Haryana Circle Executive Committee Meeting has been held physically on 28-07-2021 at BSNLEU office, CGMT office, Ambala. Com.Ramkumar Kalsi, Circle President presided over the meeting. Com. Kuldeep Singh, Circle Secretary welcomed one and all and presented a brief report on the recent developments since last CEC meeting. The report mainly focused on pension revision, denial of medical benefits, freezing of DA/DR and IDA and AUAB agitation. Circle Secretary also stressed the importance of strengthening the organisation at all levels and the primary duty is to enroll more pensioners into AIBDPA. All the District Secretaries and Circle Office Bearers actively participated in the discussion and finally Circle Secretary summed up.

Com.K G Jayaraj, General Secretary once again had a discussion on today, the 29th July, 2021 with Shri.P K Saha, Director, Department of Public Enterprises regarding delay in issuing the orders for the restoration of 3 frozen IDA instalments along with the additional instalment due from 01-07-2021.General Secretary told the Director that the delay in issuing the orders is causing concern and resentment amongst the BSNL Pensioners as the IDA is the only relief during this period of pandemic situation, having been denied of pension revision and medical benefits for the last four years. And it was in these circumstances AIBDPA was compelled to seek legal remedy for the payment of IDA instalments due from 01-10-2020,01-01-2021 and 01-04-2021 as the freezing of IDA instalments was not applicable to BSNL Pensioners. But the interim favourable order issued by the hon’ble Kerala High Court on 26-02-2021 has not yet been implemented despite repeated requests to both DPE and DoT.Now, central government pensioners are drawing the frozen DR instalments along with the July pension.The Director had a patient hearing and stated that they are on the job and when the order is ready it will be put on the website.

HUNGER STRIKE AT BSNL CORPORATE OFFICE, NEW DELHI. GENERAL SECREATRIES OF UNIONS AND ASSOCIATIONS, INCLUDING COM.P. ABHIMANYU, CONVENOR,AUAB AND GS,BSNLEU ARE SEEN.

The Hunger Strike on 28-07-2021, called by AUAB has been held all over the country with huge participation . The wider unity of the unions and the 10 point charter od demands covering important issues of employees and pensioners and revival of BSNL have created a sense of confidence and great enthusiasm in them. No doubt, this is very good beginning after a gap underscoring the importance of struggles. Despite pandemic situation still ravaging in many parts of the country, BSNL pensioners, as called by CHQ, participated in large numbers in all the circles. AIBDPA congratulate and salute all the comrades for their enthusiastic participation.

Patna District has held a convention on 26-07-2021 with massive participation of pensioners. Com.N K Srivatava, Circle Secretary inaugurated the convention with a detailed speech covering the important issues confronting the pensioners. Medical issues like nono-payment of medical bills and allowances and confusion created due to calling for fresh option, pension revision and agitations called by AUAB were elaborately explained by the Circle Secretary. The quries raised by some of the participants were also replied appropriately. The conference hall, where the convention was held, proved to be insufficient to acommodate the participants.

As already been intimated, the important programme of action by All Unions and Associatons of BSNL {AUAB} is the Hunger Strike on 28-07-2021 at all levels. All our units are now requested to mobilize maximum number of pensioners, adhering to the Covid-19 protocol, for the Hunger Strike. Also extend all the co-operation for successful conduct of the agitation in consultation with the respective unit of the AUAB. The following are the Charter of Demands ;

Charter of demands

(1) Immediate launching of 4G service by way of upgradation of the BTSs and also steps for moving towards the launching of 5G service.

(2) Immediate disbursement of the salary for the month of June, 2021 and also disbursement of salary on the last date of every month.

(3) No Monetisation of BSNL’s Towers and optical fibre as is being planned by the Finance Ministry / Government of India.

(4) Immediate settlement of the dues to BSNL, amounting Rs.39,000 Crore, by the DoT. (5) Immediate steps to off-set BSNL’s debt, through the Monetisation of lands.

(5) Immediate settlement of the dues to BSNl, amounting to Rs.39,000cr by DoT.

(6) Complete review of the Cluster based Outsourcing System.

(7) Immediate settlement of 3 rd Pay Revision, pension revision and Enhancement of Superannuation Benefits (SAB) to 30% of the Directly Recruited Employees.

(8) Speedy measures to improve the quality of BSNL’s FTTH service.

(9) Prompt maintenance of BTSs, proper up-keep of the power plants, as well as availability of Batteries.

(10) Strengthen the transmission networks.

A meeting of the Circle Executive of Telecom Factory & Stores, Kolkata has been held physically on 20-07-2021 at Alipore Telecom Factory. Com.Adir Kumar Sen, Circle Secretary and CHQ Vice President welcomed all and gave a good account of the recent developments, including AUAB agitation, medical issues and the CHQ call for email campaign, issue of merger of the Circle with West Bengal Circle. All the participants aired their views on the issues confronting the pensioners. The CEC decided to launch an effective campaign for the AUAB Hunger Strike on 28-07-2021 and entrusted the Circle Secretary to intiate necessary action on merger with West Bengal Circle.

The call of CHQ for the email campaign on 22-07-2021 against the continuing inhuman denial of due medical benefits to BSNL retirees, even during the pandemic situation, by the arrogant BSNL management, has been held successfully in all the circles. General Secretary, Circle Secretaries, District Secretaries and Area/Branch Secretaries have sent email to the CMD, BSNL urging immediate payment of medical bills and allowances pending for the last three years. CHQ heartily Congratulate all the comrades for making the program a stupendous success.

The illtreatment of BSNL retirees by the BSNL management is continuing unabated. They don’t care if the retirees die without medical attention for want of money. The management is in no mood to listen to the genuine demands of the pensioners to clear their medical bills pending since 01-04-2019 and the medical allowance from 2018.

At the same time, the BSNL management is engaged in harrassing the BSNL pensioners in the name of fresh option for the year 2020-21 and insisist submission of option by those already submitted. It is nothing but a futile exercise only to put the poor elders to further miseries. CHQ has taken up the issue with the BSNL management to withdraw the office order dated 07-07-2021 in this regard.

AIBDPA has conducted several agitations when representations to the management, Communications Minister and the Prime Minister failed. So we have no other alternative other than continue the fight against this most inhuman stance. So let us make the email campaign on 22-07-2021 by Circle Secretaries and District Secretaries ,a grand success.

TEXT OF THE EMAILS

Shri. P K Purwar,,

CMD, BSNL,

Bharat Sanchar Bhawan, Janpath

New Delhi- 110001 ( cmdbsnl@bsnl.co.in )

Sir,

The ailing and aged BSNL pensioners in distress due to non-payment medical bills and medical allowances for the last three years.

Request early intervention for release of sufficient funds to clear the pending medical benefits.

Yours sincerely

Signature

Name of Circle/District Secretary

Statement by the Central Workers’ Union of Cuba

The Central Workers’ Union of Cuba and its national trade union branches vigorously reject the acts of disorder that took place in several cities supported by a media campaign that seeks to impose an opinion matrix aimed to discredit the governance of the Cuban Revolution. The U.S. government is committed to cause a social outbreak in Cuba from the escalation of the economic, commercial and financial blockade and the adoption of 243 measures passed during Donald Trump administration which hinders the progress of the country’s development programs affecting the welfare of the workers and their families.

The Trade Union Movement expresses its firm support to the revolutionary and patriotic response of our heroic people and ratifies its commitment to the defense of the Revolution, maximizing the growth of efficiency in the production of goods and services that satisfy the demands of the people.

We denounce the campaign of “humanitarian intervention” that are intended to develop, driven with the pretext of the situation generated by the pandemic and the objective limitations caused by the economic war imposed to us. The Cuban women and men know their true purpose and we express that we do not want such “help”. What Cuba needs is to remove the blockade.

We thank trade union organizations and friends all over the world for messages of solidarity and support with the encouragement that we keep up hoisted with dignity the flags of independence, sovereignty and freedom that so much blood has cost of the best sons of the Fatherland.

The combat order is given. ¡

Defend the streets, the revolutionaries! ¡Long live Cuban Revolution! ¡Fatherland or Death! ¡We’ll win!