were active. Company-wise detailed status is shown in the table.

Urban – Rural Divide on the Basis of Tele- Density: After a long time, the gap i.e. Urban TD minus Rural TD, has marginally narrowed. Figures for consecutive eight months are:

Coal India Workers demand 30% increase in wage revision.

14 Saturday Jan 2012

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About 2 lakh lThe Unions in coal India are demanding 30%  in the five year period wage revision in the Coal India Limited. Management is prepared to give 25% only. Hard bargaining is going on. There are about 3,63,000 workers, 20,000 executives and 2 lakh contract workers in CIL.