The Minister of State for Communications, Shri Milind Deora has replied to a question raised by Com.Tapan Sen, M.P., in the Parliament that there are 3,348 casual labour engaged in BSNL, and that they can not be regularised in view of the Supreme Court Judgement in Umadevi case against regularisation.
This is a distortion of facts. On the basis of the same judgement of the Supreme Court and as per the DOP&T orders referring to the judgment, hundreds of casual labours in many departments of the central government have been regularised. If BSNL was not formed, these casual labours who were actually engaged by the DOT before formation of BSNL, would have been regularised as in other departments. Formation of BSNL could not be used to deny the right of these casual labours who are continuously working for more than 15 years or so.
This denial of justice has to be fought not only by the casual workers, but by the entire BSNL workers. In fact the unions of the regular employees should organise the struggle to get their colleagues to be regularised. BSNL Employees Union and its leaders at various level have to take initiative for the agitation to get justice rendered to these maximum exploited section of workers.
The BSNL Management have the responsibility to regularise these workers.
Comrade,
You are demanding for the regularisation of casual workers. At the same time in most of the SSAs in Kerala management is implementing common tender with the help of EU Leaders. I cant understand the logic behind this. Please clear my doubt..
The demand of the union is for the regularisation of casual labour who have fulfilled certain conditions of service. Most of them have been regularised by 01-10-2000 or later. But still there are some left-out casual labours for whom the union is demanding regularisation as has been done in the case of othe casual labour.
Then there are the contract workers who are engaged through the contractors.For them the minimum wage, social security measures like EPF, ESI etc. are to be implemented. We are trying to get all existing benefits and wages to these contract workers.In Kerala also agitations have been launched by BSNLEU and BSNLCCWF for achieving the demands.
sri deora’s reply is very much painful for casual workers. casual workers are ready for any kind of struggle. please arrange to make a very very big movement for the same. patience is overflowing.
The Minister has only reiterated what the BSNL management has been telling for the last 5 years since the judgement in the Umadevi case. The All India Conference of the BSNLEU will certainly take up the issue and may decided for agitational programmes. BSNLCCWF is already planning for some programmes.
Sir, How BSNL employees can go to rescue others when their own future is in doubt. There are many genuine demands from regular employees like PLI bonus, medical and LTC restoration, regular promotions….How we can shout for others when we not even achieve our own demands,
Dear Comrade,
Your point is well taken. But there is a difference between the demands of the casual-contract workers and the regular staff. The regular employees, both executives and non-executives are getting salary, allowances, promotion etc. according to the orders issued by the government/BSNL. But in the case of casual/contract workers they are denied even what is ordered by the government of India or BSNL Management. The minimum wage decided by the government / BSNL management is not paid to them. The provisions of EPF and ESI are not implemented in their case. They are being denied even whatever is ordered by the government/BSNL. They are being exploited. Think about the position that a regular employee is not paid his due salary. The fight of contract worker is for geting implemented the orders.
It is not that the regular empolyees have not achieved any thing. In the past twelve years or so we have two wage revisions, a beneficial promotion policy, increase in incrementaL value and many other benefits. Our salary is better than many other PSUs the salary of which was much more than us earlier. We had stopped any disinvestment of the company. VRS also. Even when the company is in loss for the last three years, through united struggle we have achieved the 78.2% IDA fitment also recently. Yes, there are still issues to be settled and the union is on the job. The entire issues of the workers are not settled in one day. It is through sustained struggles that even small issues are settled sometimes.
Dear Comrade,
I want to be acquainted with the fact whether the case of Uma Devi is only the impendency towards regularization of casual labourers. If so, how the others establishment had already taken necessary measures to regularize the casual labourers and I think, it will be fruitful if the points are taken into account under what basis the process of regularization have been accomplished by the other Deptt and the same may be made available to the BSNL management. As because, if the verdict of Uma Devi Case is the ultimate obstacle for taking the initiative for regularization of CM, they is should be applicable to all department not only specified for BSNL to carry out the verdict alone.
Please comment in the light of the above point.
Dear Comrade,
As I have pointed out several times in this blog, we have already brought to the notice of the BSNL management about the DOP&T orders on this subject on the basis which government departments like Income Tax, Central Excise and others have regularised their casual labours. All the copies have been furnished to the BSNL management also. We have taken up the issue with the Chief Labour Commissionere, the Labour Minister, the Communications Minister and also with the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Labour and even to the Prime Minister. But so far no favourable decision is taken by the BSNL Management. Now even the Minister has replied to the question of Com.Tapan Sen M.P. that they can not be regulaised in view of the Supreme Court judgement.BSNL management is sticking to the point that the casual labour in BSNL can not be regularised on the basis of the judgement in the Umadevi case and on the basis of the advise given by the Addl. Solicitor General. BSNLEU and BSNLCCWF are thinking of going on agitation on this issue.
Thanks for your kind reply and now it is vivid that despite submission all requisite documents, the management is very adamant not to bestow the legitimate rights of casual labourers which is very frustrating that after rendering sincere service for the development and uplifting the segment for more than 16 years, the efficacious efforts fall flat. Now no other alternative but to fight collectively to achieve the goal.