What is happening in Tata Communications Ltd (former VSNL)?
Videsh Sanchar Nigam Ltd. (VSNL) was one of the first PSUs privatised by handing over to Tata for a mere Rs. 1439 crores in 2002. Now the name of the company has also been changed to Tata Communications Limited (TCL). What is happening in the TCL is not much known. But it is a must for any worker to know what happens to the workers in a privatised PSU.
Before being corporatized in to a PSU, VSNL was Overseas Communications, a section of the Department of Telecom. It was corporatized with the specific intention of handing over this lucrative service to the private companies. In 2002, it was sold to the Tatas and an agreement was made on 06-02-2002 called “Share Purchase and Share Holder Agreement” between the government and the Tatas. As per this agreement, the workers were assured that there will be no retrenchment of the existing employees. The SC/ST employees, the disabled and employees coming under weaker sections will continue to get all the benefits they were enjoying earlier and they also will not be retrenched.
But what happened afterwards is entirely different from the agreement and assurances. The existing employees were harassed and were inhumanly treated by the new management. Many had to leave the company to escape from harassment and victimisation. While there were about 2600 employees at the time of privatisation, there are only about 700 left in service now.
In between, about 7,000 new employees were recruited. Their wages etc. were revised but these benefits were denied to the earlier employees. There is severe discrimination in the treatment meted out to the existing workers compared to the newly recruited workers. Further, the Tata management is now compelling all the former VSNL employees to resign and leave the company. They are threatened with retrenchment if they don’t opt for resignation.
All these anti-worker decisions of the TCL are completely against the assurances and agreement made at the time of handing over the company to the present owners. The workers denied of justice by the management have approached the court to stop the retrenchment. The workers have also demanded that they be repatriated to the DOT.
The cases of the other PSUs like BALCO, Centaur Hotels etc. which have been privatised, are not different. Humiliation, harassment, retrenchment etc. are the treatment meted out to the former PSU workers, including women.
The central government is implementing the neo-liberal policy aggressively and these are part of the same. India Inc, MNCs, big business and the media have been completely singing praise of these anti-worker policies. But, in fact, this policy of disinvestment, privatisation etc, are nothing but loot of the assets of the nation by the unscrupulous and profit hungry MNCs and big business with the full support of the ruling classes.
Hence it is the responsibility and duty of the working class to strongly oppose these anti-people, anti-worker policies and their implementation through sustained and mighty joint struggles and defeat them.
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VAN Namboodiri's Blog 
Pls find some time to think ‘What is happening in bsnl ?” first.
this article was written on his views about vsnl. It is up to him if he wants to do so and I think you should respect that. No Offence intended
After the privatisation of the VSNL, Tatas have compelled large number of workmen to leave thir jobs by adopting various types of unfair labour practices. The Media and the Channels are shy of criticizing Tatas for the reasons best known to them. The Officer who issued forged transfer orders to far away places for compelling workmen to accept the so called voluntary retirement, himself collapsed after he was served with termination order. Recently a workman who had completed more than 30 years service, was served with termination order and was thrown out of the office by calling two police constables.
The erstwhile VSNL employees have been humiliated, harassed and tortured for leaving their jobs by accepting so called VRS or are thrown out without due process of law.
The Tatas are boasting of fairness, but the said dark side of Tatas will open the eyes of the persons propagating privatization.
Thank you for giving these additional informations. We have to fight against such injustice to the workers.
Though Tatas have purchased only about 51% shares of erstwhile Navratna Company – Videsh Sanchar Nigam Ltd., they are taking undue advantage of the non-attendence of the remaining 49% share holders, who are scattered and are unable to face the mighty Tatas. It will be interesting to watch how Tatas will deal with the huge assets in forms of lands and Buildings owned by the Company. They have already started pressurising the workmen to vacate staff quarters, so that the large Plots of lands situated in the heart of city will be utilized for real estate purposes. Though the erstwhile employees are share holders of the company, the management has created fear psycosis. They are not allowed to enter the office premises.
Unfortunately the then Union of the workmen betrayed the workmen. The Union did not take any action, when the workmen were victimised to leave their jobs by forcing them to accept so called voluntary retirements. Even the workmen who were on the verge of their reaching superannuation and young workmen were forced to leave their jobs. Surprisingsly, the Newspapers or TV channels refuse to take cognizance of the high handed actions of the Tatas.
Perhaps had their been a strong Unioj, the employees could have been saved from the harassment, humiliation and loss of jobs and consequent loss of lakhs of rupees.
Thank you for the additional information.
The Tatas have continued harassment of the erstwhile VSNL employees. Recently a workman having completed 35 years service was sacked, by issuing termination notice, without any inquiry. One of the other workman who retired after completing 60 years service has not been paid his dues for the last several months. Asstt. Labour Commissioner (Central) is giving only adjournment dates. Mr. Pramod Mahajan dug graves for the erstwhile VSNL employees, by transferring huge assets worth billions for few thousand rupees. Those who are championing privatization, should should realise what will happen to the BSNL or MTNL employees, if the said PSUs are privatized, for the greed of Politicians.
what for the TCL union is sitting there? not even a single union bearers were suffered so far because they are pro management
The unions in TCL are fighting and agitating, but the Tata Management is strong and the government will not intrerfere. Our support is also required.
In 2006 the TATAS compelled large number of employees to leave their jobs. They introduced so called VRS. Those who did not leave by accepting the so called VRS, were transferred to far away places like Bhubaneshwar and other far away other states and were compelled to accept retirement. The employees Unions were silent spectators. The office bearers of the Unions were spared. They were not compelled to leave their jobs under threat of transfers. The Labour Commissioner is not willing to interfere, for the reasons best known to him. The Tatas do not consult DOT before compelling the erstwhile VSNL employees to leave their jobs, as per the agreement entered into at the time of privatisation. The TATAS boast of fairness, but the same is bogus and sham. They are worse than many other employers. The employees who are also share holders, are compelled to leave their jobs and have paid for the sins of Mr. Pramod Mahajan.
In the Share purchase agreement between GOI and Tata, the GOI only seeked that the employees of VSNL shouldn’t be retrenched for 1 year. Tata itself extended this to further 2 years . Thereafter, the court dismissed many petitions of the employees who were retrenched because after privatization they couldn’t assert their rights against the non-government corporation.
It is exactly what I had tlod. The Government and the Corporates, even Tatas having a better record of labour relations, are in league to take away the rights of the workers. The court may also not interfere when there is such an agreement between the Govt. and Tata. The workers were appointed as government employees and they had been ensured cetain labour rights under the government. But these rights are taken away by the arbitrary decision of the government to corporatise and privatise. It was not a mutual agreement by the government and the workers. The rights of the employees for continued job was taken away by the government and the Tatas. Nobody can justify the same.
Even if the VSNL is privatised, the TCL is governed by the labour laws and the Model Standing Orders or Industrial Disputes Acts etc are applicable to them. The unscrupulous officers of the TATAS are playing dirty tricks and by issuing forged transfer orders to far away places, they compel the workmen to leave their jobs. As per Model Standing Orders, the workmen cannot be transferred out of station, but the TATAs blatantly violate the provisions of law. For years together the Certified Standing Orders are not framed, in violation of Industrial Employment Standing Orders. In 2002 the puppet Union did not help the workmen to fight against the mighty TATAs and the workmen had to carry out the fight individually.
The TATAs are not different then any other unscrupolous employers. The workmen suffered for the sins committed by Mr. Pramod Mahajan.
When my writ petition against Tata Communications Ltd., came up for hearing before Shri Justice S.C.Gupte, he was not allowing my Advocate to make submission for admission of my writ petition. When my Advocate as soon as opened his mouth for arguments, the said Judge starting interrupting constantly, by saying don’t argue, dont’t argue, I will not allow you to argue. My advocate wanted to pin point the nexus between the VRS period and my transfer to Bhubaneshwar at the fag end of VRS, issued with a view to force me to accept the so called VRS. He was not allowed to so The said Judge kept my writ petition pending by not signing the Order.
When the Order was received, it was found that he for the benefit TATAS ignored material provisions of law and repeated the perverse Order passed by the Industrial Court and at the stage of admission, he dismissed my writ petition, though as per the large number of grounds, there were several arguable points.
One can imagine how TATAS are powerful. No workman can dream of getting an Order against TATAS.
Wonderful or Banana democracy?
This exactly is what is happening. This should be exposed. May I put your comment in my blog?
Thank You Sir. This information is well written and informative. Would you Mind to write an article on the ‘Pro’s and Con’s of VSNL’
If you have got more information, kindly send it so that I can complement the write-up. However, I will try to prepare another matter also.