FORUM OF BSNL UNIONS / ASSOCIATIONS

D-7, Telegraph Place, Gole Market, New Delhi – 110 001.

Forum/Circular                                                                                                               02-03-2015

2 Days Strike on 21-22 April 2015 by BSNL Employees

Serving of Strike Notice on 12^th March 2015

Organise Massive Demonstrations – Hold Press Meeting

Dear Comrades,

The Forum of BSNL Unions & Associations heartily congratulates all the comrades who participated in the Parliament March on 25 February 2015 and made it a resounding success. About 5,000 employees from almost all the circles participated with the nearby circles bringing in large number of workers. Though the police authorities denied permission to organise the March, the thousands of employees led by the General Secretaries marched from the BSNL Corporate Office to the Parliament as decided earlier. The march was stopped near Jantar Mantar by the police where it was converted in to a rally. Com. C.Singh, Chairman Forum & General Secretary NFTE presided and Com. V.A.N.Namboodiri, Convener, Forum welcomed all and spoke on the demands of the workers for the Revival of BSNL. The following General Secretaries / Leaders of the unions addressed the rally: Coms. P.Abhimanyu (BSNLEU), K.Sebastin (SNEA), Prahlad Rai(AIBSNLEA), K.Jayaprakash(FNTO), Suresh Kumar (BSNLMS), R.C.Pande (BTEU), R.P.Sahu (AIGETOA), N.D.Ram(SEWA BSNL), Hari Singh (BTU BSNL) and Sunil Gautam(SNATTA).

Com.Tapan Sen, M.P., General Secretary CITU, Dr. Dharam Vir Gandhi, M.P., Shri Vrijesh Upadhyay, General Secretary, BMS, Smt. Amarjit Kaur, Secretary AITUC, Com. Shiv Gopal Mishra, Secretary General AIRF& Secretary JCM Staff Side addressed the rally and extended all support to the Save BSNL Campaign. They also assured that they will take up the matter with the Government.

The Memorandum to Prime Minister demanding immediate assistance and action for the Revival of BSNL signed by lakhs of people was presented to the Prime Minister’s office by the leaders of the Forum. The Forum congratulates and expresses its thanks to all the leaders and workers who made the Parliament March a Historical Success.

Two days Strike on 21- 22 April 2015

The meeting of the Forum held on 27th February 2015, reviewed the preparation for the strike, the Save BSNL Campaign and the Conventions held in the circles. The fight is against the anti-BSNL policies and decisions of the government and it requires streamlined preparations.  In order to complete the Circle Conventions, and Signature Campaign, some more time is necessary, it was felt. Further, organizing the strike from 17th March as proposed will have serious complications being in the end of the financial year. As such, the meeting decided to organize a Two Days Strike on 21-22 April 2015, with further struggles if issues are not settled.

Strike Notice on 12^th March 2015 – Lunch Hour Demonstrations

The Strike Notice will be served on 12th March 2015 signed by all General Secretaries after a massive demonstration at the BSNL Corporate Office. All General Secretaries are requested to be present on the day.  On the same day, Lunch hour demonstrations will be organized in all SSAs/Circles. Press conferences should be held on the same day at circle levels to give wide publicity.

Signature campaign

Even after submission of the Memorandum to the Prime Minister on the day of Parliament March on 25th February, more bundles of signatures are being received. It has now been decided that the time for completing the Signature Campaign is extended up to 31st March. The SSA / Branch Secretaries are requested to ensure signatures from the people and send it to the Convener, Forum at Delhi, so as reach before 31st March 2015.

Circle /SSA Conventions

General Secretaries are entrusted with the task of holding the circle level conventions wherever the same has not been held so far. These include A.P., Maharashtra, A&N, ALTTC, Assam, BRBRAITT, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Haryana, H.P., Jharkhand, NTR, Odisha, Inspection Circle, TF Mumbai, TF-Kolkata, Uttarakhand, UP(West) and BSNL C.O. In addition, Joint District level Conventions and Branch General Bodies should he held to spread the message of the strike. General Secretaries and Circle Secretaries should take initiative for the same and ensure that these are conducted well before the strike. The intention is that each and every employee should be contacted and motivated for the strike.

Wall Posters will be printed by the National Forum as required by unions.  The same will be placed in the websites of the unions & associations, so that the Circle Secretaries can take it and print locally in the regional language and supply.

Dear Comrades,

The Railway budget as well as the Central Budget has been presented in the Parliament.  While the Railway budget proposes handing over of Railway Stations to private corporates for modernisation, the main budget has proposed to disnvest Public Sector Units and also strategic sale of certain loss making PSUs. BSNL has always been a target of the government for disinvestment. It is, therefore, of utmost importance that BSNL employees have to prepare themselves for a ‘Do or Die Battle’ to revive the BSNL, which is the bread winner of lakhs of workers.

United struggle is most important. The strike preparations – conventions, Lunch hour Demonstration, Signature Campaign etc. have to be jointly organised to bring confidence to the workers.

We are on a crusade to defend, revive and strengthen BSNL,the service provider to crores of people spread in all parts of the country. We cannot allow the government to disinvest or privatise this national assety to please the corporates, Indian and foreign. We have to be prepared to defend BSNL to the last drop of our blood.

Towards the 2 Days Strike on 21-22 April 2015!

SAVE BSNL –SAVE NATION!

With Warm Greetings,

[V.A.N.Namboodiri]

Convener, Forum