Premium amount deducted from the salaries of the employees was not remitted to the LIC, by BSNL Management, from May 2019 onwards. BSNLEU has time and again requested the CMD BSNL to remit the LIC premium amounts on time, to ensure that the policies of employees do not get lapsed. However, this was not done. Now, the LIC, Palanpur, Gujarat circle, has informed the AO, BSNL, Palanpur, that the policies of the employees have already got lapsed, due to non-remittance of the premium amount. The LIC has also not accepted the premium amount, belatedly remitted by BSNL Management. This is a serious matter. BSNLEU has written to the CMD BSNL, requesting him to take immediate steps with the top most Management of LIC, for the early revival of the lapsed policies of our employees.

प्रीमियम राशि प्रेषित न करने की वजह से कालातीत हो चुकी LIC पॉलिसीज को पुनर्जीवित करने हेतु त्वरित कार्यवाही की मांग करते हुए BSNLEU ने CMD BSNL को पत्र लिखा... 

कर्मचारियों के वेतन से काटी जा चुकी प्रीमियम की राशि LIC को मई 2019 से BSNL मैनेजमेंट द्वारा प्रेषित नही की गई थी। BSNLEU द्वारा CMD BSNL से LIC प्रीमियम की राशि समय पर प्रेषित करने का बार बार अनुरोध किया गया था, जिससे कि यह सुनिश्चित हो कि कर्मचारियों की पॉलिसीज कालातीत (lapse) न हो। किन्तु, प्रेषण नही किया गया। अब, LIC, पालनपुर, गुजरात सर्किल ने AO, BSNL, पालनपुर को सूचित किया है कि प्रीमियम की राशि प्रेषित नही करने की वजह से कर्मचारियों की पॉलिसीज कालातीत हो चुकी है। BSNL मैनेजमेंट द्वारा देरी से प्रेषित प्रीमियम राशि भी LIC ने स्वीकार नही की है। यह एक गंभीर मसला है। BSNLEU ने CMD BSNL को पत्र लिख कर अनुरोध किया है कि वें हमारे कर्मचारियों की कालातीत पॉलिसीज के शीघ्र पुनरुज्जीवन हेतु LIC के उच्च प्रबंधन द्वारा त्वरित कदम उठाए जाने हेतु कार्यवाही करें।

The BSNL Management had been giving a cash gift of Rs.3,001/-, to each and every retiring employee. However, this cash gift has been withdrawn through an order issued by the Corporate Office on 08.01.2020. BSNLEU has written to the CMD BSNL demanding that the practice of offering cash gift of Rs.3,001/-, to the retiring employees should be restored.

BSNLEU has written to the CMD BSNL, raising objection to the restructuring steps being taken by the BSNL Corporate Office, without any consultation with the unions and associations. This issue was raised with the CMD BSNL also, on a number of occasions. BSNLEU has demanded that the issue should be discussed with the AUAB. However, the Management has invited only the Recognised Unions and Associations for a discussion on this matter. The meeting will take place at 16:00 hrs. on 18.03.2020. The CMD BSNL and Director (HR) will attend this meeting from the Management Side. Circle Secretaries and Central Office bearers may inform the CHQ, about the issues to be taken up in this meeting.

Due to the efforts taken by BSNLEU, the TSMs who are regularised on or after 01.10.2000, have been issued with Presidential Orders, and thereby they have been made eligible for government pension. However, some officials, who were issued with Temporary Status prior to 01.10.2000, subsequently became Telecom Mechanics, without getting regularised as RMs. They have not been issued with Presidential Orders. This issue was taken up in the National Council and the Management assured to forward the cases to the DoT, for the issuing of Presidential Orders. However, even after the lapse of 3 years, these cases have not been forwarded to the DoT, due to non-receipt of details of such officials from circles. Last week, the General Secretary discussed the issue with the Sr.GM(Estt.) In continuation of that, BSNLEU has written to the CMD BSNL, demanding his intervention for the settlement of this issue without any further delay.

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.