The Chief Labour Commissioner (Central) has issued order on 03.04.2018, revising the minimum wages (applicable to the contract workers in BSNL) based on the increase in Variable Dearness Allowance (VDA). The BSNL Corporate Office has endorsed this letter to all the Chief General Managers of BSNL. Circle and district secretaries are requested to ensure the implementation of the revised wages for the contract workers.

The BSNL Corporate Office has extended the revalidation of the BSNL MRS medical card for the retirees till 30-06-2020. This has been done in view of the ongoing lockdown.

Consequent to the General Secretary's recent visit to Leh, letter was written to the CMD BSNL, about the poor condition of the OFC, between Srinagar and Leh. Com.P.Abhimanyu, GS, met the CMD BSNL and discussed this issue. Following this, the Core Network Operation Cell of the Corporate Office has taken up the issue with the CGM, J&K circle and CGM, NTR, with a copy to the GS, BSNLEU. We appreciate the prompt action taken by the CMD BSNL on this issue.

BSNLEU has been strongly demanding that, one time relaxation should be granted to the candidates who appeared in the JE LICE held on 28.01.2018. This demand was raised in view of the poor results, obviously because of the online examination. This issue was prominently discussed in the crucial meeting, held with Shri Anupam Shrivastava, CMD BSNL, on 10.07.2018. In that meeting itself the CMD BSNL accepted the justification of BSNLEU’s demand, and agreed to take appropriate action. Subsequently, the issue was followed upwith the Director(HR) also. As a result of the hectic efforts taken by BSNLEU, BSNL Corporate Office issued letter sometime back, for granting relaxation. Based on the relaxation, the results were reviewed and 250 candidates have now been declared qualified. It is very important to note that for the first time, relaxation has been given for an Internal Examination, in the history of BSNL.  Hearty congrats to all the qualified candidates.

BSNLEU is continuously demanding that the Hon’ble CAT order in respect of granting 1^st NEPP to the TSMs regularised after 01.10.2000. The Hon’ble CAT has directed that these employees should be granted 1^st promotion under NEPP, on completion of 4 years. BSNLEU is continuously demanding that this order of the Hon’ble CAT should be implemented for all the TSMs regularised after 01.10.2000, and not only to the litigants. However, the implementation of this demand is being delayed, on the plea of ascertaining the financial implication. Corporate Office has once again sent reminder to the CGMs, calling for the inputs. Circle Secretaries are requested to take up the issue with their respective CGMs and to pressurise them to send the requisite inputs to the Corporate Office at the earliest.

The Corporate Office has issued letter today, constituting the Joint Committee to negotiate wage settlement of the Non-Executives. Chairman of this Joint Committee is Shri H.C. Pant, CGM (Legal) of the BSNL Corporate Office. There are 5 members from the Management Side, including the Chairman. From the Staff Side, 8 members are there. In this, 5 are from BSNLEU and 3 are from NFTE. As we have already informed through the website yesterday, the first meeting of this Joint Committee is taking place at 11:00 hrs. tomorrow.

BSNLEU has been continuously pressurising the Management to complete the Restructuring of the industrial cadres. In this connection, BSNLEU has been pointing out that the report submitted by the Restructuring Committee of Telecom Factories in 2007, has not been implemented fully. This issue was once again raised by BSNLEU in the 35^th (adjourned) meeting of the National Council held on 13.11.2017. After detailed discussion, the Management Side replied that, it would re-examine the Restructuring of the Non-Executives in Telecom Factory. According to this decision, the Corporate Office has constituted a Committee, consisting of 5 officers, to look into the Restructuring of the Non-Executive cadres of the Telecom Factories. The Committee has been directed to submit it’s report within 3 months. BSNLEU will submit it’s charter of demands to this Committee, with regards to the demands on Restructuring of the Industrial Cadres.

Consequent to the government's announcing certain concessions in the payment of Income Tax, the BSNL Corporate Office issued letter on 20.04.2020, directing the employees to submit their option to continue in the old tax regime or to switch over to the new tax regime. The last date for submitting this option had been fixed as 28.04.2020. Citing the shortage of time, as well as the difficulties created by the lock-down, due to the COVID-19, BSNLEU wrote to the Sr.GM(Taxation),BSNL CO, demanding to extend the last date by one month. Accepting the demand of BSNLEU, the Corporate Office has issued letter, extending the last date up to 31.05.2020. BSNLEU thanks the Sr.GM (Taxation), for accepting the demand.

The Ministry of Finance has issued letter today the 23.04.2020, for freezing the Dearness Allowance (DA) of the Central Government employees and pensioners, up to 01.07.2021. As per this letter, the Central Government Employees and pensioners will not be paid any DA for a period of 1 ½ years, i.e., from 01.01.2020 to 01.07.2021. When the DA is restored on 01.07.2021, it will be done only prospectively and no arrears will be paid. The Central Government has taken this retrograde measure, in the name of fighting the crisis created by the Corona Virus Disease. BSNLEU strongly denounces this anti-worker measure of the Modi government.

After declaration of the results of the JAO LICE, held in July 2016, some of the selected candidates did not join, due to their selection as JTO, etc. BSNLEU demanded that such resultant vacancies should be filled up with qualified candidates. But, it was rejected by the Management. Now, the Corporate Office has decided that such resultant vacancies could be filled up with the qualified candidates.