10th Circle Conference of BSNLEU, West Bengal circle, has started at Siliguri through colourful rally of BSNL employees.

The 10^th circle conference of BSNLEU, West Bengal circle, started today at Siliguri in the Ramkrishna Club with enthusiasm. The conference hall has been named after our beloved Com. Amitava Chattopadhyay, ACS, BSNLEU, West Bengal circle. Before start of the conference, a colourful rally with posters and banners of BSNL workers of Siliguri along with the delegates was held from the Telephone Exchange to the conference venue. The Red flag of our Union was hoisted by the Circle President Com. Animesh Mitra. Thereafter, the martyr’s column was garlanded with flowers by the leaders as a mark of respect towards the martyrs. The conference was inaugurated by Com. Zia Ul Alam, State Secretary, CITU, WB. He in his speech mentioned about the attack on PSUs and on the working class of our country as a whole. The main speaker of the inaugural session was Com. Animesh Mitra, General Secretary, BSNLEU. The delegates and the members even other parts of the workers who were present in the conference hall were very much eager to hear our beloved GS.

Com. Animesh Mitra, GS, narrated about the latest position of BSNL.  He expressed his unhappiness over the COP report due to underperformance of BSNL Company. GS also mentioned the latest development of 3^rd PRC. He pointed out that a scope has been evolved for bargain for higher pay scale as the govt. has agreed for actual pay as pension contribution and not the higher end of the pay scale. In his speech it was mentioned about the present political scenario of our country and our neighbouring countries Bangladesh and Nepal. He also mentioned about the formation of Government by the leftist in Sri Lanka. He mentioned about how the casual and contract labourers are facing tremendous attack by the BJP led central government. He mentioned that it is a new fascistic attack on the working class led by RSS. Mainly the contract workers are the main target in BSNL and they are being retrenched randomly on various pleas. He opined that the workers and the working class of our country as a whole can survive only through continuous struggle against this neo fascist ruling class. He said that BSNLEU is in the path of sustained struggle for survival and development of this PSU, BSNL and for the cause of the employees. At the outset, Com Amal Saha, DS, BSNLEU, Siliguri, gave the welcome address. The speakers who greeted the conference were Com Asis Das, Circle Secretary, AIBDPA, WB circle, Com Omkar Bhomik, Organising Secy. (CHQ), Tapas Ghosh, CS, BSNLCMU, WB circle.

A seminar was held in the afternoon on ‘Crisis in BSNL and the Role of Unions and Associations’. In this seminar Com Somnath Ghosh, CS, SNEA, Com Biswajit Choudhury, ACS, SEWA, Com Soumya Chatterjee of AIGTOA and Com Sujoy Sarkar, Circle Secretary, BSNLEU, WB circle deliberated in this seminar. Com Bipul Chakraborty, veteran leader of BSNL trade union movement gave the vote of thanks to the leaders who have deliberated the valuable speech for the seminar. About 200 delegates and observers attending this 10th conference of BSNLEU, WB circle. The cultural function of the delegates was another important attraction of the conference. The delegate session has started after the placing of draft report and statement of accounts were placed by Com Sujoy Sarkar, CS and Com Bidyut Goswami, Treasurer respectively. The conference will be ended tomorrow by evening.