BILASPUR DISTRICT CONFERENCE HELD BEFITTINGLY.
Bilaspur District Branch has held its 2nd biennial Conference on 18-02-2018 at Khuntaghat (Ratanpur) under the presidenship of Com. L.N.Tiwari, Circle President. Inaugurating the conference Com.R.P.Atmapoojya, Circle Secretary, Chhattisgarh explained the current position of our important issues, particularly , pension revision and the struggle being conducted by the All Unions and Associations supported and participated by AIBDPA. The report and accounts presented by Com.Omkar Nath, District Secretary and Com.N.S.Kahyap, Treasurer respectively were adopted after discussion.
The conference, then elected the office bearers unanimously and the following are the important functionaries.
President : Com.P.K.Agarwal, District Secretary ; Com. Omkar Nath and Treasurer : Com. N.S.Kashyap
BSNL Workers and pensioners have to fight unitedly – their future is connected
We are surprised to see a demand in the website of one pensioners association as follows:
“We request the respected leaders of Service Unions to fight for their pay Revision and leave the issue of Pension Revision. Our task has become much for difficult now. “
The above association completely forgets that it is mainly because of the continuous struggle of the BSNL Unions associations/Forum/Joint Forum representing the BSNL employees that the wage revision in 2000 was settled which benefitted the BSNL pensioners. It was again, the struggle of both the employees as well as the pensioners that the wage and pension revision were settled in 2007 which again benefitted workers and pensioners. The glorious struggle for settlement of 78.2% IDA fixation as well as pension fixation has not been forgotten by the pensioners. It was in the meeting of the DOT with the Forum/Joint Forum that the break through came for cancellation of the 60:40 ratio and the government took the full responsibility for the pension to BSNL retirees. Now also it was after the massive demonstration of Parliament March by the employees and Pensioners which compelled the DOT and Minister to meet and discuss the issues and the present positive development came. The serious discussion with both DOT and Minister is given in the websites of the unions and it can be seen how much they were compelled to go back from their tough stand and negotiate with the employees.
In the same way the Medical Advance without voucher was restored to pensioners, only after the unions in the National Council agreed that, the same be restored to pensioners first and they have no objection to it.
It has become the habit of certain pension associations to criticise the service unions for non-settlement of issues and when the issues are settled by the struggle of the workers, shamelessly claim the credit for the same. Wonderful!
Let nobody forget that ” Today’s pensioners were yesterday’s workers and that today’s workers are tomorrow’s pensioners”
PENSION REVISION – BSNLEU REPLIES TO THE VEILED CRITICISM.
Pension Revision – Unwarranted criticism.
Some of our comrades have drawn our attention to a veiled criticism, that has been made about the handling of the pension revision issue, by All Unions and Associations of BSNL, in the meeting held with the Hon’ble MoS(C) on 24.02.2018. All knows that the AUAB is fighting not only for the 1.85 lakh serving employees, but also for the 2 lakh BSNL retired employees. It was only through the two day strike conducted by the unions and associations of BSNL on 21st & 22nd April, 2015, that the 60% ceiling imposed by the government, on it’s limit to pay pension to BSNL retirees, was broken.
As regards revision of pension from 01.01.2017, DoT’s stand is that, pension revision would be done, only if wage revision is completed. This was conveyed in DoT’s letter no.24-1/2018/SR dated 21.02.2018 also. (On the eve of the meeting with the Hon’ble MoS(C), this letter was withdrawn). It is nothing but total denial of pension revision. However, due to the mighty struggles of the AUAB, the Hon’ble MoS(C) has now conceded the demand for pension revision.
Perhaps, this settlement has disturbed some, whose only contribution to the pensioners is, giving ‘lip-service’ and making ‘time-pass’, by criticising others. Settlement of pension revision w.e.f. 01.01.2017 is the immediate goal of AUAB. At the same time, the AUAB will also find a permanent solution to the pension revision issue, as it has solved the 60% ceiling issue. Hence, the ‘arm-chair critics’ need not get disturbed, and can take rest.
[Date : 26 – Feb – 2018]
How Pension Revision should be implemented for the BSNL absorbed DOT Pensioners?
After the mighty and massive Sanchar Bhawan March by the BSNL Workers and pensioners as per the call of the BSNL All Unions and Associations and also fully supported and participated by the AIBDPA (All India BSNL DOT Pensioners Association), the DOT as well as the Communications Minister have been compelled to meet the General Secretaries and discuss the issue in right earnest. It has been assured by the Minister that the issues will be taken up with the Government. So far, well and good. The Ministry should recommend with full facts and figures furnished by the BSNL management and Unions/Associations and recommend for wage revision as well as Pension revision. If the government does not settle the issues, further struggle will follow.
What should be the method of pension revision? Whether it should be based on the CDA scale of VII CPC or the IDA Scale of III PRC? Actually there need be no doubt about the same, but some confusion is being made by some comrades, which will complicate the whole issue and delay the pension revision. These comrades feel that since BSNL is already in loss and there will be no wage revision in future and hence no pension revision also. So their suggestion is that the demand should be pension revision on the basis of the VII CPC in the CDA scale.
Let us look in to the relevant facts:
1. Till October 2000, when BSNL was formed, all were government employees and they got Pay revision and Pension revision on the basis of the V CPC (1996).
2. BSNL employees retired from October 2000 onward got pension in IDA scale based on the wage revision of BSNL employees in IDA scale in 2000. The DOT pensioners did not get this benefit. This was one advantage for the BSNL pensioners and their pension was fixed in the IDA scale ( and not CDA scale). This was beneficial to them..
3. DOT Pensioners got their pension revision on the basis of VI CPC in CDA scale from 01-01-2006. They got the pension revision after 6 years of the IDA pension revision which was in 2000.
4. BSNL pensioners once again got pension revision in IDA scale from 01-01-2007 on the basis of the wage revision of BSNL employees, increasing much higher than the DOT pensioners.
5. DOT Pensioners has got pension revision with effect from 2016 in CDA scale on the basis of the VII CPC
6. As per the convention and on the example of the 2000 and 2007 pension revisions, the present pension revision should be on the basis of of the III PRC on IDA scale. This is only logical and convincing. Since the government has already removed the 60:40 condition and is committed to pay the full pension, it need not wait for the wage revision of BSNL employees. It can implement 15% fitment as suggested by the III PRC, which is higher than that of VII CPC. This will benefit the BSNL pensioners.
7. The demand for pension revision of BSNL pensioners on the basis of VII CPC CDA scale, will create a lot of anomalies, will reduce the pension and also create serious dispute between those pensioners retired before 2017 and after 2017. Changing pension revision from IDA to CDA after two pension revisions made in 2000 and 2017 will have serious consequences for the pensioners.
8. The thinking that there will be no wage revision for BSNL employees now and in future is a negative thinking, which the government want to impress upon the workers. CPCs have also stated that in future, there need be no pay commission. What will be the result? The working class, whether in the government or in the PSUs will never allow such a situation. We have to be positive and not negative.
On the above and other many fully justified reasons, the best and logical demand is that the pension revision of the BSNL pensioners should be made from 01-01-2017 on 15% fitment which is recommended by the III PRC, and also with out waiting for the wage revision of employees, since the affordability clause and profit and loss conditions are not applicable to the government. We should not make any demand which will reduce the pension, make the issue complicate and bring many anomalies which will take years to settle or not settle at all. We should not divide the BSNL pensioners in to two camps, which will reduce our fighting power.
CENTRAL TRADE UNIONS CALLS OBSERVATION OF ALL INDIA PROTEST DAY ON 15TH MARCH 2018- AIBDPA TO JOIN THE PROGRAM
CENTRAL TRADE UNIONS DECIDES TO OBSERVE ALL INDIA PROTEST DAY ON 15TH MARCH 2018 – Press Statement
The meeting of the Central Trade Unions held on 22nd February 2018 at INTUC Office New Delhi expressed indignation and strongly condemned the Government of the day for their intensified attack on the lives and livelihood of the people and seriously compromising the national interest.
Attack on working class centering around dismantling labour laws designed to completely casualise employment conditions through various routes like amending Contract Labour Act, introducing Fixed Term Employment etc has assumed aggressive height. Further it is noted that the Government is out to erase the public sector from the industrial map of the country. Specific cases of attack on privatization of railways, opening coal mining to private and foreign companies without any restriction whatsoever, mass scale privatization as well as destruction of defence production network through widespread outsourcing, thereby dismantling the almost half of the ordinance factories are some of the examples of the gross anti-people and anti-national actions of the Govt. Accumulation of huge non-performing assets of the public sector banks arising out of pilferage of bank-funds by deliberately defaulting private corporate coupled with recent explosion of frauds with bank fund engineered by the same corporate class is also a reflection of the anti-national act of the Govt indulging and patronizing the same big-business class.
The Central Trade Unions reiterated their utter condemnation against the Union Budget 2018-19 which is basically anti-worker and anti-people in character and engineered a deception on the mass of the people through loud populist slogans without actually making any resource allocation.
The Central Trade Unions denounced the Govt of India’s surreptitious move in postponing the 47th session of Indian Labour Conference, thereby reducing tripartism to a mockery.
CTUOs noted with satisfaction the surging struggles by the working people in different sectors throughout the country, both organised and unorganized.
The workers and federations of coal and transport have been preparing for united industrywide actions to be undertaken shortly. All the Federations of Defence Production workers have jointly decided to go in for nationwide strike on 15th March 2018. Many more sectoral actions are in the offing.
The CTUOs while reiterating their resolve to intensify preparation for indefinite strike in the days to come, calls upon all their constituents and working people in general irrespective of affiliations to jointly observe
ALL INDIA PROTEST DAY ON 15TH MARCH 2018
· In solidarity with the striking Defence Production workers against anti-national privatization move
· Against the Anti-people Deceptive Union Budget 2018-19
The CTUOs will meet shortly after 15th March 2018 to decide their next course of united countrywide action.
INTUC, AITUC, HMS, CITU, AIUTUC, TUCC, SEWA, AICCTU, UTUC, LPF
ALL AIBDPA UNITS ARE REQUESTED TO PARTICIPATE IN THE PROTEST ACTION LOCALLY ALONG WITH THE WORKERS.
PARTICIPATION OF AIBDPA COMRADES IN THE MARCH TO SANCHAR BHAWAN ON 23-02-2018.
Haryana
UP(West)
Rajasthan
As per reports received so far , there has been good participation of AIBDPA comrades in the March to Sanchar Bhawan on 23-02-2018 from NTR, Delhi and other nearby circles. More than 100 comrades participated from NTR,Delhi, 62 from UP (West), 30 from Rajasthanand 43 from Haryana. Report from UP(East) and Punjab are awaited. From Telangana Circle 20 comrades have participated along with BSNLEU comrades.
JAPAN DECIDED TO EXTEND THE RETIREMENT AGE OF CIVIL SERVANTS TO 80….! BUT NOT DEMANDED BY THE WORKERS AND FOR GOVERNMENT – SEE A REPORT FROM WFTU.
The government of Japan decided to extend the age limit for retirement of the civil servants to 80 years. This policy is decided with pretext the financial management of the state budget and is supposedly promoted as a optional measure.
The reality is the Japan holds the worst record on rate the pensioners who lives in the poverty limit among the development countries. Almost one out of 5 pensioners (19%) lives in the limit of the poverty. The lack of adequate funding of the pensions and the pensioners’ needs, is taking place at the same time that the government is moving on the review and increase of the army budget.
The high rates of poverty and the low standard of living of the Japanese pensioners will force them to choose the supposedly optional measure of postponing their retirement. The World Federation of Trade Union, representing more than 92 million workers demands the immediate support of Japanese pensioners and the implementation of dignified pensions and standard of living for the retires simultaneously with a low retirement age limit.
The Secretariat
GREAT VICTORY FOR THE SUSTAINED UNITED STRUGGLE- CONGRATULATIONS FOR THE LEADERS AND THE EMPLOYEES.
Yes, it is once again proved beyond any doubt that only the sustained struggle can change the anti-worker policies of the government. Now, the Minister of Communications has agreed for wage revision and pension revision in the meeting held with leaders of All Unions and Associations.
We are reproducing below the report published in the BSNLEU website in this regard.
Meeting between Shri Manoj Sinha, Hon’ble Minister of State for Communications and the All Unions and Associations of BSNL.
A meeting is held at the Sanchar Bhawan today the 24.02.2018, between Shri Manoj Sinha, Hon’ble Minister of State for Communications and the All Unions and Associations of BSNL. Together with the Minister, Secretary, DoT, Special Secretary, DoT, Joint Secretary (Admn.), DoT, OSD to the Hon’ble Minister, DDG (Estt.), DoT, CMD BSNL and Director (HR) BSNL were present. From the All Unions and Associations of BSNL, Com. P. Abhimanyu, GS, Com. Chandeswar Singh, GS, NFTE, Com. K. Sebastin, GS, SNEA, Com. Prahlad Rai, GS, AIBSNLEA, Com. K. Jayaprakash, GS, FNTO, Com. N.D. Ram, GS, SEWA BSNL, Com. Ravi Shil Verma, GS, AIGETOA, Com. Mallikarjuna, President, BSNL MS and Com. S.D. Sharma, GS, BSNL ATM, participated in the discussions. The representatives of the AUAB heartily thanked the Hon’ble Minister for taking out time to meet them. Detailed discussions took place on the memorandum submitted to the Hon’ble Minister, the details of which are given in the file above.
ILC POSTPONED- BMS CONTINUES TO CRITICIZE MODI GOVERNMENT FOR ANTI-WORKER POLICIES; BUT CONVENIENTLY KEEPS AWAY FROM JOINT STRUGGLE.
ILC Postponed After BMS Threatens To Boycott Prime Minister
Indian Labour Conference Postponed After RSS-Affiliated BMS Threatens To Boycott Prime Minister Narendra Modi
“BMS decided to boycott ILC due to the centre’s anti-labour policies,” RSS trade union President said.
The Centre has indefinitely postponed the Indian Labour Conference to be inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi after RSS trade union BMS threatened to boycott it over the Union budget that was “unsympathetic to labour and workers”.
At the 47th ILC scheduled to be held on February 26 and 27, trade unions and employers were to discuss key issues over employment and security of workers.
The Union Labour and Employment Ministry, the host of the conference, has not explicitly explained the reasons for calling it off. “The ILC has been postponed. Inconvenience is regretted,” the ministry sent the message to trade unions, BMS president Saji Narayanan told Outlook.
Trade unions, including the RSS-affiliate Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh, had earlier threatened to boycott the event, alleging their demands were not met in the Union Budget. To avoid embarrassment perhaps, the ILC now stands cancelled.
“BMS had decided in its national executive meeting in Ambaji in Gujarat, held from February 6 to 8, to boycott ILC due to the centre’s anti-labour policies. Two words were totally missing from this year’s budget- labour and worker,” Narayanan told Outlook.
THE BMS, however, demand the ILC to be convened soon, and the government should “do their homework.”
“ILC should not be a ritualistic or ceremonious event. The government has not done sufficient homework. We demand that ILC should be convened at the earliest with sufficient home work by the government,” the RSS trade union president said.
In an exclusive article for Outlookindia, Narayanan had said the BJP government at the Centre is nothing more than UPA III.
The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), the nucleus of Sangh Parivar cosmos, had made it evident that it is upset with the Modi government’s economic policy decisions and, like a ventriloquist, has been lashing out through its affiliates like BMS and Swadeshi Jagran Manch.
Other central trade unions invited to the Conference had other reasons to boycott it. Upset with the government’s decision to not invite Indian National Trade Union Congress (INTUC), the second biggest central trade union in the country, as many as 10 central trade unions described the move as “discriminatory” and “undermining the spirit of tripartism.”
The unions had also expressed displeasure over not taking action on the unanimous recommendations of the 43rd, 44th and 45th ILCs especially on formulation of minimum wages, same wages and benefit for same work as regular workers for contract labour. (Courtesy: Ms Vimala Vidya)