Press statement on the one day strike on 27.07.2017, being organised by the officers and workers of BSNL..

The officers and workers of BSNL are going on a one day strike on 27.07.2017, demanding wage revision. The next round of wage revision has become due for the entire public sector employees from 01.01.2017.

The government formed the 3rd Pay Revision Committee (3rd PRC), headed by justice Satish Chandra (retired) for this purpose. The Committee has already submitted it’s report and it was approved by the Union Cabinet on 19.07.2017. As per the “Affordability Clause” of the recommendations, only such of those Public Sector Undertakings (PSUs) which have earned profit during the last 3 financial years are eligible to give wage revision to their employees. Since the employees of BSNL are not eligible for wage revision as per the recommendations of the 3rd PRC, the unions and associations of BSNL have demanded exemption from the “Affordability Clause” of BSNL.

They have made it clear to the government that, BSNL became a loss making entity not because of the employees but because of the anti-BSNL policies and measures adopted by the government. BSNL was not allowed to procure equipments for it’s mobile network expansion from 2006 to 2012. The tenders floated by BSNL to procure mobile equipments, were cancelled one after another by the government, to benefit the private telecom companies. The cancellation of the tender floated by BSNL in 2007, to procure 45 million line mobile equipments and cancellation of the tender floated in 2010 to procure 93 million line mobile equipments were a severe blow for BSNL.

As a result of this blockade created by the government in the procurement of equipments, BSNL was not able to take advantage of the exponential growth witnessed in the mobile segment, during this period. The officers and employees went on struggles several times against the cancellation of these tenders, and demanding procurement of equipments. As a result of these struggles, BSNL Management started procurement of equipments from 2013 onwards, and network expansion is being made in right earnest.

Thereafter, significant improvement has come in BSNL’s quality of services. The unions and associations of the officers and workers have also taken many pro-active steps to improve customer satisfaction and the revival of the Company. The unions and associations have conducted many movements such as “Customer Delight Year”, “Service With A Smile”, etc., to improve the performance of the employees, with a view to improve customer satisfaction and to achieve the financial revival of the Company. As a result of all these efforts, a significant change has come in the financial position of the Company. For example, Company incurred Rs.691 crore operational loss in the year 2013-14, whereas it earned an operational profit of Rs.672 crore in 2014-15. This has increased to Rs.3,854 crore in the year 2015-16.

Even in the midst of cut-throat competition from Reliance Jio, BSNL is adding 20 lakh new mobile customers every month. BSNL is sure to become a profit making PSU within next 2 / 3 years. The efforts and initiatives taken by the officers and workers of BSNL, and their unions and associations, have significantly contributed in taking BSNL in the revival path. Hence, BSNL should be given exemption from the “Affordability Clause” of the 3rd PRC report and BSNL employees should be given wage revision with 15% fitment.

To insist upon this demand the officers and workers observed dharna on 20.06.2017 and hunger strike on 13.07.2017. Since, the government has not responded favourably, the officers and workers are going on one day strike on 27.07.2017. The unions and associations will be compelled to resort to more serious forms of struggles, if the government does not respond favourably to the demand of the employees.

[P. Abhimanyu]

Convenor Mobile No: 9868231113

Balasore District Branch has held its bi-monthly meeting on 23-07-2017 with good participation of pensioners. Com.Gadadhar Panda, District President was in the chair. Com.Purushottam Pradhan, District Secretary welcomed all and touched the current issues. Coms. A Dhupal, Circle Patron, Sreedhar Das, Asst.Circle Secretary and Com.P.K.Nayak, Asst.Treasurer, BSNLEU CHQ and District Secretary addressed the meeting. The meeting expressed its full satisfaction in the settlement of all the cases of 78.2% IDA revision with the effective intervention of CHQ and Circle. The meeting resolved unanimously to support the strike on 27-07-2017 for pay revision and pension revision.

It is worth mentioning that 25 pensioners were enrolled as new members in the meeting.

Dept. of Health & family Welfare OM
No. S-11016/2/2015-CGHS(P)/EHS
dated 19th July 2017.
Sub: Extension of CGHS facilities to the pensioners of Post and Telegraph Department.
With reference to the above subject, the undersigned is directed to draw attention to the Office Memorandum No S-11011/46/95-CGHS D-II/CGHS(P) dated 1, August 1996 and to state that it has now been decided to revoke the OM dated 1-8-1996 in compliance of the Orders of Hon’ble Central Administrative Tribunal, Ernakulam Bench dated 12th July 2005 in OA No 563/2004 and 590/2004 and Order dated 01-06-2017 in OP 180/21/2017 arising out of OA No 180/563/2004 between Central Government Pensioners’ Association (Kerala) and Ors Vs UOI & others.

2. The retired employees of Post and Telegraph Department shall hereafter be entitled to the CGHS facility, irrespective of whether they were members of CGHS prior to retirement or not, subject to the payment of prevalent subscription for availing themselves of this facility as per rules as in the case of other Central Government pensioners.

3. This issues with the approval of the Competent Authority. 

AIBDPA HAD TAKEN UP THE ISSUE AND WRITTEN TWO LETTERS TO THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH & FAMILY WELFARE, RECENTLY, AND REPLY ALSO GOT TO THE EFFECT THAT IT IS BEING CONSIDERED. THE ISSUE IS ONE OF THE DEMANDS IN THE CHARTER OF DEMAND ON WHICH CALL ATTENTION DAY ON 20-04-2017 AND MASS DHARNA ON 13-05-2017 WERE HELD THROUGH OUT THE COUNTRY.

Restoration of full pension of absorbee pensioners – Corrigendum

F.No.4/34/2002-P&PW(D).Vol.II
Government of India
Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances & Pensions
Department of Pension & Pensioners Welfare

3rd Floor, Lok Nayak Bhavan,
Khan Market, New Delhi
Dated the 21st July, 2017

Corrigendum

Subject: Restoration of full pension of absorbee pensioners in view of the order dated 01.09.2016 of Hon’ble Supreme Court in Civil Appeal No. 604812010 and Civil Appeal No. 637112010.

The undersigned is directed to refer to this Department’s OM of even no. dated 23-06-2017 on the above subject. As per the said OM, the benefit of the orders of Hori’ble High Court of Madras dated 02-08-2007 and the Orders of Hon’ble Supreme Court dated 01-09-2016 would be extended to all similarly placed absorbee pensioners. Accordingly, the words “absorbee petitioners” in para 8 of the above OM may be read as “absorbee pensioners”.

sd/-
(Harjit Singh)
Director

The general body meting of BURDWAN District branch held on 16-07-2017 at Telephone Exchange, Burdwan has reviewed the position in respect of the pending issues and decided unanimously to launch a SIT IN DEMONSTRATION on 08-08-2017. Com.Mohmd Yunus, District President presided over the meeting. An issue wise report was presented by Com.Shyama Pada Ray, District Secretary. Coms. A.K.Nandan, Asst Circle Secretary, Amalendu Mukharjee and S.S.Mondal also addressed the meeting. 

BSNLEU HAS ISSUED THE FOLLOWING STATEMENT ON WAGE REVISION.

All the false propaganda, that have been made regarding the wage revision to BSNL employees, are exposed now. The BSNL Management has been making a high voltage propaganda that the DoT and the Hon’ble Minister of State for Communications are positive and favourable towards the wage revision of BSNL employees, and that they would definitely get wage revision. The employees were also being told that some unions and associations were unnecessarily creating problems in the settlement of wage revision, by going on unwarranted agitations. Appeal after appeal of the top Management were uploaded on BSNL’s intranet, requesting the employees not to join the agitation. The SR Branch of the Corporate Office was also issuing weekly bulletins stating that everything is moving in the right direction and that BSNL employees will get wage revision. It is very very very very unfortunate that some of the unions and associations were also telling that the DoT and the Minister were positive and there was no necessity to go on strike at this juncture. However, the Union Cabinet meeting held on Wednesday, has exposed all the lies and rumours that were being spread in the matter of wage revision to BSNL employees. The Cabinet has approved the recommendations of the 3^rd PRC. Accordingly, the employees of loss making PSUs like BSNL are not eligible for wage revision. It is very important to mention here that the DoT, which is the Administrative Ministry of BSNL, did not make any attempt to tell the government that BSNL should be exempted from the Affordability Clause of the 3^rd PRC. We have been telling from the very beginning that wage revision could not be settled without serious and sustained struggles. We call upon the entire Non-Executives and Executives to join the one day strike to be held on 27.07.2017, and to make it a resounding success. Let us tell the government in one voice that we will fight till the last, to settle wage revision.

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