Following the discussion that Com.P.Abhimanyu, General Secretary, had with Shri Arvind Vadnerkar, Director (HR), yesterday the 10-11-2020, regarding removing the deadlock that has arisen in the functioning of the National Council, BSNLEU has submitted the letter attached hereunder. BSNLEU has pointed out that the only way to break the stalemate is to utilise the discretionary power given to the Management, by the Hon’ble Kerala High Court. It has given the discretionary power to accept or to reject any nomination to the council, made by the Recognised Union. The General Secretary, BSNLEU, has requested the Director (HR) yesterday that, the Recognised Unions should be given the power to nominate even non-members to the Councils.

It observed that the DoT and the BSNL Management are not showing seriousness in attending the conciliation meetings. No DoT officer has attended the conciliation meetings during the past one year. BSNL Management is also deputing junior level officers who are not empowered to take decisions. As a result, the conciliatory meetings have become rituals. Hence, BSNLEU has written to the Chief Labour Commissioner (Central), demanding that the conciliation meetings connected with BSNL should be conducted at the level of the Deputy Chief Labour Commissioner (Central).

The BSNL Management has sent a status report to the Assistant Labour Commissioner (C), New Delhi, wherein  distortion of facts has been made regarding the revision of wages of the Non-Executives. Hence, BSNLEU has written to the Director (HR), explaining the facts. Further, BSNLEU has also demanded the immediate resumption of the wage negotiations, for signing an early agreement on wage revision.

The CHQ has received numerous complaints in the online Circle Executive Committee meetings, with regards to the utilisation of the left out manpower, after implementation of the VRS. Further, the quality of landline and broadband services has greatly deteriorated, after the implementation of outsourcing of works. As per the TRAI report, 1.54 lakh landline and broadband connections are surrendered in the month of July, 2020 alone. BSNLEU has written to the CMD BSNL, drawing his attention to the above issues for taking appropriate remedial measures.

It is known to all that the BSNL Management started negotiations for the Wage Revision of the Non-Executives, but discontinued with the same in the midway. BSNLEU is continuously pressurising the Management to resume the wage negotiations. In the Conciliation meeting held by the ALC(Central) on 20-11-2020, the representative of the BSNL Management informed that, the Management wanted to resume the wage negotiations. Following this, BSNLEU has written to the CMD BSNL, demanding to resume the wage negotiations without further delay.

The MoU signed between BSNL and the Canara Bank has lapsed in December, 2019. It has not been renewed, as a result of which employees are not able to obtain various loans from Canara Bank. Hence, BSNLEU has written to the Sr.GM(CBB), Corporate Office, demanding early action for the renewal of the MoU.

BSNLEU has written to the CMD BSNL, pointing out the discrimination in the settlement of medical bills of the retired employees. BSNLEU has also pointed out that the BSNL retired employees are life-long covered by the BSNL MRS and that, the Management is liable to settle their medical bills on an equal footing with the serving employees.

BSNL’s 4G tender has been forcibly cancelled by the government. Media reports state that, the DoT Committee has decided that BSNL should roll out it’s 4G network though a System Integrator. Under these circumstances, BSNLEU has written to the Prime Minister, demanding his intervention on the matter. BSNLEU has demanded that it should be allowed to procure equipments at par with the private operators and no undue condition should be imposed by the DoT on BSNL.

The BSNL Management has steeply increased the rent of Staff Quarters, to be paid by retired employees. This has increased the burden of the good number of employees retired under VRS. BSNLEU has written to the CMD BSNL, requesting to withdraw the increase. Since, no response is received for this, BSNLEU has written to Shri Ravi Shankar Prasad, Hon’ble Minister of Communications, seeking his intervention on this issue.

Thousands of Regular Mazdoors, who were conferred with Temporary Status prior to 01.10.2000, were already issued with Presidential Orders. However, the TSMs who directly became Telecom Technicians (erstwhile Telecom Mechanics), are yet to be issued with Presidential Order. BSNLEU took up this issue in the year 2015. Even after the lapse of 5 years, the BSNL Corporate Office has not sent the cases to the DoT for the issuing of Presidential Orders. Hence, BSNLEU has written to the Secretary, Telecom, seeking his intervention on this the matter.

The Corporate Office vide it’s letter no. BSNLCO-RSTG/18(11)/2/2020- RSTG dated 06-11-2020, has informed that, the CDA Rules for BSNL employees is amended. According to the amendment, the existing Rule 55 (ii)(b) is deleted and a new Rule 55(A) has been inserted. According to this Rule 55(A), any employee who has attained 50 / 55 years of age or who has completed 30 years of service can be compulsorily retired by issuing  3 months’ notice. BSNLEU has already protested this amendment of the CDA Rules. A formal letter in this regard is written to the CMD BSNL today.

BSNLEU has written to the CMD BSNL, requesting to review the decision of the Corporate Office to bring the Tezpur SSA and the Nagaon SSA under a single Business Area. BSNLEU has also requested the CMD BSNL to consider it’s request of bringing the Cuddapha SSA under the Tirupati Business Area, instead of under the Ananthapur Business Area.

For the past several weeks, BSNL FTTH customers are suffering from slow-speed, in the Eastern and North-Eastern regions. This is due to the closing down of the Agartala International Gateway and also the surrendering of the high speed backbone link between Guwahati and Chennai. BSNLEU has written to the CMD BSNL for taking immediate remedial steps on a war footing basis.

Deepawali is the festival being celebrated by vast sections of the employees. There are only 10 more days for the festival. Employees are facing much hardship to celebrate the festival due to the non-disbursement of salary for the month October, 2020. Hence, BSNLEU has written to the CMD BSNL, demanding disbursement of salary within a day or two.

दीपावली का त्यौंहार करीब है- BSNLEU ने एक या दो दिन में वेतन भुगतान की मांग की.

दीपावली का त्यौंहार कर्मचारियों के बड़े वर्ग द्वारा मनाया जाता है। इस त्यौंहार में अब केवल 10 दिन शेष है। कर्मचारी, माह अक्टूबर, 2020 का वेतन नही मिलने से यह त्यौंहार मनाने में काफी परेशानियां महसूस कर रहे हैं। अतः, BSNLEU ने एक या दो दिन में वेतन वितरण की मांग करते हुए  CMD BSNL को पत्र लिखा है।

The major Non-Executive unions and associations in BSNL have already taken the decision to jointly campaign and organise the General Strike on 26.11.2020. BSNLEU has appealed to AIGETOA, SNEA and AIBSNLEA also to join the strike. In continuation of this, BSNLEU has appealed to SEWA BSNL also to join the strike.

Eight unions and associations, mostly of the Non-Executives, have already decided to join the General Strike, to be held on 26.11.2020. They have also decided to jointly campaign for the strike. In this situation, BSNLEU has sent a letter to AIGETOA, SNEA and AIBSNLEA, appealing them also to join the General Strike. In the letter, BSNLEU has highlighted that, BSNL alone cannot remain in the public sector, when the entire public sector is being demolished by the Modi government. 

13 months’ wages remain pending, to be paid to the contract workers of West Bengal circle. Out of this, the West Bengal circle administration has demanded Rs,6.20 crore, for payment of only 3 months’ wages to the contract workers in view of the Puja festival. However, the Corporate Office has allotted only Rs.2.38 crore, which is not even 50% of the demanded amount. Hence, BSNLEU has written to the CMD BSNL and the Director (Finance), demanding to allot the full amount, to enable the contract workers to celebrate the Puja festival.

Notification has already been issued for holding the CEC meeting of BSNLEU on 02^nd November, 2020. Hence, the CHQ has written to the Sr.GM(SR), requesting to issue a letter to the CGMs, for the sanctioning of special CL to the circle secretaries and central office bearers.

The Government of India, through the letter issued by the DoP&T, has extended certain concessions / incentives to the Central Government employees posted in the Kashmir Valley, which are applicable to the BSNL employees also. The DoP&T has now issued a letter extending these concessions / incentives for the period from 01.01.2020 up to 31.07.2021. BSNLEU has written to the Sr.GM(Estt.) of the BSNL Corporate Office, demanding to endorse this letter to the CGM, J&K Circle.