It was a historic day for the BSNL Casual and Contract workers. Hundreds of workers from all parts of the country assembled at the Corporate Office premises (Eastern Court) to participate in the dharna called for by the BSNL Casual and Contract Workers Federation on 26th August demanding regilarisation of the left-out casual labour, Wages based on IDA instead of CDA, Implementation of minimum wages and social security measures like EPF and ESI to contract workers and also protesting against victimisation and retrenchment.
About 1,000 workers participated. The dharna area was decorated and the flags and banners of the various circle unions were displayed.
The dharna was inaugurated by comrade Tapan Sen, Member of Parliament and General Secretary of the CITU. He narrated the struggles undertaken on the issues of the casual and contract workers by CITU. The labour laws are being violated by the management. The Central Trade Unions have taken the issue of the unorganised workers as one of the major issues in the struggles being organised. He also asked the workers to attend in large numbers in the meeting to be held in Mavalankar Hall on 7th September being organised by the Central Trade Unions.
Comrade V.A.N.Namboodiri, President of the BSNLEU and BSNLCCWF presided. He spoke on the sustained efforts and struggles organised by BSNLEU and BSNLCCWF to settle the issues of the workers. The issue was raised in the Parliament Standing Committee on Labour and a separate session was held to discuss these issues which had galvanising effect on the management. Orders have been issued on the Minimum Wage, implementation of EPF,ESI etc. but these are not implemented at the field level in many places. The issue of regularisation of casual labour was discussed several times, but so fat it has not been settled. He called upon the workers to strengthen the union in order to wage more struggles and to get the issues settled.
Comrade Tapas Ghosh, Secretary General, BSNLCCWF spoke about the major demands of the workers on which the dharna is being organised. He also informed the participants about the meeting held with Director (HR) on the earlier day.
Comrades P.Abhimanyu, General Secretary, BSNLEU addressed and assured that BSNLEU will give all support and help in settling the demands of the casual and contract workers. He also stated that a separate session for casual and contract workers issues will be held along with the CEC meeting to be held at Jaipur next month. Comrades P.Asokababu, Dy.GS, K.R.Yadav, Vice-President, S.C.Bhattacharjee, Treasurer, Swapan Chakraborty AGS and Animesh Mitra, Circle Secretary BSNLEU W.Bengal addressed the house. Comrades H.L.Makkar. President, R.S.Chouhan, Circle Secretary,Delhi NTR, Sonia Arora, Ram Babu, Maheshwal, Circle Secretaries of BSNLCCWF also spoke.
Such a dharna of casual and contract workers was held for the first time in Delhi. The workes are very much inspired. The struggle has to be continued so that justice is meted to the concerned workers without delay.

The BSNL and DOT both want to impose VRS on the BSNL workers with the intention of retrenching workers. But now there is a difference. BSNL is proposing to retrench 21,000 through VRS but the DOT wants that it should not be less than 1,00,000.
According to the BSNL management, for grant of VRS to 21,000 an amount of Rs. 4000 to 5000 crore will be required which the DOT is not agreeable. DOT wants VRS for more and less grant to be given.
The Unions are completely opposed to VRS and has stopped thrice earlier the plan of the management to impose VRS.

The telecom companies are to pay an arrears of Rs. 587 crore to the government towards the licence fee and spectrum charges – Bharti Airtel Rs. 17.66 crore, Reliance Rs. 132.56 crore Idea Cellular Rs. 27.94 crore Spice Communications Rs. 3.29 crore, Aircel Rs. 1.77 crore and MTNL 4.92 crore.
Why the government is not taking any serious action for collecting the arrears. Is it that the Government does not want money? No, the government wants money but it does not want to disturb the mighty private companies.

Leaders of BSNLEU and BSNLCCWF, Comrades V.A.N.Namboodiri, P.Asokababu, Animesh Mitra and Tapas Ghosh met Sri A.K.Garg Directir(HR), BSNL on 25th August and discussed with the main issues of the casual and contract workers. They demanded that the 4000 and odd casual labours who are left out and eligible be regularised without further delay. In the case of 2270 casual labour in W.Bengal it was pointed out that not even a single casual labour was regularised after the BSNL was formed. Despite the Supreme Court order on the basis of which the management is trying to deny regularisation, departments of the Government of India as also many PSUs have regularised their workers. Union representatives pointed out that there is no justification to deny regularisation.
Other issues like IDA wages, Minimum wages, social security measures were also discussed. The union strongly protested against retrenchment and victimisation and demanded the Director (HRD) to ensure that those retrenched are taken back.

Hundreds of comrades of casual and contract workers have already reached Delhi to participate in the massive Dharna to be held tomorrow on the demands of the Casual and Contract workers.
The dharna will start at 1000 hours at the Eastern Court premises. Coms Basudeb Acharya, Tapan Sen and P.R.Natarajan all of them Members of Parliament will address the dharna.

Central Secretariat of BSNLEU has given call to all its units to organise massive demonstrations protesting against the delay in bringing an effective and strong Lokpal Bill, unearth black money and take stringent action against the corrupt. It also condemned the undemocratic action of the government in arresting Anna Hazare who is on fast.
The call of BSNLEU and a note on the issue is put on the website of BSNLEU http://www.bsnleuchq.com

The UPA II Government is digging its own grave by shirking away from drafting a strong and effective Lok Pal Bill. It seems that it has got a lot of skeletons in the cup board to hide other than what have already been exposed like 2G, KG Basin, CWG, Adarsh, Antrix-Dewas etc. etc. Otherwise why it should drag its feet in bringing an effective bill which will free the society at least to a certain extent from the all pervading corruption. The people have lost faith in the government with regard to eradication of corruption.
The present situation in view of Anna Hazare’s fast is an opportunity for the government to act to bring a strong Lok Pal Bill. The government should act before it is too late.
I along with lakhs of other people condemn the anti-democratic actions of the government not to curb corruption but to act against those who are pointing out corruption.

It is reported in Business Line today, 24th August 2011, that the Planning Commission has advocated dilution of government equity in PSU Banks to below 51%. This in fact means that the PSU Banks are going to be privatised. Already, the government is considering for allowing private business houses to start banks. In addition, the government wants to privatise the Public Sector Banks also.
The UPA II government is going fast with its disinvestment /privatisation plans. Unless strong struggles are organised and the common people mobilised against these so called reforms, no PSU will exist in future.

It was on this fateful day, 24th August 1991, that Mikhail Gorbachev resigned from the post of General Secretary of Communist Party of Soviet Union (CPSU) and dissolved the same. The USSR also collapsed with the various units of the Soviet Union disaffiliating from USSR.
The Soviet Union formed with the 1917 socialist revolution under the leadership of Comrade V.I.Lenin grew in to a mighty force within a short time despite attack from all sides. The defeat of Hitler in the II World War and the conquering of Berlin by the Red Army saved the world from a fascist dictator ship. In all spheres USSR advanced with even surpassing USA in space journey. It had a mighty defence force also.
But the revisionist leadership of Gorbachev and certain drawbacks resulted in the collapse of the USSR. Eventhough CPSU was dissolved by Gorbachev, it still exists with a good following. India’s relation with USSR was always good and the former helped India in getting industrialised.
The co-operation between Russia, China and India should function against the hegemony of the USA led imperialism.

Members of Parliament belonging to Left and non-BJP non-Congress parties organised demonstration before Parliament strongly protesting against the delay in passing a strong anti-corruption Lok Pal Bill. They also demanded that the government should immediately act to discuss with Anna and sort out the issue by adopting a strong Lokpal Bill.
Demonstrations were held through out the country as per the call of the Left and other non-Congress non-BJP parties.