UP (W) Circle has won the distinction of holding the first virtual meeting of the Circle Executive Committee on 25-10-2020.

The meeting started with paying rich tribute to the founder Circle Secretary, Com.Abdul Rashid. Com.K G Jayaraj, General Secretary inaugurated the meeting with a brief speech as the meeting was scheduled to conclude within one hour. General Secretary focused on the important issues of denial of medical facilities to the retirees in a cruel and discriminatory manner by the BSNL management and Pension Revision. He assured that decision for another phased progrm of agitation will be taken in due course. Com.S S Maurya, Circle Secretary presented the report and Com.R V Singh, Treasurer briefed on the financial position. 

Com.Mohammed Israil, Circle President controlled the proceedings. In the discussion, Comrades expressed strong resentment against the continuing denial of medical facilities.

CHQ congratulates UP(W) Circle for holding the CEC meeting online.

This time , the Foundation Day of our mighty organisation , AIBDPA was to be celebrated amid  discontentment and strong protest against denial of pension revision and medical facilities to BSNL pensioners and Covid-19 pandemic challenge. All these adverse conditions did not deter our Comrades all over the country from celebrating the Foundation Day befittingly.

Sweets were distributed in many places. In some Districts like Vellore in Tamil Nadu 5 kg rice each was distributed to 65 BSNL contract workers whose wages are not being paid for months, incurring an expenditure of Rs.11,930 to the district Branch. They also utilized the occasion to enroll 16 new members, mostly AGMs and DEs to AIBDPA. All the 8 branches under Vellore District Branch have celebrated the Foundation Day as reported by Com.Jothisudanthiranathan, District Secretary. Kolkata Telecom Factory & Stores along with BSNLEU Kolkata Telephones Circle distributed relief to BSNL Casual Contract workers and the Tea Vendors near the Telecom FActory.

CHQ heartily congratulates all our comrades for celebrating the Foundation Day of our great oragnisation in a fantastic manner.

Some of the photos received are published below;

NAGERCOIL, TAMIL NADU.

THRISSUR

PONDICHERRY

ADONI, AP

HISAR, HARYANA

KOLLAM, KERALA

FAIZABAD,UP(E)

MYSURU, KARNATAKA

DAVANGERE, KARNATAKA

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM

COIMBATORE.

CHERUVATHUR, KANNUR

GUNTUR, AP

KURNOOL, AP

 

TENALI, AP

SULTANPUR, UP(E)

KOLKATA TELECOM DISTRICT

CGMT OFFICE, LUCKNOW

KOLKATA TELEPHONES

AMBALA, HARYANA

NELLORE,AP

CHENNAI TELECOM DISTRICT.

POLLACHI, TAMIL NADU

HUBLI, KARNATAKA

HOSPET, KARNATAKA

RANEBENNUR, KARNATAKA

BENGALURU

MUZAFFARNAGAR, UP(W)

HARTHAS, UP(W)

MEERUT,UP(W)

SAHRANPUR, UP(W)

SIRSA, HARYANA

KOTTAYAM

ALIGARH, UP(W)

NELLORE,AP

VARANASI,UP(E)

RAIPUR

KOLKATA TELECOM FACTORY & STORES

HYDERABAD, TELANGANA

NARSINGHPUR, MP

KADAPA, AP

BURDWAN, WEST BENGAL

EAST GODAVARI, AP

RAJAMPETA, AP

MADURAI,TAMIL NADU

VIJAYAWADA,AP

BONGAIGAON, ASSAM

BHOPAL

CHALAKUDI, KERALA

ERNAKULAM,

VELLORE

KOVILPATTY, TAMIL NADU

ALAPPUZHA, KERALA

VILLUPRAM, TAMIL NADU

GWALIOR, MP

GUNA, MP

JABALPUR, MP

PURULIA, WEST BENGAL

DINDUGAL, TAMIL NADU

TIRUPUR, TAMIL NADU

PALLADAM, TAMIL NADU

 

OOTY, TAMIL NADU

MANNARKUDI, TAMIL NADU

ERODE, TAMIL NADU

KHARAGPUR, WEST BENGAL

BOLPUR, WEST BENGAL

LUDHIANA, PUNJAB

KUMBAKONAM, TAMIL NADU

GUWAHATI

VISAKHAPATNAM

CHENNAI TELEPHONES.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Editorial

Pension Revision- New Challenges and our task.

BSNL absorbed retirees are entitled to get the pension revision from 01-01-2017. But the government has taken a negative and unjustified stand and the Hon’ble Minister for Communications, Shri. Ravi Shankar Prasad has stated in the Parliament that pension revision is linked with wage revision of BSNL employees and will be considered once the wage revision is implemented.

But what are the facts ? When BSNL was formed , the government had declared that BSNL absorbed employees will be eligible to get pension from the consolidated fund of the government, as in the case of central government employees.  Accordingly, to make them eligible for pension from the consolidated fund of the government, necessary amendment in the CCS (Pension) Rules, 1972 was made in the form of Rule 37A. Pension contribution is being made by BSNL to the government at the maximum of the pay scale of each employee. The condition of 60:40 stipulated earlier by the government having been scrapped, the entire liability of pension and pensionary benefits to BSNL absorbed retirees lies with the government.  Thus, pension revision is not anyway connected to the poor financial condition of BSNL.

AIBDPA from the very beginning has demanded that pension revision should be granted from 01-01-2017 with 15% fitment, delinking wage revision. This was based on the last pension revision from 01-01-2007 with 30% fitment, which was the maximum recommended by the 2^nd PRC and 3^rd PRC recommending a maximum fitment of 15%. All Unions and Associations of BSNL (AUAB) also put forward the same demand vindicating AIBDPA stand on this vital issue. AIBDPA not only wrote letters , held discussions with the top officers and Minister, but also conducted several agitations for the settlement of the genuine issue.

Meanwhile the recommendation of the BSNL Board for wage revision of employees with 15% fitment from 01-01-2017, exempting BSNL from the affordability condition as per the provision in the 3^rd PRC to the effect that affordability conditions are not applicable for the government companies which are implementing government projects, was turned down by the Department of Telecommunications. Thus AUAB had  to go on a series of agitations including a 3 days strike in February, 2019. Thereafter, the Minister of State for Communications, Shri. Manoj Sinha was compelled to hold discussion with AUAB leaders  and gave categorical assurances on important demands including pension revision, delinking wage revision.  Accordingly, DoT wrote to Department of Pension & Pensioners Welfare asking modalities to revise the pension without wage revision. The DP&PW in return asked DoT to forward its proposal to which DoT did not reply at all for obvious reasons. ( It is an open secret that a dominant section of the bureaucracy in DoT was  deadly against pension revision before wage revision.)

Then came the general elections in 2019 and Shri. Ravi Shankar Prasad replaced Shri. Manoj Sinha as the Cabinet Minister  for Communications &IT. He took a stand similar to the bureaucracy and as stated above, that pension revision is possible only after wage revision. Some of the pensioners’ organizations, having been frustrated over this development, started talking about seeking legal remedy.

It was in this context that the Central Executive Committee meeting of AIBDPA held at Guwahati on 24-25, November, 2019, discussed the issue in details and unanimously decided against seeking legal remedy on pension revision. Instead , the CEC decided a phased programme of agitation, culminating in a Parliament March. As authorized by the CEC, CHQ took the initiative to contact other important pensioners’ organizations for a joint struggle but could not succeed. Therefore, we had no other option than go it alone.  Mobilization of pensioners in a signature campaign in the Memorandum to the Prime Minister was held successfully in December, 2019. The second phase was meeting the Members of Parliament to seek their support. Our comrades met 196 MPs, irrespective of political affiliation, including two Cabinet Ministers, Speaker of Lok Sabha and four Ministers of State and the response was very positive and encouraging. Some of them wrote letters to the Prime Minister, Finance Minister and Communications Minister and certain other MPs raised the issue in the Parliament. The 3^rd phase was Mass Hunger Strike at CCA offices on 12^th February, 2020 which became a stupendous success with massive participation of pensioners. However we had to postpone the Parliament March of 12^th March, 2020 due to breakout of Covid-19 pandemic, though all the arrangements were made.

Now, some of the pensioners’ associations have filed petitions in the Principal Bench of CAT, New Delhi seeking legal remedy of pension revision. While AIRBSNLEWA, SNPWA and three MTNL pensioners associations have demanded pension revision with 2.51 multiple factor, AIBSNLPWA has demanded pension revision on terms of 7^th Pay Commission. One of the important functionaries of AIBSNLPWA, in an open video chat, giving details of the petition filed, has stated that the case involves huge expenditure and unpredicatable delay and may benefit the next generation of pensioners, if the final verdict is favourable. 

The Regional Labour Commissioner (Central), New Delhi in the conciliation of the three days strike by AUAB held in February,2019, has asked the BSNL management to at least discuss and decide the wage revision of the non-executives. But the RLC has got its own limitations and pressure has to be exerted in the form of agitation in which AIBDPA is committed to participate. Recently, some of the proposals in the BSNL revival package like sovereign bond of Rs. 8,500 crore, monetization of BSNL assets etc are being implemented which are certain to ease the financial woes of BSNL.  Further, the BSNL management has to implement the wage revision to motivate the employees.

But for pension revision, the government need not wait for the wage revision as it has nothing to do with BSNL. We hope that the government may now seriously think about it and implement the pension revision with 15% fitment from 01-01-2017, delinking wage revision. Otherwise, AIBDPA is committed to launch another phased program of agitation at the appropriate time.

Modi government often claims that India is marching ahead as the most emerging economy in the world. Yes, it is a fact that Indian Corporates have amassed assets even beyond their imagination, thanks to Modi government’s all out patronage. Ambani and Adani got a steep hike in their assets in a single year with increase of 73% and 61%, respectively.

But what about the common people ? The widening gap between the poor and the richest have put their lives to poverty and miseries. This fact is being vindicated through the study of global agencies. Now, according to the Global Hunger Index, released on 16-10-2020, India ranks 94 with Sudan and behind African countries, Kenya (84) Tanzania (89), Angola (93), among the 107 countries.

Our neigbhours are far ahead of India, China (5), Sri Lanka (64), Nepal (73), Bangladesh (75) and Pakistan (88).

India has the higest prevalance of wasted children under five years in the world, which reflects acute undernutrition. The report says that the situation has worsened during 2015-19 period, when the prevalance of child wasting was 17.3%, in comparison to 2010-14, when it was 15.1% .

The report is a clear indictment against Modi government’s pro-corporate and pro-rich policies.

12^th FOUNDATION DAY OF AIBDPA ON 21^ST OCTOBER 2020.

The 11^th Anniversary and 12^th Foundation Day of All India BSNL DOT Pensioners Association (AIBDPA) falls on 21^st October 2020. The mighty organisation of the BSNL DOT Pensioners was formed on 21^st October 2009 in a largely attended All India Convention of the BSNL and DOT Pensioners at New Delhi. BSNL Employees Union, the recognised union of the BSNL employees, took initiative in holding the convention. Veteran leaders Comrades A.K.Bhattacharjee, P.V.Chandrasekharan and J.N.Mishra presided.  Com.M.K.Pandhe, one of the tallest leaders of the world trade union movement and President, CITU inaugurated the convention. The main speaker was Com.S K Vyas, Secretary General, NCCPA. Com.V.A.N.Namboodiri, then General Secretary, BSNLEU, presented the back ground paper for the convention. After thorough discussion by the delegates, resolution forming AIBDPA was unanimously adopted in an enthusiastic atmosphere. Thus the AIBDPA was formed which was committed to safeguard the interests of the BSNL as well as DOT Pensioners.The resolution adopted on policy and programme highlighted the importance of supporting the struggles of the BSNL employees and the workers at large called by the Central Trade Unions. It was also declared that AIBDPA, unlike from other pensioners organisations, is committed to organise struggles for the settlement of the genuine issues of the pensioners.  A well-knit team of office-bearers with Comrades V.A.N.Namboodiri (Advisor), P.V.Chandrasekharan (Patron), A.K.Bhattacharjee (President), K.G.Jayaraj (General Secretary) and M.L.Tiwari (Treasurer) was elected to lead the organisation.

Within months, circle and district unions were formed all over the country. The Association started functioning in right earnest. All the issues of the BSNL DOT Pensioners were taken with the government. Pension Revision w.e.f. 01-01-2007, 78.2% IDA fixation, Scrapping of 60:40 condition, Medical issues, Quarters to BSNL and DoT retirees, Broadband concession to BSNL retirees etc. were taken and numerous struggles were launched for favourable settlement. It is pertinent to mention here that the struggles of BSNLEU and Joint Forum/AUAB was crucial in the settlement of important issues. In addition, many individual cases were also taken up and most of these were settled favourably.

AIBDPA has always functioned in co-ordination with BSNLEU, the biggest organisation of the BSNL employees and Joint Forum/ AUAB and gave full support and solidarity to the struggle of the employees. It is an affiliate of the National Co-ordination Committee of Pensioners Association (NCCPA), which is the umbrella organisation of the pensioners all over the country. It is also an affiliate of the Trade Union International (Pensioners and Retirees) (WFTU) and participated in its formation Congress as well as subsequent Congress last year. Com. K.G.Jayaraj, GS, AIBDPA is an Executive Board Member of TUI(P and R).

AIBDPA activities are not only limited to the pensioners’ issues. It has taken keen interest in the problems of the senior citizens and connected matters. It collected donation from its   members and supported the struggles of the BSNL Casual and Contract Workers. Whenever natural calamities hit the country,  donations were collected and sent to the  Prime Minister’s Relief Fund / Chief Minister’s Relief Fund etc. in a good way. AIBDPA leaders and members are very active in social activities.

After its formation Conference, three All India Conferences have been held at Kannur, Tirupati and Kolkata respectively with massive participation and taken important decisions including agitational programmes. On the issue of Pension revision w.e.f. 01-01-2017, the office bearers at the Circle/ district level met about 200 Members of Parliament  and submitted memorandums requesting the matter to be taken up with the government. Some of them raised the issue in the Parliament.

We have many important problems to be settled including Pension Revision, Medical reimbursement, special problems of the VRS Pensioners etc. These problems have arisen mainly due to the negative anti-pensioner policy of the Central government as also violation of the assurances given at the time of the formation of BSNL. United Struggle is the way to settle these issues.

Our mighty and beloved organization, All India BSNL DOT Pensioners Association, is completing 11 years and the 12th Foundation Day on 21-10-2020 deserves to be celebrated in a befitting manner. Let us celebrate it with hoisting the AIBDPA flag, holding General Body meetings, distributing sweets, distributing food/clothes to the needy etc. In the meeting, the mounting attacks by the present Modi government against the farmers, workers, pensioners and the people at large even under the cover of Covid-19 pandemic, the achievements and the onward march of AIBDPA through the path of struggles, cordial relationship with the serving employees organizations and joining their struggles, our affiliation with NCCPA, the umbrella organization of pensioners organizations in India and TUI(P&R), the international pensioners organization and constituent of WFTU and the tasks ahead for pension revision and payment of medical benefits, revival of BSNL etc.are to be explained.

AIBDPA Zindabad!

Com. V A N Namboodiri, Advisor had a discussion with CMD, BSNL over telephone on 16-10-2020 on non-payment of medical bills, allowance and one time payment made to CGHS. Com. V A N reminded the CMD about his assurance last time that fund will be alloted after two months for payment to the retirees. But CMD replied that though it is correct that he had made such an assurance last time, the financial position of BSNL has not improved as expected and it may take another two, three months for payment of pending medical bills to the retirees. Com. VAN pointed out that BSNL is making payments to all others except the medical benefits of retirees to which CMD remained non-committal.

So it reveals the negative stand of the CMD towards the genuine issue of BSNL retirees even exposing the very credibility of the position he is holding. Now, we have no other alternative other than launching another phased programme of agitation.