The committee that has been formed by the government, in the aftermath of the cancellation of BSNL’s 4G tender, for suggesting the roadmap for BSNL’s 4G service launching, has reportedly submitted it’s recommendations. The suggestions of the Committee clearly indicate the government wants to convert BSNL into a sick company, by delaying it’s 4G launching.

As per media reports, the DoT Committee has recommended that a system integrator will build and manage BSNL’s 4G network. The “system integrator” will be an Indian Company, which will be given the responsibility of procuring the hardware and software from different vendors and to assemble them.

It is important to note that, all the private telecom operators have built their networks by a single vendor, through turnkey contracts. According to the “turnkey contract”, a single vendor will manage the networks, under Managed Services Agreement. However, in the “system integrator” model, multiple vendors will be involved, which will lead to technical problems. 

As regards the “system integrator model”, the ET Telecom has published the following news item on 12th October, 2020:-

"Any move to adopt the system integrator model, with a preference to home-grown vendors, for building BSNL’s 4G network, will result in cost inefficiencies, hurting the telco’s capability to compete in the market, industry experts and analysts said. They said that the System Integrator (SI) model and expertise of local players in building a 4G network, including both radio and core products, are largely unproven.

All these only shows that the conspiracy to kill BSNL, is deepening. All the unions and associations have to come together, to stop it.

As has already been informed, the CEC meeting of BSNLEU, is being held online on 02^nd November, 2020. The meeting is being held mainly to discuss and decide the steps to be taken to successfully organise the strike on 26^th November, 2020.

In the name of reviving BSNL, the government and BSNL Management have retrenched 79,000 BSNL employees through the VRS. Together with this, the BSNL Management has also retrenched almost all the contract workers, through the outsourcing of works. After the retirement of 79,000 employees under the VRS, the necessity for retaining the contract workers became all the more important, to cope with the staff shortage. However, the BSNL Management retrenched the contract workers massively. The Management claimed that the SLA agreements, made with the private contractors, will help to maintain the services efficiently. 

However, the reality tells us something different. The retrenchment of 79,000 BSNL employees, as well as a large number of contract workers, has affected the maintenance of BSNL’s landlines and broadband connections very seriously. For example, 1.54 lakh connections have got disconnected in the month of July, 2020, alone. This has been reported in the ET Telecom dated 14^th October, 2020. The blind outsourcing of works, through SLA contracts, has affected the services very badly. The trade unions and associations in BSNL cannot close their eyes to this reality. The mismanagement of the services has to be taken up.

In this direction, the AUAB, Aurangabad, has done a good job. They have discussed this issue in an in-depth manner and have submitted a memorandum to the GMTD, Aurangabad, wherein it is stated that the outsourcing model has failed totally. Further, they have pointed out that 2,700 landlines and 1,000 broadband connections were surrendered during the last 6 months alone. The AUAB, Aurangabad, has pointed out the steps that have to be taken by the Management, for the proper maintenance of the services.

CHQ requests that, all our circle and district unions, together with the AUAB, should raise this issue, with their respective circle and district administrations. The memorandum submitted by the AUAB, Aurangabad, is given hereunder, for the information of our circle and district secretaires.

A poster in English, has been printed by BSNLEU and 7 other organisations participating in the General Strike, to be held 26.11.2020. The poster consists of the demands of the BSNL trade unions, as well as the demands of the Central Trade Unions. This poster is also getting printed in Hindi. The CHQ of BSNLEU has sent the English posters directly to all the district secretaries, by speed post. They will reach all the district secretaries within 2/3 days. The circle secretaries are requested to ensure that, these posters are promptly displayed in offices and exchanges. The non-Hindi speaking circles are requested to get this poster printed in the regional languages. CHQ will be despatching the Hindi posters from Delhi on Saturday.

BSNLEU organised a Facebook live programme yesterday evening, for mobilising the employees in the General Strike, to be held on 26^th November, 2020. Com.Tapan Sen, General Secretary, CITU, delivered the address. He highlighted how BSNL is continuously being weakened by the pro-private and anti-BSNL steps taken by the successive governments. He also explained in detail, about the massive privatisation of the Public Sector Undertakings, being carried out by the Narendra Modi government. By snatching away the hard-won rights of the workers, the Modi government is trying to convert them into slaves of the big corporates, explained Com.Tapan Sen. The various struggles, viz., struggles of the Coal sector workers, BPCL workers, Ordnance Factory workers and Electricity workers were cited by Com.Tapan Sen, where the privatisation drive of the government has been pushed back. Finally, Com.Tapan Sen appealed to the BSNL employees to join the General Strike on 26^th November, 2020 enmasse, to safeguard BSNL and also to stop the anti-working class and anti-Public Sector steps, being taken by Modi government.

The CHQ of BSNLEU is organising a Facebook live programme at 06:00 pm today. Com.Tapan Sen, General Secretary, CITU, will be addressing the BSNL employees, through this Facebook live programme. The subject matter is the General Strike to be held on 26-11-2020. The CHQ has already sent the link of the Facebook account of the CHQ, through which the live address will take place. CHQ requests the circle and district secretaries, as well as the CHQ office bearers, to take the last minute efforts, to ensure that the Facebook live address is viewed by a maximum number of comrades.

The Corporate Office has issued the letter for the sanctioning of special casual leave, to the Circle Secretaries and Central Office Bearers, for attending the CEC meeting of BSNLEU, to be held online on 02.11.2020.

CHQ has already issued notification, for holding the online CEC meeting on 02.11.2020. CHQ has already written to the Corporate Office, for the granting of special casual leave to the CEC members. However, so far the Corporate Office has not issued the letter to the CGMs, for the granting of special casual leave. Com.P.Abhimanyu, GS, discussed the matter today, with the officers in the SR Branch. It is learnt that, the Director (HR) is out of Delhi, due to which the issuing of letter by the Corporate Office is being delayed. However, the CEC members are requested to apply for their special CL on time. 

CHQ has already issued notification for holding the online Central Executive Committee meeting of BSNLEU, on 02.11.2020. In this connection, the CHQ wants to inform that, this online CEC meeting will be organised through Zoom. Hence, all circle secretaries and central office bearers are requested to download the Zoom app on their mobile phones. Further to ensure good quality of the online meeting, all CEC members are requested to use FTTH connectivity, or at least broadband connectivity, since mobile signal may not be strong enough to support the video conferencing.