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.

पेंशन अंशदान अब कोई समस्या नहीं - जुलाई 2018 में वेतन संशोधन समिति में तय वेतनमान लागू करें।

प्रबंधन ने नॉन एक्ज़िक्यूटिव्स  के वेतन संशोधन के लिए बहुत कम वेतनमान प्रस्तावित किए हैं। उनका तर्क है कि यदि नॉन एक्ज़िक्यूटिव्स  के लिए लंबे वेतनमान लागू किए जाते हैं, तो पेंशन अंशदान पर खर्च बढ़ जाएगा। प्रबंधन जुलाई 2018 में आयोजित वेतन संशोधन समिति में नए वेतनमानों पर बनी सहमति से पीछे हट गया था। हालाँकि, अब इस समस्या का समाधान हो सकता है। सरकार ने पेंशन अंशदान की गणना वास्तविक मूल वेतन पर करने का निर्णय लिया है, न कि वेतनमानों की अधिकतम सीमा पर। इसलिए, नॉन एक्ज़िक्यूटिव्स  के लिए लंबे वेतनमान लागू करने से कंपनी पर पेंशन अंशदान के कारण खर्च नहीं बढ़ेगा। इसलिए, BSNLEU ने आज सीएमडी बीएसएनएल को पत्र लिखकर प्रबंधन पक्ष और मान्यता प्राप्त यूनियनों के बीच सहमति से जुलाई 2018 में वेतन संशोधन समिति में तय वेतनमानों को लागू करने की मांग की है।

The Management has offered very short pay scales for the Wage Revision of the Non- Executives. Their argument is that, the expenditure on pension contribution will increase, if longer pay scales are implemented for the Non- Executives. The Management had gone back from the consensus reached on new pay scales in the Wage Revision Committee held in July 2018. However, this problem can be solved now. The government has taken decision to collect pension contribution calculated on the actual basic pay and not on the maximum of the pay scales. Hence, implementing longer pay scales for the Non- Executives will not result in increased expenditure for the Company, on account of pension contribution. Hence, BSNLEU has written letter to the CMD BSNL today and has a demanded implementation of the pay scales finalised in the Wage Revision Committee in July 2018, through consensus between the Management Side and the Recognised Unions.

सरकार ने बीएसएनएल से पेंशन अंशदान, उनके वेतनमान की अधिकतम सीमा के बजाय, उनके वास्तविक मूल वेतन के आधार पर वसूलने का निर्णय लिया है।

यह एक स्वागत योग्य कदम है कि आखिरकार सरकार ने बीएसएनएल द्वारा पेंशन अंशदान के भुगतान के मुद्दे पर पत्र जारी कर दिया है, जैसा कि एयूएबी के नेतृत्व वाली यूनियनों और एसोसिएशनों की मांग थी। एयूएबी की लंबे समय से यह मांग रही है कि सरकार बीएसएनएल से पेंशन अंशदान केवल उनके मूल वेतन के आधार पर वसूले, न कि उनके वेतनमान की अधिकतम सीमा के आधार पर। एयूएबी ने इस मुद्दे के समाधान की मांग को लेकर कई आंदोलन किए हैं। हालाँकि, वित्त मंत्रालय ने इस मांग को अस्वीकार कर दिया था। अंततः सरकार ने अब बीएसएनएल से पेंशन अंशदान केवल उनके वास्तविक मूल वेतन के आधार पर वसूलने का निर्णय लिया है, न कि उनके वेतनमान की अधिकतम सीमा के आधार पर। यह एक स्वागत योग्य कदम है। इससे सरकार को पेंशन अंशदान के भुगतान के कारण बीएसएनएल पर पड़ने वाला वित्तीय बोझ निश्चित रूप से कम होगा।

It is a welcome development that, finally, the government has issued letter on the issue of payment of pension contribution by BSNL, as demanded by the unions and associations, led by the AUAB. It has been a long time demand of the AUAB, that the government should collect pension contribution from BSNL only based on the basic pay of the absorbed employees and not based on the maximum of their pay scales. The AUAB has organised many agitations, demanding settlement of this issue. However, this demand was rejected by the Finance Ministry. Finally the government has now taken decision to collect pension contribution from BSNL only on the actual basic pay of the absorbed employees and not on the maximum of their pay scales. This is a welcome development. This will certainly reduce the financial burden of the BSNL on account of payment of pension contribution to the government.