A General Strike is being organised on 28^th & 29^th March, 2022, against privatisation of the Public Sector, National Monetisation Pipeline and on the demands of Wage Revision for BSNL employees, launching of BSNL’s 4G service, Pension Revision, etc. Yesterday, BSNLEU served the strike notice to the CMD BSNL and the Secretary, Telecom, for participating in this General Strike. The strike notice is enclosed.

As per rule, office bearers of Recognised Unions can avail Special Casual Leave only up to 20 days in a year, for attending conferences and executive committee meetings. Apart from this, as per DoP&T orders, officials who remained under home quarantine, or hospitalised on account of COVID-19, have also availed Special Casual Leave up to 20 days. As such, the officials who have already availed Special Casual Leave on account of COVID-19, cannot avail Special Casual Leave now, for attending union conferences / executive committee meetings. Hence, BSNLEU has written to the PGM(Estt.), yesterday demanding that, irrespective of availing of special CL for COVID-19, office bearers should be allowed to avail Special Casual Leave for 20 days for attending conferences / executive committee meetings. The General Secretary discussed this issue with Shri Saurabh Tyagi, PGM(Estt.), BSNL CO., and demanded prompt action. The PGM(Estt.) has assured to do the needful.

The NE-II circle consists of far-flung areas of the country. To mitigate the hardships of the JEs posted in remote areas of the circle, the CGM, NE-II circle has issued guidelines, after holding discussion with the Main Recognised Union. However, the instructions contained in the CGM letter are not being implemented. Consequently, the JEs posted in remote areas of Arunachal Pradesh are not being relieved even after completion of the tenure. This issue was taken up in the Formal meeting held between the Director (HR) and BSNLEU, on 19.06.2021. Still, the required action has not been taken by the Management. Hence, BSNLEU has once again written to the Sr.GM(SR), BSNL CO., for making necessary intervention.

The BSNL Corporate Office has already issued letter to the CGMs, stating that, all the letters issued by the DoP&T on Child Care Leave, are applicable to the women employees of BSNL also and that, the letters of the DoP&T on the subject need not be endorsed by the Corporate Office. However, as per the orders of the DoP&T, single male parents are also eligible for Child Care Leave. Since the BSNL Corporate Office letter has no mention about the single male parents, Child Care Leave is being denied to them by the circle administrations. Hence, BSNLEU has written to the Corporate Office, requesting to issue necessary clarification to the field units.

The BSNL Corporate Office has prepared the draft JAO Recruitment Rules and sought the views of BSNLEU. The All India Centre of BSNLEU met online today and finalised it’s views. The meeting took into account, the views sent by the various circle unions of BSNLEU and also individual comrades. Based on that, BSNLEU has written letter to the Management today. The highlights of the letter are:- 

1. BSNLEU has vehemently opposed the condition proposed by the Management that, only the officials who have completed 5 years of service in NE-9 pay scale or above can appear in the JAO LICE. 

2. BSNLEU has strongly demanded that, all the Non-Executives, having the requisite qualification (degree),  should be allowed to appear in the JAO LICE. 

3. BSNLEU has also demanded that, the Non-Executives who have already cleared JAO Part-I exam should be allowed to appear in the forthcoming JAO LICE as a one time measure. 

The Group Term Insurance Scheme (GTI) for the Non-Executives was implemented w.e.f. 01.03.2021. The annual premium for this GTI has been deducted from the salaries of the employees in the month of February, 2021. Since, the annual premium is expiring, BSNLEU has written to the GM(Admin.) in the BSNL Corporate Office, demanding to take action for the deduction of the annual premium from the salary for the month of February, 2022.

The MoUs signed by BSNL with the Canara bank and the Union Bank of India have expired long back. Due to the non-renewal of the MoUs, employees are unable to avail various bank loans. BSNLEU has already written to the CMD BSNL in this regard on 23.12.2021 itself. However, till now the MoUs have not been renewed. Hence, BSNLEU has once again written to the CMD BSNL today, demanding early renewal of the MoUs with the Canara bank and the Union Bank of India.

The BSNL Management is adopting double standards in the matter of promotions of the Non-Executives and Executives. We are not against the legitimate promotion being given to any cadre / category. However, different yardsticks should not be adopted. In the case of Executives, the Management has given promotions based on the vacancies which existed up to 31.01.2020 (the date on which VRS was implemented). However, in the case of Non-Executives, the Management had abolished most of the vacancies which existed upto 31-01-2020. As a result, for the JTO LICE, there is not even a single vacancy available in 12 circles. In 4 circles, vacancies are available only in single digit. The same is going to be the situation for the JE LICE, TT LICE, JAO LICE, etc. This is a very big injustice. BSNLEU has already written to the CMD BSNL on this issue. Since no response has been received, BSNLEU has written letter to the Hon’ble Minister of Communications today, demanding his intervention.

In BSNL, around 400 TSMs have directly been promoted as Telecom Technicians, without getting regularised as RMs. As per the Temporary Status Scheme, implemented by the DoT in 1989, 50% of the TSM service of these officials should be counted for payment of pension. For this, all these 400 officials, have to be issued with Presidential Orders. BSNLEU is continuously knocking the doors of the BSNL and the DoT to settle this issue. Today, once again BSNLEU has written to the Director (HR), demanding needful action. 

From the days when the “Consolidation of Business Areas” started, the Management has been assuring that this is not “merger of SSAs”. If it is “merger of SSAs” then the Non-Executives will be transferred to any place within the Business Area. BSNLEU has been strongly demanding that Non-Executives should not be transferred out of the SSA, when the “Consolidation of Business Areas” takes place. The Management has also accepted this. Recently, in a Corporate Office letter, the term “merger of SSAs” has been used. This will lead to many complications. Hence, BSNLEU has demanded that the letter should be amended. BSNLEU has also demanded that, the term “merger of SSAs” should not be used in the Corporate Office letters.

जेटीओ एलआईसीई के लिए उपलब्ध रिक्त पदों की बहुत कम संख्या : BSNLEU ने सीएमडी, BSNL को पत्र लिखकर पर्याप्त संख्या में रिक्त पदों की उपलब्धता की मांग की है।

बीएसएनएल कारपोरेट कार्यालय ने आगामी जेटीओ एलआईसीई के लिए रिक्त पदों की घोषणा की है। अधिकांश सर्किलों में रिक्त पद बेहद कम हैं। रिक्त पद केवल 18 सर्किलों में उपलब्ध हैं। कुछ सर्किल में रिक्त पद की संख्या केवल एक अंक में उपलब्ध हैं। ये सभी बीएसएनएल बोर्ड द्वारा पुनर्गठन के नाम पर बड़ी संख्या में जेटीओ पदों को समाप्त किए जाने का परिणाम हैं। बीएसएनएलईयू ने बीएसएनएल के सीएमडी को पत्र लिखकर आगामी जेटीओ एलआईसीई के लिए प्रत्येक सर्कल में पर्याप्त संख्या में जेटीओ के रिक्त पदों की उपलब्धता सुनिश्चित करने की मांग की है। यह न केवल जेई के लिए जेटीओ पदोन्नति सुनिश्चित करने के लिए है, बल्कि यह भी सुनिश्चित करने के लिए है कि निकट भविष्य में कंपनी द्वारा तैनात की जाने वाली अत्याधुनिक तकनीक के प्रबंधन के लिए पर्याप्त संख्या में जेटीओ उपलब्ध होl

The BSNL Corporate Office has announced the vacancies for the forthcoming JTO LICE. The vacancies in most of the circles are abysmally low. Vacancies are available only in 18 circles. In some circles, vacancies are available only in single digit. All these are the result of abolition of a large number of JTO posts, by the BSNL Board, in the name of Restructuring. BSNLEU has written to the CMD BSNL demanding to ensure availability of sufficient number of JTO vacancies in each and every circle for the forthcoming JTO LICE. It is not only to ensure JTO promotion to the JEs, but also to ensure that, sufficient JTO’s are available for manning the state-of-the-art technologies to be deployed by the company in the near future.

In September, 2021, the AUAB gave call for agitational programme. Disbursement of salary on the due date was the most important demand in that struggle. In the talks held on 21.10.2021, between the AUAB and the CMD BSNL, agreement was reached that salary would be disbursed on the due date from January, 2022 onwards. However, the CMD BSNL has thrown this agreement to the winds. The AUAB had written to the CMD BSNL, strongly condemning the violation of the agreement.

Non-disbursement of salary on the due date of every month, has been one of the most burning problems of the BSNL employees, for the past couple of years. In the meeting held between the CMD BSNL and the AUAB on 27.10.2021, an agreement was reached on this issue. Accordingly, salary would be disbursed on the due date of every month, starting from January, 2022 onwards. However, it is a matter of concern that, certain assurances given by the CMD BSNL to the AUAB, in the meeting held on 27-10-2022, have not been implemented. Hence, BSNLEU has written to the CMD BSNL, reminding him about the agreement, and demanding disbursement of January, 2022 salary on 31-01-2022 and also disbursement of salary on the due date of every month hereafter.

The Corporate Management has amended Para 9 of the BSNL Transfer Policy and has imposed stringent conditions in the availing of temporary transfers by the employees. As a result, employees are unable to get temporary transfers. The issue was discussed in the meeting held on 27.10.2021, between the CMD BSNL and the AUAB. It was agreed in that meeting that, a Joint Committee, consisting of the representatives of the Management Side, as well as the representatives of the AUAB, would be formed to suggest relaxations. However, the Management has not taken action so far, for the constitution of the Joint Committee. Hence, BSNLEU has written to the Director (HR) today, demanding to reconstitute the Joint Committee immediately for the review of the restrictions that have been imposed. 

Telecommunication technologies are undergoing a rapid change. Especially, during the past one decade, technological changes have swept the telecom sector. Consequently, the job content of many cadres have immensely changed. 99% of the DR JEs are Engineering Graduates. They man all the high-tech areas in BSNL. Similarly, the Sr.TOA and Telecom Technician cadres are also handling high technologies. These aspects are discussed at length in the Central Executive Committee meeting of BSNLEU, held online on 22.12.2021. After threadbare discussions, the CEC meeting has unanimously decided to demand upgradation of the pay scale of JE from NE 9 to NE 10 (36400-94500), upgradation of the pay scale of the Sr.TOA cadre from NE 7 to NE 8 (30600-79600) and upgradation of the pay scale of the Telecom Technician cadre from NE 6 to NE 7 (26600-69300). The CHQ of BSNLEU has written a detailed letter to the CMD BSNL today, communicating BSNLEU’s demand for the upgradation of the pay scales for JE, Sr.TOA and TT cadres. 

BSNLEU is demanding certain important amendments to the JAO RR. Further, the Union is demanding that, the JAO LICE should also be held immediately. This issue is already discussed with the CMD BSNL a few days ago. As a follow up to this, BSNLEU wrote a letter to the PGM(Pers.) today, demanding speedy action on the demands.

The Establishment Branch of the Corporate Office has already written to all the CGMs, seeking information regarding the number of SC/ST/OBC employees working in TT, JE and JTO cadres. This input is very much required for holding the LICEs. It is learnt that only a few circles have sent this information to the Corporate Office so far.  Hence, the CHQ has written to all the Circle Secretaries, requesting them to immediately meet their respective CGMs and arrange to send the inputs  to the Corporate Office without further delay. 

In the meeting held between the AUAB and the Board of Directors on 27-10-2021, assurance was given that, all the LICEs would be held without further delay and that the notifications for holding these LICEs would be issued by 30.11.2021. However, the Management has watered down this assurance and has only called for inputs for holding JTO(T), Junior Engineer and Telecom Technician LICEs. There are other LICEs of the Non-Executives, like the JAO, JTO(OL), for which no action has been initiated for holding those LICEs. Hence, BSNLEU has written to the CMD BSNL, demanding that: -

a)    Action should be taken for holding all the LICEs of the Non-Executives. 

b)    Proper notifications should be issued immediately for holding the LICEs.