Tag Archives: BSNL

Rs. 1,500 crore to BSNL from USO Fund

03 Wednesday Jul 2013

Posted by in BSNL - Better Service to the Nation

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The amount of Rs. 1,500 crore allotted from the USO Fund in lieu of the withdrawn ADC to be paid to BSNL for the year 2012-13 has now been approved and Gazette Notification issued for the same on 17th June 2013. The amount will be shortly paid to BSNL.

Forum of BSNL Unions / Associations has taken up the matter with the Secretary, DOT,  Addl. Secretary, Member (Services), Member (Finance) and also USO Fund Administrator during the last few months for getting early orders to release the same. The release was delayed due to the Finance Dept. keeping the amount with it due to the presentation of the budget etc. Now we are happy that the amount has been released. BSNL should effectively utilise  the fund.

Donate liberally to Uttarakhand Rehabilitation

01 Monday Jul 2013

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The BSNL Management has called upon all the employees to donate one-day wage to the Prime Minister’s Relief Fund to be utilised for the rehabilitation of the devasted uttarakhand and its people suffering from the great disaster of rains, floods, landslides and cloud-bursts, which has taken the lives of more than one thousand people. Almost all the roads in the hill-ways are destroyed, thousands of houses have collapsed and lively hood of the local people gone. Uttarakhand is a small state and will not have funds to accomplish this herculean task of rehabilitation.  Help from all quarters is necessary.

Forum of BSNL Unions/Associations had already decided to donate one-day wage to the Prime Minister’s Relief Fund for this purpose. CMD BSNL has also made an appeal to all the employees to donate one-day pay, which can be deducted from the salary.

We hope that all the employees will willingly participate and donate for this noble cause.

Roll out of Optic Fibre Cable Network for Defence

29 Saturday Jun 2013

Posted by in Telecom

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It has been reported in the press that the Defence Forces are having difficulty due to the non-roll-out of the OFC network, which has been entrusted to DOT, who in turn has allotted the project to BSNL. It was to have been completed by now, for compensating for the release of important spectrum by the Defence to DOT.

BSNL is reported to have floated tender for the OFC in 2010 which was cancelled. Another tender in 2012 was also cancelled. The result is that the network is not rolled out so far.

It is necessary to find out why this important work is not done and who is responsible. The report puts the blame on BSNL. But what is the reason is to be found out. Further the BSNL Management should take immediate action for finalising the same, since it is concerned with Defence.

Forum of BSNL Unions/Associations has written to CMD BSNL with copy to Secretary DOT in the matter.

Meeting with DOT and BSNL Officers

25 Tuesday Jun 2013

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Meeting with Additional Secretary, DOT

Com.V.A.N.Namboodiri, Convener, Forum & Advisor AIBDPA and K.G.Jayaraj, General Secretary, AIBDPA met Smt. Rita Teotia, Additional Secretary, DOT and discussed the issue of orders on 78.2% IDA fixation for the BSNL pensioners retired before 01-01-2007. They urged for issue of early orders. The issue of early payment of Rs. 1,500 crore from USOF was also pointed out for which the  Addl. Secretary assured early action and stated that only the Gazette Notification is further required in the matter.

Meeting with Member (Services) and Member (Finance)

The AIBDPA leaders met Shri S.C.Misra, Member (Services) and Smt. Sadhana Dixit, Member (Finance) and urged for necessary action for issue of necessary orders on the payment of 78.2% IDA fixation  for the pre-2007 pensioners. Copy of the letter addressed to Secretary, DOT in the matter was handed over.

Meeting with Director, Finance (BSNL)

Coms. V.A.N.Namboodiri and K.G.Jayaraj met Sri KGCK Pillai, Director (Finance), BSNL and discussed about the implementation of the orders on the payment of 78.2% IDA pay fixation. Shri R.K.Goyal, GM (Estt.) was also present. The union leaders requested that the method of fixation and connected matters be clearly directed so that there will be no confusion at the field level. Director(F) assured that this will be done.

Meeting with CMD BSNL

Coms. V.A.N.Namboodiri and K.G.Jayaraj, General Secretary AIBDPA met Shri R.K.Upadhyay, CMD BSNL and discussed about the restoration of the services in the flood and landslide ravaged Uttarakhand and HP and offered maximum support from the workers and pensioners. CMD stated that most of the towers and other infrastructure have been restored, but again due to the heavy rain, cables have been destroyed. They are also being restored. He appealed for maximum donations from the staff.

The Association leaders requested for extension of provision of concessional Broad band connections to the DOT retirees. He assured that the issue will be positively considered.

SBI to recruit 10,000 employees, all Banks 60,000

24 Monday Jun 2013

Posted by in BSNL - Better Service to the Nation

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It is reported by PTI quoting the SBI Chairman Pratip Chaudhari that the State Bank of India will be recruiting 10,000 employees in 2012-13. He also stated that about 7,500 will be retiring. It means that SBI will get an additional staff of 2,500. SBI Chairman also mentioned that another 20,000 Asst. Grade employees were recruited last year.

The banking sector was in acute shortage of staff due to the VRS implemented earlier. Now all the banks have started recruitment. It is estimated that more than 60,000 employees will be recruited in the PSU Banks this year.

This is a good decision. It is time that BSNL should think about recruitment to induct new blood. This can be done by regularising the casual/contract labour working for many years, appointment on compassionate grounds and also direct recruitment.  It is to be noted that almost 15,000 workers are retiring every year and more than 1,30,000 had already retired since 2000. About 30,000 only has been so far recruited that too mainly in TTA and JTO cadre. Recruitment in other cadres are also necessary.

BSNL signs International agreements

21 Friday Jun 2013

Posted by in BSNL - Better Service to the Nation, Telecom

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R.K.Upadhyaya, CMD, BSNL has stated that BSNL has signed international agreements with telecom service providers in Bahrain, Guinea and Saudi Arabia. He also stated that already presence of BSNL is there and the agreements are made to strengthen it.

It is a good news that BSNL is also going global.

Oppose proposal for 100% FDI in Telecom

19 Wednesday Jun 2013

Posted by in Telecom

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The Mayaram Committee looking in to the FDI issue has given drastic recommendations for removing the FDI cap in many sectors including Telecom.

At present FDI in telecom is capped at 74%. However, the government has not been very strict resulting in more than 74%. The telecom corporates have been continuously pressurising the government to increase FDI. The panel headed by Aravind Mayaram, Secretary, Department of Economic Affairs, has now recommended the same. The BSNL workers strongly oppose this move which will result in complete control of the MNCs in this sector which is against the interest of the country and security risk. e strongly oppose this proposal and demand the government not to increase the FDI in telecom.

It is not only in telecom that the FDI is recommended to be increased. In another important sector, the Airlines, again 100% FDI is recommended along with that of Private Security Agencies. Multi-Brand Retail it recommends 74% raising it from the present 49%.In  Defence, FM Radio, Print Media, it wants to increase from the 26% to 49%. In Public Sector Banks, the proposal is to increase to 49% from the present 20%.

The Finance Minister has earlier stated that more reforms will brought and the Prime Minister’s support is there for the move.

A strong movement against the FDI is required.

 

BSNL FOR BETTER SERVICE – GoM ‘ON REVIVAL OF BSNL’

16 Sunday Jun 2013

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The Government has now appointed a Group of Ministers (GoM) with Finance Minister P.Chidambaram as Chairman for ‘Revival of BSNL &  MTNL’. Other members of the committee are Dy. Chairman Planning Commission Dr. Montek Singh Ahluwalia, Communications Minister Kapil Sibal,  Commerce & Industry Minister, Anand Sharma, Minister for Information % Broadcasting Manish Tiwari and Minister of State for Personnel, Public Grievances & Pension  V.Narayanasamy.  The constitution with these heavy weight ministers shows that high priority has been given to the issue.

Of course, telecom has always been an important sector for the government. Hence it was always under the direct control of the government as a Department, first P&T and later Department of Telecommunications. The Cabinet Ministers who looked after the Ministry include celebrities like Rafi Ahmad Kidwai, Jagjivan Ram, I.K.Gujral,  C.M.Stephen, Shankar Dayal Sharma, Sushama Swaraj  and others. The growth of telecom infrastructure and services have always been a priority with the government, since it is closely connected with the growth of the country itself.

But that priority given earlier has been changed now, after the introduction of the neo-liberal policy for the last two decades. Now the priority is to allow the private players to maximise their profits at the cost of the PSU telecom companies and the country. The naked support to the MNCs and private companies can be seen in each and every decision taken by the government and the discrimination against BSNL & MTNL.

Hence the priority for the GoM on Revival of BSNL & MTNL will naturally focus on further growth of the private companies. The GoM is certain to be in favour of disinvestment and VRS both of which BSNL Employees Union and the Forum have been able to stop through united struggles. It may also decide some insignificant support to BSNL & MTNL with harsh conditions.

The workers can not allow such decisions which will gradually  put a lid on the existence of BSNL, as the government has now decided in the case of telegram services by deciding to close the same unceremoniously  by 15th July 2013.

It is why the Forum has given a detailed Memorandum to the GoM with effective and practical suggestions, which if implemented, will completely change the present scenario and will strengthen BSNL and ensure a better service. The Forum has also decided to organise programmes including an All India Convention at Delhi for wide publicity for our demands and support from the people. The workers have to come forward to implement the programmes and restore the great tradition of the Telecom services in the past.

Horrible exploitation of contract workers in BSNL

16 Sunday Jun 2013

Posted by in BSNLCCWF - Casual and Contract workers, Uncategorized

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A meeting of the Circle Executive Committe of the Maharashtra Labour and Contract Labour Union of BSNL was held today at CITU office. The union is both affiliated to CITU and BSNL Casual & Contract Workers Federation (BSNLCCWF). About 50 comrades were present representing the SSAs Maharashtra.

The reporting by the District Secretaries about the condition of the contract workers was shocking. Most of the orders issued by the BSNL Corporate office or the Instructions of the Govt.f India are not implemented. In some SSAs, only Rs. 2,500 to Rs. 3,000 is paid as minimum wage. In some other SSAs it is Rs. 3,000 to 4,000. These are much below the minimum wages fixed by the Central Govt. and orders issued by the BSNL Corporate office. EPF and ESI are not implemented. These are not checked by the concerned officers and action taken against the culprits.

However, due to the continuous struggle of the union, in SSAs like Latur and Nasik, the situation is somewhat better,though not completely.

The meeting has taken decisions to strengthen the union by bringing all the contract workers in to the organisation and also persue the issues with the management for settlement with the help of BSNLEU, CITU etc.

 

BSNL for Better Service

14 Friday Jun 2013

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The Core committee of the Forum of BSNL Unions / Associations in its meeting on 14th June elaborately discussed about holding of an All India Convention as already decided by the Forum. Tentatively, the Convention will be held on 3rd August. Trade Union leaders and Members of Parliament will address the Convention. The main intention of the convention is to propagate our demands and suggestions on the ‘Revival of BSNL’, get maximum support from the people and also to educate the employees to provide better service to the people.

Within the next three months such conventions will be held at Circle and District levels.

The Forum has called upon all workers to make these conventions a big success by participation and providing valuable suggestions.