The Central Public Sector Trade Unions conducted a one day convention at Ernakulam, yesterday. 340 delegates participated in the Convention, from all the major Central Public Sector Undertakings. Com. Tapan Sen, General Secretary, CITU, inaugurated the Convention. Com.P.Abhimanyu, GS, BSNLEU, addressed the convention, and gave a detailed picture of how the government is trying to finish off BSNL, by forming the Subsidiary Tower Company. He also narrated about the sustained struggles of the BSNL employees to safeguard BSNL. The GS, BSNLEU also briefed the convention about the developments in the wage revision issue of the BSNL employees. The meeting decided the following action programme on the key issues:-

1. To conduct a nationwide campaign programme in all the Public Sector undertakings.
2. To send Fax to the Prime Minister and Minister of Heavy Industries.
3. To conduct a National Convention on 25th May, at New Delhi, against privatisation, Fixed Term Employment and on wage revision issue.

Compelling the government to roll back the Subsidiary Tower Company is the priority task of the trade union movement of BSNL. To achieve this, the All Unions and Associations of BSNL has called on the BSNL employees to organise massive dharnas throughout the country on 12-04-2018. CHQ calls upon the circle and district unions to coordinate with the other constituents of the AUAB,  and to mobilise maximum number of Non-Executives and Executives in the dharnas.

BSNLEU has demanded that the 3^rd batch of Non-Executives, transferred from CGM office Hyderabad to the CGM office Vijayawada, on bifurcation, should be retained till 31-05-2018 at Hyderabad. This demand is raised in view of the educational requirements of the children of the employees under transfer. This demand was discussed Com.P.Abhimanyu,GS, with the Director (HR). The Corporate Office has accepted the demand and has issued letter.

Architect of the Indian Constitution, as well as a great social crusader, Dr.B.R.Ambedkar’s birth anniversary falls on 14th April, 2018. This day is already being observed by our comrades in many parts of the country. The CEC meeting of BSNLEU, held at Agartala recently, has called upon all the circle and district branches to observe this year’s Dr.B.R.Ambedkar Jayanti in a befitting manner. The occasion should be utilised to high light Dr.B.R.Ambedkar’s contributions to the nation and also the need to uphold the secular character of our nation. Reports and photos may be sent by email to the CHQ.

The 36^th meeting of the National Council has been scheduled to be held on 16.04.2018. Notification for this meeting has already been issued. Recently, we have informed that Com.Chandeswar Singh, GS, NFTE, lost his elder brother. On account of this, he has informed the Management that he was not in a position to attend the meeting on 16.04.2018. In view of this, the meeting is getting postponed.

The CEC meeting held at Agartala, noted with serious concern that, the BSNL Management is on an outsourcing spree. Each and every work, including those works which can be done by our employees, are being outsourced. May be “some quarters” are getting benefitted out of these outsourcings. It is an undeniable fact that huge money of the Company is going into the drain, due to these outsourcings. This has got to be stopped. So far as the Non-Executive cadres are concerned, Direct Recruitment is being made only in the JE cadre. But, no recruitment is being made in the cadre of Sr.TOA, even though acute shortage is there, due to large scale retirements. Hence, the Company has to go in for direct recruitment in the cadre of Sr.TOA. A lot of wasteful expenditures are severely affecting the finance of the Company. BSNLEU has already drawn the attention of the CMD BSNL, as well as the Director(Finance) on this count. We learn that recently, four officers from the Corporate Office, have visited Sri Lanka, in connection with a cricket match. This only shows that the top Management is in no mood to curtail wasteful expenditures. Instead, the Management tries to curtail the existing medical facilities of the employees, in the name of overcoming the financial crisis. The Agartala CEC meeting has decided to give a detailed note to the Management, demanding the curtailment of these wasteful expenditures. The Corporate Office has recently given an instruction to the CGMs to substantially reduce the number of the contract workers. Immediately, this may result in some savings. But, in the long run, this will seriously affect the quality of our services, since the contract workers are largely engaged for maintenance works. In view of the foregoing, the Agartala CEC meeting has decided to conduct a “Call Attention Day” on 03.05.2018. Lunch hour demonstrations will be conducted throughout the country on that day, by wearing black badges. The following are the demands for the “Call Attention Day”.

1. Stop the mad rush for outsourcing works.
2. Curtail wasteful expenditures of the Company.
3. Do not curtail the medical facilities of the serving and retired employees.
4. Do not retrench the contract workers.
5. Conduct fresh recruitment in the cadre of Sr.TOA.

All circle and district unions are requested to take all out efforts to conduct the programme effectively.

The 16^th All India Conference of the All India State Government Employees Federation (AISGEF) is being held at Chennai since yesterday. Com.P.Abhimanyu, GS, has been invited to address the Inaugural Session of this Conference yesterday. Since the General Secretary was in the CEC meeting of BSNLEU yesterday, he greeted the AISGEF Conference today. The General Secretary called on the State Government employees to join shoulder to shoulder with the working class of India, to fight against the pro-rich policies of the government, and also to strengthen communal harmony in the country.

The CEC meeting of BSNLEU, held at Agartala, has made serious deliberations on various important issues, and has taken decisions.  All the Circle and District Unions are requested to implement these decisions, within the time frame, as set by the CEC meeting.

After the implementation of the ERP system, CHQ quota is being sent to the All India Union, in bulk, by the circle administrations.  In this process, the CHQ is not able to know the quota received from each district union of BSNLEU.  In the absence of this information, CHQ will not be in a position to allot the delegates to the district unions, for the All India Conference, which is a constitutional requirement.  Hence, CHQ is repeatedly giving letter to the Corporate Office, demanding to instruct the circle administrations, for sending monthly statement, indicating the district wise quota particulars.  This is being done presently by the Madhya Pradesh Circle administration.  If one circle administration can do, why not the other circle administrations also do that.  Based on BSNLEU’s letter, the Corporate Office has issued instructions to all the CGMs.  All Circle Unions of BSNLEU are requested to immediately to take it up with their respective circle administrations, for sending the monthly statement to the CHQ.

The three day CEC meeting of BSNLEU, being held at Agartala, came to a successful conclusion today. The meeting carried out elaborate discussion on all the crucial issues being faced by BSNL and it’s employees. In addition, a mid-term review of all the decisions taken in the last All India Conference, as well as in the Tiruvananthapuram and New Delhi CEC meetings was done. At the end of the three day discussions, Com.P.Abhimanyu, GS, summed up the discussions. The meeting has taken various important decisions, which will be updated on the website soon.