BSNLEU demanded for change of designations of the non-executives in BSNL a few years back and after the issue was discussed in the National Council, a committee was formed with the management and union representatives. The committee could not finalise its recommendations since the management side wanted time to finalize the designations of the executives so that there will be no conflict. Now, on the demand of the staff side, a new committee has been formed and the first meeting was held today, 23rd February. The committee has, as a preliminary step, suggested certain designations for the four main streams viz. RM/Group D, Telecom Mechanic, Sr.TOA and TTA. (The details of the suggestions etc. will be put in the website of BSNLEU). This will be discussed in the next meeting.
Why we have demanded for change of designations? The present designations have not been prepared and decided in a systematic way. The Telecom was growing in a fast way and new technologies and services required officials to deal with them. So new cadres were created one after another. New names were given to these cadres. By the time BSNL was formed, there were more than 100 cadres, with different names, some of them doing similar work also. Promotions required further designations. Of course certain cadres were merged in the meanwhile, but that also did not help much. For the same cadre itself different names were used in different parts of the country. The number of cadres have become too much and many of the jobs entrusted to them have been discontinued or became redundant.
The group C and D officials were never given good designations, as the top-level officers/management wanted to show the differences between them and the lower paid officials. The times have now changed. In the private sector dealing with public, better and good sounding designations are provided, which helps in dealing with the public. In DOT/BSNL, the designations look very much old-fashioned and downgrading. In this competitive field, the change of designations is a must.
We have told the management to reduce the number of cadres and provide with good designations. It is important for motivation and self-respect to the employees as also will benefit the company. We hope that better designations will be finalised by the committee according to the aspiration of the workers.
VAN Namboodiri's Blog 
Respected Namboodiri Jee
I wish to bring the following few lines to your kind perusal and due consideration.
Sir, ours is a public sector organisation and we have a greater interface with the public as they are our only means of business. The health of the BSNL is directly dependent on the income from our valued customers.
In this context I would like to bring the following few lines for your kind consideration:-
Looking at the designation, the customer should be able to identify the nature of the work an employee is entrusted with and should understand the terminology that we have used to identify an official. The designation thus proposed should not be a jargon or a puzzle to the customer. For example, let us say, an official looking after the broadband maintenance in a particular office should be termed as a Broadband Engineer or Broadband Technician or any such thing that describes his nature of work to the customer. A Telecom Associate Engineer does not describe the nature of the work he is entrusted with in the very particular office or department.
The entire terminology used in the proposed change in the designation fails to make it clear to the customer the responsibility of the official that he/she is dealing with. Hence the concept of using such terminology does not qualify to address the very purpose of the so called DESIGNATION CHANGE.
In this view point I wish to state that the designation should be different from responsibility that the official is entrusted with. In other words, designation should be only used for the internal purposes such as promotion, rank of the employee in the organisation. The customer interface should be different from this designation.
An official of some xyz team visits the customer’s premises for the purpose of marketing a particular product should be called as the associate of that particular product or an executive of that particular product. For example, an official responsible for selling a product should be called as a Marketing Executive or Marketing Associate. The same person might be attached to any designation in BSNL which does not matter to the customer, ie the end point of our organisation.
In other words, the designations should be for internal purposes of the organisation and should be called as grades and the interface with the customer should be called as the designation for which the official is responsible or associated with.
For example, A TTA looking after the marketing of FTTH should be Marketing Executive FTTH Services and the TTA looking after the maintenance of FTTH equipment should be Maintenance Engineer of FTTH. But for all internal purposes he should be graded as TTA or whatever name you suggest. There should be a clear distinction between the functionality of an official to the grade he/she holds in the organisation. A TM, where no TTA is available, for example, could become Broadband Engineer or Telephone Engineer of that particular office/area.
Hence my suggestion to the Designation Change is based on two way approach. The first being the grade/cadre of the employee in the organisation for the internal purposes such as promotion, the structure of the organisation, etc, and the second being the customer interface or the responsibility of that a particular employee related to customer.
Else, the designation change may not mean much to the outlook of the BSNL in my opinion. I may be corrected if I am illogical or wrong.
Regards
Dear Shri Prasad,
I am thankful for your suggestions. We will discuss the matter.
dear sir
pls keep the designation that our customer can understand and are used too with in other PSUs. The designation suggested by the staff side is confusing with the nature of work associated with the employee. it is requested to pls keep it simple. The designation should reflect the nature of work and customer should not ask the employee that what your designation stand for.
regards
deepak kumar
9431610399
Dear Deepak,
We will consider your suggestions.
dear sir ,
best designation for TTAs in our organization is “Associate Engineer(Telecom)” or “senior Associates (Telecom).” or Telecom Engineer(Maintenance)/(operation)/(switch)/(Transmission) etc.
Thanks .
Dear Sir,
i personally feel that TTAs should get best designation as nowadays most of the TTAs have public dealing and consumer exposure. Most of the technical work in supervisory domain is being performed by TTAs only. I hope you will be agree with me that TTAs are one of the most educated, Intelligent and active employees in BSNL. Our hard-work and dedication towards duty and BSNL is appreciated by one and all. But its our bad luck that we are still waiting for our dues since very-very long time…
I do not want to embarrass anyone over here but Its a Bitter Truth that nobody have sincerely felt the emotional turbulence going on inside a TTA. ;-((
Whether it is JTO-LICE, 30% fitment, Designation Change, NEPP etc..etc..i do not want to make a list over here. Because i think that a Leader of your stature is fully aware of every piece of staff info and demands. But one thing that kills me is…WHY Unions HAVE DEPRIVED A TTA of his deserving due..?? ;-(( i really could not understand Sir.
Once again i request your good-self to timely intervene and get the trust of TTAs back in BSNL Unions.
Sir, i suggest following designations for TTAs as per my small knowledge domain.
Junior Engineer (Telecom)
Junior Engineer (Telecom) – Grade 1
Junior Officer Telecom
Junior Officer (Telecom) – Grade 1
In above Designations, Telecom may be replaced by a TTAs section of working or Job profile. Like Broadband/Switch/Services/Support/Mobile/Marketing/Sales/Transmission/EB/Admin/Computer/CSC etc.
It worth mentioning here that JTOs/JAOs will be Assistant Managers as per new Change in Designation in Executives.
With Great Hopes from a Great Leader….
Thanks & Regards,
Bandhan Preet Singh
Dear Bandhan
It is the inner voice of the TTAs that you spoke out. I subscribe to your feelings in total. I feel, the word “JUNIOR” is inferior and should be replaced. One has to become a SENIOR someday.
No need of tagging with “TELCOM” or “TECHNICAL” or any such a thing.
How long one should wear the cap “JUNIOR”. I have the following suggestions
(i) Junior Engineer (Broadband or FTTH or Marketing or Cell One or 3G or any product that he/she is working for)
(ii) Senior Engineer Grade I
(iii) Senior Engineer Grade II
(iv) Senior Engineer Grade III
I wish no TTA would be there to take the second NEPP and wish them to be promoted to Group B.
As you have suggested the working area could become a part of the designation in BRACKETS speaking about his arena of work. It clearly meets the proposal for a two way approach to the designation.
If possible we could replace the word JUNIOR with Assoiate Engineer in the first place it self.
Regards
KGM Prasad@9440603060
it is discrimination & partiality with Sr TOA Cadre. Why two parts made. One O.A. is de-grading. RM and TM dealt with properly. kindly look into, otherwise there is much resentment among Sr. TOAs.