Yet another round of talks on wage agreement held at Mumbai with the Indian Banks Association, having been failed the United Forum of Bank Unions (UFBU) has decided to launch a series of strikes. The agitations will start with a one day strike on 7th January, 2015 followed by a four day strike from 21-24, January, 2015. An indefinite strike will be conducted from 17th March, 2015.

AIBDPA fully supports the STRIKE and calls upon all its units to organize solidarity demonstration during the indefinite strike.

COM. CHIDHU SINGH, CIRCLE VICE PRESIDENT, BSNLEU HAS PASSED AWAY DUE TO MASSIVE HEART ATTACK AT EARLY MORNING ON TODAY, THE 20TH DECEMBER, 2014. COM. CHIDHU SINGH WAS A VETERAN LEADER AND HAD SERVED BSNLEU IN THE CAPACITIES OF AGS & CIRCLE SECRETARY,NTR,DELHI.

AIBDPA EXPRESSES DEEP GRIEF OVER THE SAD DEMISE AND CONVEYS OUR CONDOLENCES TO THE BEREAVED FAMILY AND COMRADES.

Pensioners Day at Alappuzha was jointly observed by AIBDPA & CGPA. A well attended meeting was held at BSNLEU hall at 10AM on 17th December.  Com. R. Sreedharan Nair, District President, CGPA presided. Com. N. Guruprasad, Circle Secretary, AIBDPA inaugurated the meeting and Coms. K.K. Vijayan, K. Muraleedharan Nair, K.P.Kesavan Nair, K.G.Pillai, P.R.Shajimon  and P. Surendran addressed.

Com. R. Muraleedharan Nair who retired from service on superannuation on 30th November, 2014 was given a rousing reception on 18th  December, 2014 at the Bank Employees Union hall, Trivandrum. The reception was organised by  five circle unions, viz, BSNLEU, NFPE, AIBDPA, CCLU & AIPRPA.

Com.P.V. Rajendran, Circle Convenor, NFPE presided over the function. Com. K. Mohanan, Circle Secretary, BSNLEU welcomed the gathering. Com. Kodiyeri Balakrishnan, MLA and former Home Minister, Kerala inaugurated the function. Com. M. Krishnan, Secretary General, Confederation, Com. P.V.Chandrasekharan, All India Patron, AIBDPA, Com. P. V. Jose (BEFI), Com.Ganapathy Krishnan,(AIIEA), Com.M.C.Nair, Circle President, AIPRPA, Com. N. Guruprasad, Circle Secretary, AIBDPA, Com. N. R. Somasekharan Nair, Circle Secretary, CCLU, Com. Pattom Vamadevan Nair, (CITU) etc addressed.

Com. R. Muraleedharan Nair who relinquished the post of Assistant General Secretary in the 7th AIC of BSNLEU held at Kolkata from 6-9 November, 2014 is a committed comrade who has served the organization in several capacities.

Press Information Bureau

Government of India Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances & Pensions

No reduction in retirement age

There is no proposal under consideration of Government to reduce the retirement age from 60 to 58 years for its employees.

The retirement age for Central Government employees was revised from 58 to 60 years in 1997 on the basis of recommendations of the 5th Central Pay Commission.

The Centre’s total wages and salaries bill for its employees for the year 2010-11, 2011-12 and 2012-13 is Rs. 85,963.50 crore, Rs. 92,264.88 crore and Rs. 1,04,759.71 crore, respectively.

This was stated by the Minister of State for Personnel, Public Grievances & Pensions, Dr. Jitendra Singh in a written reply to Sardar Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa, Dr. T Subbarami Reddy and Smt. Ambika Soni in Rajya Sabha, today.

Global Financial Integrity, an International body has reported that the black money stashed from India to foreign banks during the period 2003-2012 is Rs. 28 lakh crore. In 2012 alone the black money stashed away is Rs.6 lakh crore. Even after rapped by the supreme court the central government has not taken any action to bring back the huge black money which is running a parallel economy in the country. The period, during which maximum black money was stashed is incidentally the period of various scams in the country.     (source: Business Line)

Tamil Nadu Circle has developed its own website and it was formally inaugurated by Com.K.G.Jayaraj, General Secretary during the circle conference at Vellore on 17th December, 2014. Com.S.Mohandoss, Circle President presided and Com.C.K.Narasimhan spoke briefly on the achievement. The website address –   www.aibdpatnc.com.

Reports are poring in about the observance of Pensioners Day on 17-12-2014.

Tamil Nadu : Pensioners Day was observed by the delegates participated in the 3rd biennial circle conference held at Vellore. The Pensioners Day came on the 2nd day of the conference. Com.K.G.Jayaraj, General Secretary made a special address explaining the significance of the day on which the supreme court pronounced the magna carta judgment in 1982. He reminded the serious challenges being faced by the pensioners, particularly in the wake of enactment of PFRDA act in the Parlimant by the UPA government with the active support of BJP.

KOLKATA : Hundreds of pensioners belonging to AIBDPA and CORTO participated in the meeting held at the BSNLEU office hall  on 17-12-2014. Com.Anantha Bhattacharjee, President, AIBDPA and Com. B.Chakraborty, President, CORTO were in the presidium. One minute silence was observed in memory of the 142 school children murdered by the Taliban in Pakistan. Com.D.Basu, AGS, AIBDPA and Secretary, CORTO and Com. Supriya Mitra, CHQ Vice President & Circle Secretary, AIBDPA, Kolkata addressed and reported the success of Sanchar Bhawan March. Recalling the supreme court judgment, Com.B.Chakraborty explained the history of pension, role of pensioners movement and the necessity to fight against PFRDA act. Com. A.K.Bhattacharjee stressed the need of joint fight by the pensioners and workers to save BSNL.

UP(WEST) : Com. Abdul Rasheed, Circle Secretary has reported the Pensioners Day was observed by all the District Branches jointly with other pensioners organisations. Meetings were held at Muzafarnagar, Barielly, Badaun, Sahranpur etc. In Aligargh, several other pensioners organisations from bank, LIC, Aligargh Muslim University Pensioners also joined in the meeting. 2 minutes silence was observed in memory of the school children massacred by Taliban in Peshwar.

KARNATAKA : Com.S.A.Bilagi, Circle Secretary and Com. G.G.Patil, CHQ Organising Secretary have reported the observance of Pensioners Day in almost all district branches. At Karwar Pensioners Meeting was held at Tagore Beach at 10 AM and was addressed by various leaders including Com.C.R.Kalmane, District Secretary, AIBDPA. In Hubli the meeting was held at 1230PM and was addressed by Com.G.G.Patil, CHQ Org Secretary and Com.A.D.Kulkarni, District Secretary, AIBDPA. Com. G.B.Salakki and Com.Bhavikatti, District Secretary, AIBDPA addressed the well attended meeting at Bijapur. Homage was paid to the school children murdered by Taliban in Pakistan.

The 3rd biennial Circle Conference of Tamil Nadu has been held successfully at Vellore on 16th & 17th December, 2014 in an enthusiastic atmosphere.

To start with, a Jyothi was taken out from Telephone Bhawan at 9 AM to Com.K.A.Paramasivam hall, the venue of the conference. The Jyothi was carried by Com.T.Sekhar, veteran athlete and retired STS, who ran the 2 km distance with ease at the age of 73,accompanied by several comrades in the two wheelers. The Jyothi was received at the conference venue by Com. K. G. Jayaraj, General Secretary. There after, the National Flag was hoisted by Com. Radha Santhanam, family pensioner and AIBDPA flag by Com.K.G.Jayaraj, General Secretary amidst thunderous slogan shouting.

The open session was held at 1030AM with Com.S.Mohandoss, Circle President in the chair. Com.C.K.Narasimhan, Circle Secretary welcomed the gathering of 600 comrades and the guests. Com.G.Sukumaran, State General Secretary, CITU inaugurated the conference with an elaborate and impressive speech. He narratted the promises made by BJP during the Loksabha election and its doings just in opposite since the the last six months in power. Com.P.Abhimanyu, General Secretary delivering a special address also exposed the anti-people anti-worker policies of the BJp government. He assured all help in solving the issues of the pensioners,including 78.2% IDA merger and restoration of medical allowance. He also pointed out that in the demands of the proposed indefinite strike by Forum of BSNL Unions/Associatios from March 17, 2015, revision of pension even if no wage revision in BSNL is included. Shri.Ahamed  Meeran,former telecom employee and MD, Professional Couriers, Shri. G.V.Selvam, Chairman Reception Committee, Com.Baburadhakrishnan, Circle Secretary, BSNLEU, Tamil Nadu, Com.K.Govindaraj, Circle Secretary, BSNLEU, Chennai Telephones, Com.Sathanaraman (AIPRPA), Com. Krishnamoorthy (Co-Ordination Committee of Pensioners Organisations) P.Lokanathan (SNEA) also          addressed the open session. Com.N.Kuppusamy, Asst. Circle Secretary proposed vote of thanks.

Com.K.G.Jayaraj, General Secretary inaugurated the subject session at 2.30 PM covering almost all the issues of the pensioners and the efforts being taken by CHQ to settle the issues,particularly the 78.2% IDA merger to BSNL pensioners through continuous struggles including Sanchar Bhawan March held on 20th November, 2014. Com.C.K.Narasimhan, Circle Secretary and Com. B.C. Geetha, Treasurer presented the biennial report and audited accounts,respectively which were adopted after discussion, which continued upto 1.30PM on 17th December.

OFFICE BEARERS WITH COM.S.MOHANDOSS(PRESIDENT) COM.C.K.NARASIMHAN (CIRCLE SECRETARY) AND COM.B.C.GEETHA (TREASURER) WERE ELECTED UNANIMOUSLY.

The conference also adopted resolutions on important issues. The conference also decided to give approval to the request of Chennai Telephones District to form separate circle branch. The Reception Committee,under the leadership of Com.Jothisuthanthiranathan and C.Gnanasekharan had made excellent arrangements which also contributed much for the resounding success of the conference.