The Unions have given strike notice on the important demands of the workers as well as the company. The responsibility of the management is to discuss and find out ways and means to setle the issues. Instead, it is only requesting the workers to call of the strike citing the financial condition of the company. How the present unviable condition has come. It is only due to the anti-PSU policy of the government and the mismanagement. Workers can not be held responsible for the same.

Denial of the genuine demands of the workers will bring more struggles only. Let he management be positive in settling the issues.

Joint Action Committee of BSNL Associations/Unions  has approached Members of Parliament of various political parties to raise the issues of financial viability of BSNL and the discriminatory attitude of the government to BSNL and MTNL. On behalf of JAC, I have sent detailed notes on the matter to S/Shri Basudev Acharya, Brinda Karat, Tapan Sen (CPIM), Gurudas Dasgupta (CPI), Dr. Sanjeeva Reddy (INC) and other MPs. I have also requested that in connection with the 15th December Strike, the issue may be raised in the Parliament. I hope they will seriously take up the issue with government.

Two out of the 7  demands in the 15th December Strike are 1) Payment of Bonus and 2) 78.2% IDA fixation for BSNL Employees. BSNL management is denying both stating there is no money.he denial justified?

No. There is no justification to deny the demands. As far as Bonus is concerned, it is given in the government and the PSUs? It is a right won by the workers. On a scheme decided by the DOT, BSNL and MTNL managements without participation of the workers’ representatives, Bonus can not be denied.

78.2% is granted by Government and PSUs? Why it is denied to BSNL workers alone.

The negative attitude of the BSNL management by denying the rights of the workers is the reason for the BSNL workers strike. They are fully responsible for the same.

Make the strike a big success!

On the death of an employee, an amount of Rs. 15,000/ is given immediately by BSNL to the family  of the deceased towards funeral expenses. The All India BSNL DOT Pensioners Association has demanded that the same  may be given on the death of the BSNL Pensioner also. This is a very justified demand. After serving the DOT/BSNL for a long period of 35 to 40 years, why the pensioner also can not be granted the same.  He/she had also contributed to the Welfare Fund all along his service, and this right can not be denied to him/her.

The BSNL management should take immediate decision. After all death is only once, whether in service or afterwards.

The Meeting   Director (HR) held today with the JAC leaders did not settle important issues  raised in the strike notice. Hence prepare fully for the strike. A meeting of JAC will be held tomorrow, 13th December,  to plan and make the strike a good success. NFTE has agreed to join with the strike decision.

On the strike issue, two write ups are published 1) in the Pioneer dated 9th December and 2) in the Peoples Democracy dated 5-11.

UPA government and Congress leaders are very unhappy with the large participation of people in the programmes organised by Anna Hazare. The latest is the one day hunger strike by Anna at Jantar Mantar, New Delhi on 12 December 2011. Thousands of people attended the site in support of the hunger strike. This time there was another added attraction that many political leaders including BJP, CPI, CPI(M), JD(U) and others participated and expressed their view points for a strong Lokpal Bill.

This has naturally infuriated the UPA and especially Congress. They have again started attacking and ridiculing the movement for a strong Lokpal Bill. But the fact is that the Congress is worried and will have to change certain decisions.

Better do it at the earliest before another hunger strike. The elections in UP are coming!

Today, 11th December 2011, is the 37th Death Anniversary of the Revolutionary leader,Comrade K.G.Bose. He passed away in a London Hospital on 11th December 1974.

BSNL Employees Union and lakhs of P&T Workers will always be indebted for the progressive leadership given to them by Comrade KG. I cherish the close friendship and guidance received from him  during while he was living and leading the organisation.

It is to be appreciated that BSNLEU has decided to name their newly owned building as ” K.G.Bose Bhawan” in respectful memory of the great leader.

I pay my respectful homage to Comrade KG Bose!

New Delhi is completing a century as capital of India. It was on 12th December 1011 that  King George V, the Emperor of India, declared in the Coronation Durbar at Delhi, that the capital of India is shifted to Delhi from Calcutta.

Since the British entered India through Bengal, Calcutta was their headquarters from the first. Bengal was one of the biggest states also at that time. Later it was bifurcated in to Bengal, Bihar, Assam etc.

But the credential of Delhi goes far back. It was the capital of Mughals from Shajahan  till  the end. However, for a brief period under Humayun, Delhi was capital. But before the Mughals, Delhi has been the capital of six other dynasties. Mehrauli, Siri, Tuglakabad, Firozabad, Purana kila – all were the capital at some time or other.  But however, it was after Shajahan shifted from Agra to Delhi, the city got its glory at the maximum.

It is 100 years since British made Delhi capital. Within these 100 years, Delhi has changed so much. India got independence.The Viceroy’s residence became Raj Bhawan.  The New Delhi city was constructed under the British by architects  Edwin Landseer Lutyen and Herbert Baker. The present Rashtrapathi Bhawan, North and South Blocks, Connaught Place – all were constructed under their supervision. Even now, it is called Lutyens Delhi.

First time i visited New Delhi in the 1960s. I do not remember the exact dates. During these 50 years itself, there has been major changes. It is a saying that those who comes to Delhi wants to be in Delhi only. May not be applicable in every case.

The demand of the JAC and the BSNL to accept surrender of the low quality BWA Spectrum and refund the money to BSNL has been accepted by the DOT. BSNL has been made to pay more than Rs. 8000 crore towards BWA spectrum without allowing to take part in the auction. The spectrum allotted to BSNL was an inferior quality which will not be able to meet the requirements of the future generations of technology. Hence the demand for surrender and payment of the money back.

The process should be speeded up so that the money is returned to BSNL early.

Despite the fact that Government of India has received names of secret account holders in 10 foreign countries, the government is sitting tight on the information. As per Finance Secretary, it is reported, the secret accounts are just like tax not paid. The demand for disclosing the names of the account holders are also being kept secret.

What the government should do is to disclose the names of the offenders, confiscate the amount and initiate criminal proceedings against them. Many other countries would have done it. Why this  reluctance on the part of the indian Govenment to take action against them? The people would like to know. Who are these very influential people who can stop the government from taking action against law-breakers?