Despite the fact, that the thousands of casual and contract labour engaged in BSNL are being ruthlessly explloited and all statutory rights denied, is well known to the Government, DOT, Labour Department and BSNL top management, why it is not corrected and genuine issues of the workers not settled?
This, to say the least is most shameful and condemnable.
As the Prsident of the BSNL Casual and Contract Workers Federation, I have approached the Prime Minister, Communication Minister, Parliamentary Standing Committee on Labour, Chief Labour Commissioner, Secretary DOT, CMD BSNL and all others connected with the issues. All has assured to do justice to the workers. Government has issued orders on minimum wages, BSNL has endorsed it, BSNL has issued orders for implementation of social security benefits to the casual and contract workers etc. etc. But they are not implemented at least in 90% of the places.
I have written to the Prime minister, Communications Minister, Labour Minister, Chief Labour Commissioner, Secretary DOT and CMD BSNL again. It is their responsiblity to get implemented their own orders by the field level officers and the contractors. Workers are on struggle in many places. If the authorities keep silence, the struggles will be intensified.
Casual/Contract Labour issues. Undue delay in settlement.
28 Friday Oct 2011
Posted in Uncategorized
VAN Namboodiri's Blog 
State-run BSNL plans to sharply scale down the manpower strength of its beleaguered landline business , which accounts for nearly 65% of its 2.77 lakh strong workforce , in one of the boldest moves to transform the loss making telco into a nimble, profit making organisation.
“economic times news: 4 hours ago “
This is basically the recommendations of the Sam Pitroda Committee. This has no relevance sincewith about one more lakh workers earlier, the company was having more revenue as also profit. It is only due to the pro-private and anti-PSU policy of the government and the mismanagement that BSNL is going down. We are opposing this anti-people policy and also trying to improve the services.
But,consider one thing that, the landline business need much more manpower for digging like under ground cable associated works than any other telecom services.. We all know that, presently, the landline business is declining drastically. Also, USOF subsidy also withdrawn. So, like any other company, BSNL also looks for techniques to make profit . Any objection ?
What we have to understand is that the number of workers have never been a hindrance to the growth of Telecom. In fact, it is one of the most important factor in the growth of the telecom sector all these years. There were 6 lakh workers at the time of DOT. Even after corporatisation there were more than three and half lakh workers and the company was expanding, increasing its revenue and profit. It is only due to the calculated move of the government to weaken the PSUs and give all concessions to the private companies, Indian and foreign, that the present position has come. Why about one lakh contract workers are engaged if there is no work? Why franchisees are engaged if there is no work? Why many installations are given on contract if work is not there? Why towers are purchased from outside when our workers in Telecom Factories are manufacturing better towers and hundreds of them are waiting for orders to be sent? By retrenching workers, not a single company has so far increased its revenues. What the management has to do is to utilise the existing staff to the maximum efficiency. That will make good results.