Com.P.Abhimanyu, GS, met Shri Arvind Vadnerkar, Director (HR) today the 11-07-2022 and discussed the following issues:-

1. Paltry vacancies for the JE LICE to be held on 16.10.2022.

The Management has issued notification for holding the JE LICE on 16.10.2022. As in the case of the JTO LICE, in this JE LICE also, vacancies are available only in 14 circles. Out of this, in 7 circles, vacancies are available only in single digit. This has created a very big disappointment among the JE LICE candidates. In today’s meeting, the General Secretary pointed out that, the BSNL Management is continuously doing  injustice to the Non-Executives. Hence, the General Secretary once again raised the demand that, the JE LICE should be conducted with the posts that were available up to 31.01.2020. 

The General Secretary also pointed out that notification is issued only for conducting JE LICE for the vacancies of the year 2020. He demanded that, notification should immediately be issued for holding the JE LICE for the vacancies of the year 2021 also. 

2. Hold the JE LICE as an off-line exam.

BSNLEU has long been demanding that the JE LICE should not be conducted as online exam. This is because, most of the Telecom Technicians who are going to appear in the JE LICE are not familiar with computer operations. Hence, holding JE LICE as an online exam will create difficulties. The General Secretary strongly demanded that the JE LICE should be conducted as an “Off-line” exam. 

3. Questions for the JE LICE should not be very tough.

In the JE LICE held in the year 2018, there were 9185 vacancies. However, out of the 1800 candidates who appeared in the exam, only 111 candidates passed. This was because the standard of the questions was very high. In view of this, the General Secretary requested the Director (HR) to kindly ensure that, the questions to be asked in the JE LICE are not very tough. He requested the Director(HR) to kindly ensure that, tough questions or not asked in the JE LICE with the view to filter the candidates.

4. Change the date of the JE LICE.

The 9th Membership Verification for the Non-Executives is going to be held in October, 2022. At the same time, Management has issued notification for holding  the JE LICE on 16th October, 2022. During this period, the circle and district level administrations will be preoccupied for holding the 9th Membership Verification. Further, many of the JE LICE candidates, who are leaders of the Union will be busy with the Membership Verification campaign. Hence, the General Secretary requested the Director (HR) to hold the JE LICE in the month of November, 2022. 

5. Permitting the eligible Non-Executives also to permit in the Management Trainee examination.

On 08.07.2022, the Management has released the results of the Management Trainee (MTs) (Internal) of telecom operations Exam. For 150 vacancies, the Management has short listed 300 candidates for the interview. In today’s meeting, the General Secretary demanded that, the Management should implement the decision of the National Council, wherein it has been decided that the Non-Executives with requisite qualification, would also be permitted to appear in the Management Trainee exam. The General Secretary demanded that, from the next MT exam onwards, the eligible Non- Executives should also be permitted to appear in  the Management Trainee exam.  

6. Issuing Presidential Orders to the 140 Regular Mazdoors of Darbhanga and other districts of Bihar circle. 

BSNLEU is seriously taking up the case of issuing Presidential Orders to the 140 RMs of Darbhanga and other districts in Bihar circle. BSNLEU has already given a detailed letter to the Director (HR) on this issue. In today’s meeting, the General Secretary requested the Director (HR) to settle this issue speedily. Finally, it is decided that a detailed discussion would be held on this matter at 11:30 hrs. on 18.07.2022. 

BSNLEU conveys best wishes and warm greetings to all, on the occasion of Eid-ul-Zuha (Bakrid). Let the festival bring peace and prosperity to all.

BSNLEU has been continuously demanding that, the JE LICE should be conducted immediately. In the Formal Meeting held with the Director (HR) on 13.06.2022, BSNLEU raised this issue emphatically. In reply, the Director (HR) assured that, the notification for the JE LICE would be issued shortly (BSNLEU website updating dated 14.06.2022). Accordingly, yesterday, the Corporate Office has issued the notification for holding the JE LICE on 16.10.2022. However, vacancies are available only in 15 circles. Even out of these 15 circles, in 7 circles, there are only single digit vacancies. For example, there is only 1 vacancy in Jharkhand and NTR circles and only 2 vacancies in MP circle. Whatever happened in the JTO LICE, is getting repeated in JE LICE also. This is because, in the name of Restructuring, the BSNL Management has massively abolished the number of JE posts. Before restructuring, there were 34,646 JE / Draughtsman posts. However, under Restructuring, this number was cut down to 7,991. Even at the time of Restructuring, BSNLEU had strongly opposed this and had given detailed justification for the sanctioning of JE posts. However, it was not accepted by the Management. Even at this stage, BSNLEU will take up this issue seriously with the Management for getting justice for the JE LICE candidates.

BSNLEU organised a 2 day trade union class at New Delhi, i.e., on 06^th & 07^thJuly, 2022. The freedom struggle, the role played by the working class in the freedom struggle, the challenges before the working class today and the tasks before the BSNL trade union movement, were the topic of the class.Com. Ashok Dhawale, President, All India Kisan Sabha, Com. K. Hemalata, President, CITU, Com. Kashmir Singh, Secretary, CITU and Com.P.Abhimanyu, GS, BSNLEU, conducted the classes. 53 comrades from the circles of Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Assam, UP (West), Haryana, UP (East), Madhya Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Chhattisgarh, Punjab, NTR and Corporate Office, participated in this class. A majority of them are young comrades. The classes drew very good appreciation from the participants. The CHQ of BSNLEU heartily congratulates all the circle unions and the comrades who participated in the class. CHQ also expresses it’s gratitude to the leaders of CITU and AIKS who conducted the classes. 

The 9th Membership Verification is going to be held shortly. The exploratory meeting for this verification is already conducted. Yesterday, the Corporate Office has announced the dates for submission / withdrawal of applications for participating in the 9th Membership Verification. The schedule of dates is as follows. 

1. Last date of submitting of application – 05.08.2022.
2. Release of list of eligible Unions – 12.08.2022
3. Last date of withdrawal of application – 22.08.2022.
4. Release of list of final eligible Unions – 26.08.2022.

5.5% IDA increase has become due w.e.f. 01.07.2022. The DPE has issued letter yesterday, conveying it’s approval for the payment of this increased IDA. Based on this DPE letter, BSNL has to issue letter for the payment of the IDA increase.

Yesterday the 07.07.2022 is the 101^st birth anniversary of Com.K.G. Bose, who is BSNLEU’s guide and philosopher. Before the commencement of the 2^nd day trade union class at K.G. Bose Bhawan, New Delhi, yesterday, Com.Animesh Mitra, President, garlanded the portrait of Com.K.G. Bose. The house paid it’s respect to the legendary leader and the comrades pledged to march ahead in the path shown by him.

On 28.06.2022, BSNLEU wrote a detailed letter to Shri Ashwini Vaishnaw, Hon’ble Minister of Communications, complaining that, the TCS had neither completed it’s Proof of Concept (PoC) nor had it accepted BSNL’s Purchase Order (PO) for supplying 4G equipments. BSNLEU has complained to the Hon’ble Minister of Communications that, BSNL’s 4G launching is getting unduly delayed. This letter of BSNLEU has brought the desired result. After BSNLEU shot off the letter, a high level meeting has been held in the DoT on 07^th July, 2022. Shri V.L. Kantha Rao, Additional Secretary, Telecom, participated in this meeting, together with the top officers of BSNL, DoT and TCS. The delay on the part of TCS in completing the PoC was discussed and the TCS has been directed by the DoT to complete it’s PoC by 31^st July, 2022. CMD BSNL has also told that, the “commercial talks” between BSNL and TCS would be completed soon. We have to wait and see whether TCS takes appropriate action on this matter.