The 4th biennial district conference of Malda in West Bengal was held at Karmachari Bhawan, Malda on 10-06-2022. Com. Pijush Chakraborty, Circle Secretary inaugurated the conference explaining the issues and the ensuing agutational programmes. The conference was greeted by a host of leaders including Coms.Subir Roy (state Coordination Committee), Susanta Nag (12th July Committee), Partha Achariya (BSNLCMU), Nibedita Das and Ujjal Ghosh (BSNLEU). The report and audited accounts presented by the District Secretary were adopted after discussion.
Coms.Bhudeb Majumdar, Sudip Roy Muhari and Ruma Bhattacharjee were elected unanimously as President, District Secretary and Treasurer, respectively.
It has been notified that the next meeting of the Wage Negotiation Committee will be held at BSNL Corporate Office on 10-06-2022. Meanwhile the minutes of the last meeting held on 10-03-2022 is released now.
The Circle Executive Committee meeting of Kolkata Telephones was held on 07-06-2022. Com. Supriyo Mitra, Circle President presided over the meeting. Com. Sanjib Banerjee, Circle Secretary presented the report and briefed on the agenda items. Com. Swastika Dasgupta, CHQ Organsinsing Secretary explained the CHQ agitational programme including Sanchar Bhawan March. District Secretaries and most of the Circle Office bearers participated in the discussion. The CEC meeting decided to conduct the agitations called by CHQ and CoC successfully.
MAKE THE AGITATIONAL PROGRAMMES STUPENDOUS SUCCESS :-
The first program of agitations decided for the settlement of the most important five demands, falls on 22nd June, 2022; Demands Day- demonstrations are to be held at all levels.
The second program of Mass Dharna with maximum placards is to be organised at SSA/ BA levels on 20-07-2022. Let us mobilize maximum pensioners in these agitations and give wide publicity not only among the pensioners but also in the media both print and visual.
Then the culminating program, March to Sanchar Bhawan is on 24-08-2022 which has to be held impressivily with good participation. CHQ has fixed some quota for each Circle as follows; Kerala-200,
Tamil Nadu-200,
Chennai Telephones-50,
Karnataka-150,
Andhra Pradesh-150,
Telangana-150,
Madhya Pradesh-100,
Chhattisgarh-25,
Bihar- 50
Odisha-25,
Maharashtra-100,
Gujarat-100,
Rajasthan-100,
Punjab-150,
Haryana-150
Jammu& Kashmir-05,
Assam-100,
NE I-10,
NE II-10,
West Bengal-200,
Kolkata Telephones-150,
CORTO-50,
NTR, Delhi-200,
ALTTC, Gaziabad-10,
Uttar Pradesh (East)-150,
Uttar Pradesh ( West)-150.
The Circle branches may distribute their quota of participation to the district branches according to the potential of each district. Care has to be taken to reserve the tickets for the to and fro journey well in advance. Circle Secretaries may kindly collect the names of the participants from each district with their arrival/ departure details and furnish to CHQ before 15-07-2022. Please take it as a serious task as CHQ has to arrange accommodation for those coming from far off Circles. CHQ will arrange accommodation for one day, those who reach on 23rd can stay the night and vacate on 24th morning and those reach on 24th morning can stay upto 25th morning. Those who need to stay beyond the above , have to make own arrangement.
The March to Sanchar Bhawan will start at 10AM on 24-08-2022 from NTR, Eastern Court, Near BSNL Corporate Office. The participants should reach Eastern Court in time. The Circles/ Districts may kindly bring their banners and maximum flags.
Coordination Committee Extends Support.
The meeting of the Coordination Committee of BSNLEU, AIBDPA & BSNL CCWF held on 04-06-2022 has extended full support to the AIBDPA agitational programmes. The meeting also decided to support the agitational programmes called by the BSNL CCWF demanding settlement of important issues of the casual and contract workers.
27-06-2022 Demonstration at GM level. 30-06-2022. Demonstration at CGM level. AIBDPA units are requested to get in touch with CCWF units and see that it is held successfully.
The COC meeting also decided to support the AUAB agitational programmes demanding Wage/ Pay revision and other important issues. Dharna will be held at SSA level on 21-06-2022 and March to Sanchar Bhawan for which date will be fixed in due course. AIBDPA has already extended Solidarity and our units are requested to make it a grand success.
Human Chain on 07-07-2022.
The CoC meeting after reviewing the campaign against privatisation and National Monetisation Pipeline, decided to continue the campaign by holding Humanchain at District level on 07-07-2022. Details are contained in the CoC circular.
75th Independence Day.
Another decision of the CoC meeting is to celebrate the 75th Independence Day highlighting the role of the working class in the Independence movement. Seminars are to be conducted during 11th July to 15th August, 2022.
Dear Comrades, let us take up these important tasks in right earnest. Victory shall be ours.!
The meeting of the Coordination Committee of BSNLEU, AIBDPA & BSNLCCWF held on 04-06-2022 has decided to continue the campaign against privatisation of PSUs and National Monetisation Pipeline by conducting Human Chain on 07-07-2022. The meeting also decided to celebrate the 75th Independence Day and to highlight the role played by the working class in the Independence movement. Seminar is to be held during the period from 11-7-2022 to 15-08-2022.
The meeting also extended solidarity and support to the agitational programmes of AIBDPA, BSNLCCWF & AUAB. The detailed circular issued in this regard is reproduced hereunder;
To All CHQ office bearers, Circle Secretaries, District Secretaries and Affiliates.
Dear Comrade,
As you are aware, the Central Executive Committee meeting held virtually on 05-03-2022 had decided for another phased program of agitation on the following important issues; 1. Pension Revision from 01-01-2017 with 15% fitment, delinking wage revision. 2. Immediate payment of medical allowance pending from 01-04-2018 and medical reimbursement bills pending from 01-04-2019. 3. Effective functioning of CGHS implementing Parliamentary Standing Committee Recommendations. 4. Payment of arrears of freezed IDA instalments. 5. Immediate payment of pension and other retirement benefits to the VRS retirees of Maharashtra withheld illegally for non-revalidation of caste certificate. 6. Restoration of the LPD, reduced by the CCAs in violation of statutory Rules and procedures.
CHQ was authorised by the CEC to formulate the form of agitation at the appropriate time.
Serious discussion was held with Secretary, DoT, Joint Secretary and DDG ( Esst) by Coms.V A N Namboodiri Advisor and K G Jayaraj General Secretary on pension revision. Though, the officers informed that the issue is being examined, what we could learn is that DoT is yet to arrive at a concrete proposal. The latest information is that Internal Finance at DoT is scrutinizing the various proposals sent by the Establishment section. Also the government has to take a positive decision on the issue. So pressure in the form of another agitation is necessary to settle the issue.
Regarding payment of medical benefits to the BSNL Pensioners, the CMD during the detailed discussion with our delegation on 27-04-2022, reiterated his stand that BSNL cannot afford the huge expenditure on BSNL MRS to the pensioners and wanted all the retirees to switch over to CGHS. The drawbacks and inadequate facilities of CGHS were well explained to him. Still, the CMD was not for any fund allotment in the near future to clear the pending medical claims.
Conceding the genuine demands of the Pensioners Organisations, the 110th Parliamentary Standing Committee has given positive recommendations to start CGHS Wellness Centers at every district, full reimbursement of medical bills for treatment in the non- empanelled hospitals, increase the Fixed Monthly Medical Allowance to Rs.3000, Pensioners also to be included in CS(MA) rules etc. Further the functioning of the existing Wellness Centers are to be made effective by posting sufficient number of doctors and para medical staff. There has to be periodical revision of CGHS rates and ensure prompt payment to the empanelled hospitals. Immediate intervention of higher authorities are warranted to start the new Wellness Centres already granted in various states.
DPE and the then Hon’ble Minister for Heavy Industry and Public Enterprises had clarified that DPE OM dated 19-11-2020 freezing the IDA from 01-10-2020 to 30-06-2021 to Executives and Non- Unionised Supervisors is not applicable to the BSNL Pensioners. Still, the DoT was not prepared for releasing the IDA instalments to the BSNL retirees. It was under this situation, CHQ was compelled to file a writ petition in the High Court of Kerala on 26-02-2021 and the Hon’ble High Court was pleased to issue a favourable Interim Order. Despite forwarding the court order and repeated reminders, DoT is not implenting even the Court Order.
CHQ has taken a consistent stand on the issue of denial of pension and other retirement benefits to the VRS retirees of Maharashtra belonging to ST category from the very beginning. With our continuous efforts and pursance, DOP&PW issued an OM dated 30-11-2021. The OM specifically stated that no retirement benefits should be withheld in cases wherin no judicial or departmental proceedings are pending. Still, the arrogant BSNL management didn’t care to implement the OM against which CHQ wrote to the Hon’ble Minister of Communications and Hon’ble Minister of State for Personnel Public Grievances and Pensions. Thereafter, DoT intervened and asked the BSNL management to implement the OM and ensure payment of pension and other retirement benefits to the VRS retirees. Finally, BSNL reluctantly endorsed the DOT endorsement of the DOP&,PW OM on 25-04-2022 which was followed by CGMT, Maharashtra on 07-05-2022. However, the fact remains that the affected pensioners are yet to get the payment.
There are specific instructions that the AOs scrutinizing the pension papers of the reiring officials to limit it for 24 months prior to the retirement. But some of the AOs in certain CCA Offices have dug out pay fixation given 25- 30 years ago and made arbitrary cut in the last pay drawn resulting in reduction of Pension. Though the issue was taken up with the DoT repeatedly, nothing has been done.
In these circumstances, CHQ has decided to launch the following Agitational Programme.
1. Demands Day on 22-06-2022. Demonstration at all levels with placards.
2. Dharna at SSA/ BA Level on 20-07-2022.
3. Sanchar Bhawan March on 24 – 08 – 2022. The number of participants for each Circle will be finalized in due course.
AUAB AGITATION :-
AUAB has given call for agitational program including Sanchar Bhawan March demanding Wage Revision. CHQ has already extended Solidarity and our Comrades may participate according to local situation.
TELE PENSIONER :-
Tele Pensioner, October 2021 – March,2022 issue has been got printed and are being despatched to all the subscribers, CHQ office bearers, Circle Secretaries and District Secretaries.
Circle Conferences :- .
Gujarat, Kolkata Telephones,Tamil Nadu, Bihar, Kerala, Karnataka, UP ( W) and Haryana circles have held the Circle Conferences. Other circles are also requested to hold the conferences in consultation with CHQ.
Membership List :-
CHQ had asked to send the membership list of each district so as to update the CHQ level membership register. But some of the District Branches are yet to comply with the directive. So it is once again requested to send the membership list, preferably prepared in Words, at the earliest.
Dear Comrades, The covid19 pandemic situation has improved and normalcy is being restored. So we have to utilise the opportunity to revitalize the organisation and also strengthen it by enrolling more Pensioners. Sufficient preparations have to be made to make the Agitational Programme a grand success.
The biennial District Conference of Nagaon, Assam was held on 22-05-2022. Com. R K Laskar, District President presided over the meeting. Com. M R Das, AGS inaugurated the conference with a spirited speech covering the issues of the pensioners and the struggles being launched by AIBDPA. Delivering the keynote address, Com. S N Sarma , Circle Secretary emphasized the importance of strengthening the organisation. Coms. L Handique, District Secretary and B K Dey, Treasurer placed the report and audited accounts, respectively and were adopted after active discussion. A host of leaders, including Com. H S Raja, ACS addressed the conference. A new team of office bearers were elected with Com. R K Laskar (President) Com. H S Raja (District Secretary) and Com.B K Dey (Treasurer).
Bengaluru Telecom District Branch, one of the biggest branches in the country has held its 5th biennial conference enthusiastically on 21-05-2022 at PGM office auditorium. Com.B T M Giri, District President was in chair. Com. V A N Namboodiri, Advisor inaugurated the conference with an inspiring speech covering the important issues of the pensioners and the present situation in BSNL. Com. K G Jayaraj, General Secretary delivered the keynote address and explained the continuous efforts and struggles of CHQ for the settlement of the burning issues like pension revision and denial of medical benefits. Smt. Madhavi Das, Controller of Communication Accounts participated and stated that issues of the pensioners are being dealt speedly and as a result the CCA office has zero complaints. Representing BSNL, Shri. Prakash Gopalani, PGM and Shri. B Venkiteswarlu , GM(CFA) greeted the confernce. Com. H C Prakash, AGS and District Secretary welcomed one and all. Coms. C K Gundanna, AGS,BSNLEU, H V Sudharshan, Circle Secretary, BSNLEU, Irfan Pasha, CHQ Treasurer,BSNLEU, Muddaiah, Circle Secretary, R B Tatapati, Circle President, C P Vijayakumar, District Secretary, BSNLEU and G G Patil, veteran leader and former AGS also addressed the conference.
Com. H C Prakash, District Secretary and Com.Girish Chander, Treasurer presented the biennial report and audited accounts, respectively and were adopted. Office bearers were elected unanimously with Com. B T M Giri (President) Com.H C Prakash (District Secretary) and Com.Jagannathan (Treasurer).
AUAB has chalked out a phased programme of Agitation, culminating in the Sanchar Bhawan March, demanding Wage Revision. Keeping up its tradition, AIBDPA extends Solidarity to the agitational programme.
The AUAB has decided to organise the following agitational programmes, demanding settlement of the most important demand of the BSNL employees, viz., 3rd Wage Revision for the Non-Executives and 3rd Pay Revision for the Executives. All the circle and district secretaries are requested to coordinate with the other constituents of the AUAB and to organise these programmes successfully.
Lunch hour demonstrations on 27.05.2022.
Twitter campaign on 14.06.2022.
Submitting memorandums to the MPs and Ministers from 01.06.2022 to 30.06.2022.
March to Sanchar Bhawan, for which the date will be announced by the AUAB shortly.
