The Ministry of Finance, Department of Expenditure, has already upgraded the combined Mathura-Vrindavan Municipal Corporation into a ‘Y’ class city, for the purpose of payment of HRA, w.e.f. 01^st March, 2020. The DoT has also endorsed the aforementioned letter, vide it’s letter dated 15.05.2020. In view of this, BSNLEU has written to the Sr.GM(Estt.), BSNL Corporate Office, demanding to endorse the letter of the Ministry of Finance, Department of Expenditure to the CGM, UP(West), so that the employees of the  Mathura-Vrindavan Municipal Corporation area will start getting ‘Y’ class city HRA.

The All Centre meeting of BSNLEU, held at New Delhi yesterday, has decided that the Central Secretariat meeting of BSNLEU, will be held at New Delhi on 04.09.2018. All members of the Central Secretariat (CHQ office-bearers) are requested to book their journey tickets at the earliest. Notification for the meeting is issued today.

The AUAB has served notice today, to the Secretary, DoT and CMD BSNL for organising press conferences, dharnas and rallies, demanding implementation of the assurances given by the Hon’ble MoS(C) in the meeting held with the AUAB on 24.02.2018.

Out of the 1030 candidates appeared in the JTO LICE held on 26.05.2019, only 154 candidates have got qualified, which comes to only 14.95%. Besides not even a single candidate have passed from six circles including Andhra Pradesh, UP(West), Himachal Pradesh and J&K. Management has not considered the demand of BSNLEU for granting of full marks to the questions with wrong, multiple and ambiguous answers and also out of syllabus questions. Hence, BSNLEU has written to the CMD BSNL, demanding to grant a relaxation of 10% for Group ‘A’ and 15% for Group ‘B’ and 15% in aggregate.

BSNLEU has already informed that an All India Young Workers Convention would be held at Bhopal on 09.09.2018. Due to certain unavoidable reasons, it is decided that the All India Young Workers Convention would be held on 30.09.2018. All circle and district unions are requested to make note of the change in date and act accordingly.

As per the call of the CHQ of BSNLEU, International Women’s Day has been effectively observed in Trivandrum, Ernakulam, Kollam, Kannur and Kozhikode, in Kerala circle. CHQ heartily congratulates the Kerala circle union, as well as the district unions, for effectively organising the International Women’s Day.

The CGM, AP circle, has referred two cases of Compassionate Ground Appointments, to the BSNL Corporate Office. Both the cases pertain prior to 01.04.2018, i.e., the date from which Compassionate Ground Appointments have been kept under abeyance for 3 years. BSNLEU has written to the Sr.GM(Estt.), Corporate Office, requesting for the early approval of the cases. 

The All India Centre meeting of BSNLEU, held yesterday has decided to conduct the next Central Executive Committee meeting on 22^nd & 23^rd October, 2018. The venue of the CEC meeting will be informed shortly. All circle secretaries and CHQ office-bearers are requested to make note of this.

According to the resolution passed in the 9^th All India Conference of BSNLEU, the union has already demanded that the BSNL Recognition of Non-Executives’ Unions and Representation in the Councils Rules, 2012, should be modified, so that the 2^nd union can also get recognition, even if the 1^st union secures 50% or more votes. Even though, it is already more than 4 months since the demand is raised by BSNLEU, the Management has not taken any action. BSNLEU has once again written to the CMD BSNL, demanding to modify the BSNL Recognition of Non-Executives’ Unions and Representation in the Councils Rules, 2012, before the process for the 8^th Membership Verification starts.

The MoU signed by BSNL with the Canara Bank, for the extension of various loans to the employees, has expired on 31.12.2019. BSNLEU has written to the Sr.GM (CBB), BSNL Corporate Office, demanding steps for the early renewal of the MoU.

The TEPC (Telecom Equipment and Services Export Promotion Council), an association of the Indian Telecom Equipment Manufactures, has complained to the government that, BSNL has violated the "Make in India" policy, in the procurement of 4G equipments. In the 4G tender floated by BSNL on 20.03.2020, the BSNL is laid down the following two conditions.

1. The bidding company should have the previous experience of providing 20 million 4G line network.
2. The bidding company should have Rs.8,000 crore turn over in the previous two financial years.

Both these conditions are very much required to ensure the quality of 4G equipments and also their prompt supply. Based on the complaint of the TEPC, the Commerce Department and the DoT have objected to BSNL’s tender. The whole intention of the TEPC is to see BSNL does not start it’s 4G service. If BSNL does not launch it’s 4G service expeditiously, naturally it is the private companies like Jio, Airtel and Vodafone Idea which are going to get benefitted. So, we can understand whose hands are there behind the complaint of TEPC. Similar conspiracies have been hatched earlier also, to kill BSNL. Now, it has become the duty of the unions and associations of BSNL to ensure that BSNL gets 4G equipments from this tender. As a first step, the AUAB has written to the Prime Minister, seeking his intervention. If necessary, the AUAB has to take more serious steps to ensure that, BSNL gets 4G equipments.

A good number of retired Sr.TOAs in Maharashtra circle are aggrieved, with regards to their settlement of pension. The CCA, Maharashtra circle is raising objection to the pay fixation done to these Sr.TOAs, on their promotion under OTBP. Under the OTBP scheme, the pay scale of a Sr.TOAs was upgraded from 5700-160-8100 scale to 7100-200-10100, on completion of 16 years of service. This is being objected to by the CCA, Maharashtra. According to them, on completion of 16 years of service, the pay scale of Sr.TOA should be upgraded only to 6550-185-9325 and not to 7100-200-10100. This is a wrong interpretation. BSNLEU has written to the Member (Finance) of the Telecom Commission, requesting to issue the needful instruction to the CCA, Maharashtra circle on this matter.

BSNLEU is continuously demanding that justice should be rendered to the candidates of the JTO LICE, held on 26.05.2019, who missed the opportunity of getting qualified, due to wrong and out of syllabus questions and also due to questions with multiple correct answers. In this connection, BSNLEU has once again written to the CMD BSNL demanding that full marks should be granted to the questions with multiple correct answers. BSNLEU has pointed out that, the methodology adopted in the evaluation of removing the "Questions with multiple correct answers", is not correct and has demanded that full marks should be given to those questions.

As per the decision of the CEC meeting held at Ghaziabad on 12th & 13th October, 2019, BSNLEU is participating in the one day General Strike to be held on 08^th January, 2020. Accordingly, BSNLEU has issued the strike notice today. Together with the demands finalised by the Central Trade Unions, the following demands of BSNL employees are also included in the strike notice.

1. No privatisation / disinvestment of BSNL.
2. Implement 3^rd Pay Revision to BSNL employees w.e.f. 01.01.2017.
3. Extend financial assistance to BSNL for the expansion / upgradation of BSNL’s networks and compensation for loss making rural services.
4. Revision of pension to BSNL retirees w.e.f. 01.01.2017.
5. Ensure 30% Superannuation Benefits to BSNL’s Directly Recruited employees.
6. Payment of salary to BSNL employees on due date by BSNL / DoT.
7. Ensure payment of wages to contract workers.

The Society dues deducted from the salaries of the employees, have not been remitted to the societies, by the BSNL Management, for the past one year. Besides, the society dues of VRS optees, as well as retirees on superannuation, are deducted from their Leave Encashment. However, this amount is also not remitted to the societies. Leave Encashment money is received by BSNL, from the LIC. Hence, it is unfair on the part of the BSNL Management to hold back this money also, without remitting it to the societies. BSNLEU has urged upon the CMD BSNL to immediately remit the society dues.

Inordinate delay in effecting mutual Transfers of DR JEs.

CHQ writes to the circle secretaries for intervention.

Many of the newly recruited DR JEs, who joined duty in 2017, have applied for mutual transfers. It is learnt that, in many places, their applications are being held up by the local administration, and are not being forwarded to the CGM office. This issue was brought to the notice of the General Secretary, in the DR JE convention of Punjab circle, held at Ludhiana on 27.05.2018. As a matter of rule, mutual transfers cannot be denied. Hence, circle secretaries are requested to look into this issue. CHQ has written to Pujab, Karnataka, Kerala and Chennai circle secretaries.

The AUAB has already written a detailed letter, to the Hon’ble Prime Minister of India, seeking his intervention to remove the road-blocks being created to stall BSNL’s 4G equipment procurement. Further, today, the AUAB has written to Shri Ravi Shankar Prasad, Hon’ble Minister for Communications, seeking a meeting to discuss this issue.

BSNLEU has already opposed the Corporate Office letter No.BSNL/Admn.I/15-22/14 dated 13.07.2018, vide which the 50% ceiling for payment of medical allowance without voucher, to the retirees, has been reduced to 25%. BSNLEU has once again written letter to the Director (HR) demanding restoration of the 50% ceiling.