All India Democratic Womens Association (AIDWA) can be proud that it has now its own building for functioning of its Central Head Quarters at New Delhi. The office near Shadipur Metro was inaugurated today, 15th November 2011, by Comrade Brinda Karat, PB Member CPI(M) and founder General Secretary of AIDWA. An array of senior leaders of various Women’s Organisations were present.
While welcoming, Com. Sudha Sundararaman, General Secretary, AIDWA, informed that the money for purchasing the building was collected @ Rupee one each from its members and public. A very great effort and achievement indeed! Comrade Pramila Pandhe, despite her double loss of husband and son within the period of one month, was there to see the cherished dream of having a building for AIDWA, for which she has been working for the last many years.
I was glad that I could attend the meeting. Shortly, most probably on 11th December 2011, the own building of BSNLEU may also be inaugurated at Shadipur itself.

Is Uttar Pradesh (UP), the most populous state in the country, going to be divided in to 4 separate states? It is the proposal of the Mayavati Government to split UP in to Purvanchal (UP East), Paschim Pradesh (UP West), Bundelkhand (UP South) and Awadh Pradesh (UP Central) according to press reports.
Opposition parties have already opposed the reported proposal. Certainly a serious discussion is going to take place in the coming days regarding this reorganisation proposal. It may enthuse certain other states also to have similar proposal. Already the agitation is continuing for a Telengana State bifurcating A.P.

The Joint Action Committee has called upon all the Circle /SSA Secretaries of Executive / Non-Executive Associations /Unions to meet the Members of Parliament of their area and submit the ‘Appeal to the M.P.s’ on the BSNL issues drafted and furnished to them by the JAC. So far JAC has not got much reports about meeting of the M.P.s by our units.
BSNL Workers are on a very serious struggle to sustain and improve the BSNL services. If BSNL perishes, the BSNL workers have no future. If BSNL strengthens, it will benefit the workers as well as the common people of this country. Hence there can not be any lapse on our part to implement our important decisions.
JAC may fix the date for the one day strike it has deferred, in the meeting scheduled to be held tomorrow, 16th November. We want the strike to be complete, 100%.

It seems that the Government and the BSNL Management will never allow procurement of GSM lines for BSNL.In order to support the private companies to grab maximum mobile subscribers, the Government and the BSNL Management has been continuously cancelling the tender processes of mobile lines since 2007. First the cancellation of the proposed tender of 45 million in 2007, next the cancellation of 93 million tender and in 2011 cancellation of the 5.5 million lines. Every time of cancellation, it was assured that another tender will be floated. But that also was being cancelled.
It was assured by the CMD to the JAC this time that procurement of the 15 million GSM lines will be done by E-tender and it will be speeded up so that by about some 6 months or so, the same will be available. But lo! this tender is also cancelled as per media reports. It is stated that another tender will be floated. The conspiracy between the Government, private companies and the top management has got exposed. It seems that they will never allow the BSNL to get procurement of the mobile lines till the saturation of the mobile services.
It is the duty of the workers and their unions to continue the pressure and the agitations to compel the government and management to change their anti-worker policy and make them support the BSNL and mete out justice. The JAC has to advance on this line. There can not be any compromise on the financial viability of BSNL.

The statement of Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh that the prices of the petrol will not be reduced and that it may further increase has been turned upside down due to the impact of the election compulsion in UP and the other states that is going to the polls shortly. The Prime Minister justified the price hike, despite strong protest by all sections of the people. But now the Prime Minster is compelled to change his stand due to the election compulsion.
Whatever is the reason for reducing the petrol price, it gives some relief to the people. The government should further reduce the prices. Government should also cancel the deregularisation of petrol prices so that in future the prices can not go up as it has been during the last one year.

Dr. Manmohan Singh, Prime Minister of India is more interested in bailing out the ailing King Fisher Airlines but not to bail out the common people from the rising prices.
” We have to find ways to get King-Fisher out of trouble”, PM has stated day before yesterday. King-fisher airlines has cancelled many of its trips due to financial crisis. PM has immediately reacted and suggested bail-out. But even to consider a bail out for the ailing Air-India it takes weeks and months. Leave alone air lines, what about the common people? Is there any bail out for them from petrol increase? No. PM says nothing could be done and indicated that the price of petrol may increase again.
It is clear on which is the government!

During my visit of Tirupati in connection with the All India Convention of Postal Casual, Part-Time, Contingent and Contract Workers Federation on 13-14 November 2011, I could meet the leaders and workers of BSNLEU, AIBDPA and BSNLCCWF. A largely attended meeting was also held on 14th November under the auspices of BSNLEU participated by JAC leaders and members also. Com. Y.S.Raju, District Secretary, BSNLEU welcomed. I addressed the meeting and spoke on the various issues being faced by the BSNL and its workers. The necessity of making all the oncoming organisational programmes successful was stressed.
The Union is very strong and has got more than 600 members out of about 900 workers. There is good co-ordination between the UF and JAC leaders. AIBDPA and BSNLCCWF are also functioning well. There are some left out casual labours also.

The National convention of NFPE for forming an all India union for the Postal Casual, Part-time Contingent and workers was held at Tirupati on 13th and 14th November 2011. I attended the open session of the same held on 13th. A large number of workers participated which was presided by Com. Nagabhushanam, leader of NFPE. Coms. M.Krishnan, SG NFPE, C.C.Pillai former SG NFPE, Raghavendran, former SG NFPE, MS Raja Secretary Confederation V.Balasubramaniam, MLC, Nageswar Rao, Secretary CITU and others addressed.
Addressing the session I congratulated NFPE for the initiative taken in forming the new union of the unorganised workers. I also explained the experience of the BSNL Casual and Contract Workers Federation for the last three years and the struggles organised for settlement of the demands.
The Convention formed the new All India Postal Casual, Part-time, Contingent and Contract Workers Federation and elected Coms C.C.Pillai as President and Mohanan (A.P) as Secretary General. My Best Wishes for the new organisation!

The meeting of the JAC to be held on 16th November has the task of finalising the strike action date etc. the charter for which has already been given to the management earlier. In addition it has to discuss about the new developments in connection with the issues of absorption/ non-absorption of ITS officers. The BSNL management utterly failed to make alternate arrangements despite continued demand by the JAC and allied unions. If the Management trainees had been recruited as assured earlier, the situation could have been saved. Even now, there seems to be no contingency plan for the management.
Management should call all the unions/associations and discuss the issue.
The present position is a challenge to the executives and non-executives. They should come forward to take more responsibilities to ensure the smooth and efficient functioning of the organisation. This also will be discussed in the JAC

The Joint Action Committee is scheduled to have its next meeting on 16th November to discuss and decide about deferred strike and fix the next date in consultations with all the unions. The issue of ITS absorption will also be discussd.