Today I had a long discussion with the GM(Estt) regarding the regularisation of the casual workers in BSNL. Although there was an agreement with the Federations at the time of corporatisation that all left-out casual labours will be regularised, about 3348 casual labours are yet to be regularised. Out of this 2270 are in W.Bengal alone. On the plea of the judgement in Umadevi Vs. state of Karnataka, the BSNL Management is refusing the regularisation of these left-out casual labours. I pointed out that government departments like Income Tax, Customs,Central Excise etc. have regularised their casual labour with reference to the same judgement.PSUs like LIC has regularised their workers and demanded that BSNL casual labours also should be regularised immediately.
The BSNL management can not wash its hand on the plea of the SC judgement. They have to find out ways and means of regularising these left-out casual labours who are working for about 20 years with low wages and in difficult circumstances. The union will continue the struggle for regularisation.