From the CMD to the lowest employee in the BSNL, everybody fully knows that the contract workers engaged by BSNL through contractors are brutally exploited. The government has fixed the minimum wage and Gazette Notification issued by the Chief Labour Commissioner (Central) and orders on Variable DA are issued every six months to be effective from 1st April and 1st October. Wages vary according to unskilled, semi-skilled, skilled and highly skilled as also on the basis of the classification of the city like A,B,C class. According to the notification based on 01-04-2016, an unskilled worker in C Class city should get Rs. 246 as daily wage, which will come to more than Rs. 7,000 for a month. But in many SSAs/Circles far less is paid in some places even low as rs. 2,000. The fact is that BSNL is paying the contractor as per the minimum wage rate, but the worker does not get the same. In A, B class cities and for highly skilled, skilled and unskilled the rates are higher, but they are also paid less than the minimum wage for the unskilled. How can a worker maintain his family with a meager Rs.2,000 a month?
This is a sorry state of affairs. BSNL has got good officers, employees and strong unions/associations of ITS, Executives and Non-Executives. But most are turning their heads from the injustice being done to the contract workers, who are working in the same institution. Do we also belong to the creed of people who silently turn away their heads and walk away when girls are being molested and children are being kidnapped?
My humble request as the All India President of the BSNL Casual Contract Workers Federation to all the ITS, Executives and Non-Executives and their organisations is to kindly think it over and help the hard working contract workers by ensuring that the minimum wage is got paid to the workers. Let us take a decision that we will not be part of this exploitation in anyway and also will make our best efforts to stop this corruption and exploitation of the poor workers.
I would also request our comrades and colleagues to express their suggestions how this corruption and brutal exploitation can be put an end to and clean the black spot existing on the face of BSNL and its employees.
VAN Namboodiri's Blog 