COVID-19 is spreading very fast in Maharashtra circle. 57,000 new cases are reported in one single day, i.e., on 04.04.2021. Many employees, including top officers, have tested positive for COVID-19 in this circle. Under these circumstances, BSNLEU has written to the Director (HR), requesting to grant immediate permission, to implement guidelines issued by the Maharashtra State Government, for the containment of COVID-19.

BSNLEU is continuously pressurising the BSNL Management, to pay salary to the employees on the last date of every month. Despite BSNLEU’s organising several agitational programmes, the Management continues to pay salary belatedly.  Non-availability of funds is the reason being cited by the Management.  However, the revenue collections of the Company has exceeded Rs.3,000/- crores in March, 2021. Hence, BSNLEU has written to the CMD BSNL, urging upon him to immediately pay the salary for the month of March, 2021 and thereby break the chain of belated payment of salary to the employees.

As per the instructions of the Corporate Office, medical claims of the employees are to be settled at the Business Area level, after the consolidation of BA takes place. On many occasions, the medical bills get held up in the office and the employee concerned has to personally go to the section. This happens frequently. If the medical bills are to be settled only at the BA level, then the employee has to travel hundreds of kilometres to get his medical claim settled. This will create unnecessary harassment to the employees. BSNLEU has written to the CMD BSNL, demanding that, the medical claims should continue to be settled at the SSA level, even after the consolidation of the Business Area.

The DR JEs posted in the Leh SSA of J&K circle, suffer extreme hardship due to the sub-zero temperature prevailing in most parts of the year. In view of this, BSNLEU has already raised the demand before the Director (HR) that, the DR JEs who have completed two years of service and who have applied for transfer to other SSAs of J&K circle should get the transfer. In continuation of this, BSNLEU has written a letter to the Director (HR) today, insisting for settlement of this issue.

The BSNL Management is in the process of implementing E-Office. However, in this process the Non-Executive cadres like JAO, SOA, AOS and OS are being sidelined. Their jobs are limited to “scanning the documents, rearranging the files”, etc. This clearly indicates that the aforementioned Non-Executive cadres are being converted into Group Ds. BSNLEU has written to the CMD BSNL, expressing it’s disagreement and demanding to take necessary remedial steps.

BSNLEU is continuously demanding payment of salary on the due date. So far Management has not disbursed salary of February, 2021. BSNLEU has written to the CMD BSNL, demanding immediate payment of the salary with 6% simple interest. The demand for payment of interest is raised, based on the recent judgement of Hon’ble Supreme Court, in the Civil Appeal No.399, of 2021 (The State of Andhra Pradesh and Another Vs. Mrs. Dinavahi Lakshmi Kameswari). In this case, the Hon’ble Supreme Court has directed payment of the deferred salary with 6% simple interest.

Responding to the proposal of the Recruitment Branch of the BSNL Corporate Office, to hold the LICEs of the Non-Executives online, BSNLEU has written a firm reply. In the letter addressed to the Director (HR), BSNLEU has reasoned that, Non-Executive cadres like TT and ATT do not have access to computer in their day to day works. Hence, they are not familiar to computer operations. Thus, holding the LICEs of the Non-Executives online, will create much hardship to the Non-Executives, stated BSNLEU in the letter.

Based on the writ petition filed by BSNLEU, the Hon’ble Kerala High Court has given direction to the DPE on 17.02.2021, directing it to pay IDA to the Non-Executives of BSNL. However, the DPE has written a letter to the DoT on 09.03.2021, directing it to take necessary action. The DPE has mentioned in it’s letter that it issues order, in respect of payment of IDA only for the Executives and Non-Unionised Supervisors of the CPSEs and not  in respect of the Non-Executives. Hence, the DPE has directed the Secretary, DoT, to take necessary action on this matter, since BSNL comes under the administrative control of the DoT. In view of this, BSNLEU has written letter to Shri Anshu Prakash, Secretary, DoT, today, requesting him to issue necessary direction to the BSNL Management for the payment of 5.5% IDA w.e.f. 01.10.2020 and 6.1% IDA w.e.f. 01.01.2021 to the Non-Executives of BSNL.

The Hon’ble Kerala High Court has directed that the IDA instalment (5.5%), that has become due from 01.10.2020, should be paid to the Non-Executives. This judgement is delivered, on the writ petition filed by BSNLEU. After the judgement was delivered by the Hon’ble Kerala High Court, General Secretary, BSNLEU, wrote to the Secretary, DPE, and requested him to implement the court decision by issuing order for payment of the IDA. The Secretary, DPE, has forwarded the General Secretary’s letter to the Secretary, Telecom, and has directed him to take the necessary action.

Front Line Workers such as doctors, nurses, health workers, police personnel, etc., have already received COVID-19 vaccination on priority basis. From March 01st onwards, citizens above the age of 60 years, as well as citizens above the age of 45 years and who are having co-morbidities, are being vaccinated. BSNL employees are having close interaction with the general public and are highly susceptible to COVID-19 infection. Further, BSNL is also providing telecommunications services, which is declared as an essential service by the government. Hence, BSNLEU has written to Shri Ravi Shankar Prasad, Hon’ble Minister of Communications, requesting him to take steps to get the BSNL employees declared as "Front Line Workers" for getting COVID-19 vaccination on priority basis. 

As known to all, in the writ petition filed by BSNLEU, the Hon’ble Kerala High Court has issued an interim order on 17.02.2021, directing the Secretary, DPE, to issue order for the payment of IDA to the Non-Executives of BSNL. Based on this, BSNLEU has written to the Secretary, DPE, enclosing copy of the order of the Hon’ble Kerala High Court and demanding to immediately issue order for the payment of the two instalments of IDA (5.5% + 6.1%).

BSNLEU is successfully organising countrywide hunger strikes today, demanding immediate payment of salary for the month of January, 2021, as well as payment of salary on the due date of every month and seeking settlement of some burning problems. Yesterday evening, the Corporate Office has issued a letter to all the CGMs, wherein it is stated that hunger strike amounts to strike. Further, the Management has also banned hunger strike, dharna, etc., in BSNL. Protesting against the issuing of such a letter, BSNLEU has written a detailed letter to the CMD BSNL today, stating that, nowhere in the Industrial Disputes Act, 1947, it is stated that, hunger strike amounts to strike. Further, BSNLEU has also stated that, by banning dharnas and hunger strikes, the Management is violating the  Right to Assembly of the employees, as enshrined in Article 19(1)(b) of the Indian Constitution. BSNLEU has demanded withdrawal of this letter. 

The Delhi High Court, in it’s order dated 20^th January, 2021, has mentioned that the right to receive salary is the fundamental right according to Article 21 of the Indian Constitution. However, the BSNL Management is violating this fundamental right of the employees for the past one year.  In continuation of the conciliation conducted yesterday, by the Deputy Chief Labour Commissioner (Central), BSNLEU has quoted this in it’s letter addressed to the Dy.CLC(C).

BSNLEU is consistently pressurising the BSNL Management and the DoT to issue Presidential Orders to around 400 Temporary Status Mazdoors (TSMs), who have been directly promoted as Telecom Technicians. Due to the efforts taken by BSNLEU, the BSNL Corporate Office has now sent the file for the approval of the DoT. BSNLEU has once again written to Shri Anshu Prakash, Secretary, Telecom, requesting him to get the matter examined and cause to issue the necessary Presidential Orders to the officials.

Based on the letters written by BSNLEU, the DPE has directed the DoT to take necessary action in the matter of payment of IDA to the Non-Executives of BSNL. Based on this, BSNLEU has written to the Secretary, Telecom, today, requesting him to issue necessary direction to the BSNL Management for the immediate payment of 5.5% IDA and 6.1% IDA that have become due w.e.f. 01.10.2020 and 01.01.2021, respectively. 

The DR JEs recruited to a particular circle, are entitled to go on transfer under Rule 8 on completion of 5 years of service. However, these DR JEs are facing problems. In many places, their transfer applications are not being forwarded to the CGM Office, by the subordinate officers. When these applications are forwarded and get approved, the DR JEs are not being relieved under the pretext of shortage of JEs. BSNLEU has written to the Director (HR), seeking his intervention. BSNLEU has demanded that the transfer applications of DR JEs should not be withheld by the subordinate officers. Further, the officials should be relieved, soon after their transfer requests are approved.