Monthly Archives: February 2022

Com.P.E.Jaipaul, former General Secretary, FNTO, passed away.

03 Thursday Feb 2022

Posted by in Uncategorized

≈ Leave a comment

Information has been received that Com.P.E.Jaipaul, former General Secretary, FNTO has passed away at Hyderabad yesterday due to severe heart attack. He was one of the senior leaders of the Telecom trade union movement and contributed much to the advancement of the workers. Though in different unions, we had the opportunity to jointly take up issues with the government. He was a close friend of mine.

His death is a great loss to the movement.

My Respectful Homage to Shri P.E.Jaipaul !

How long will the government discriminate against BSNL?

02 Wednesday Feb 2022

Posted by in Uncategorized

≈ Leave a comment

Private companies are allowed to start mobile service in India, in the year 1995. At that time, DoT was the government service provider. But, DoT was not allowed to start Mobile service. BSNL could start it’s mobile service only in the year 2002. Thus, the government service provider was able to enter the mobile segment only after seven long years after the private operators entered.  This is a well planned discrimination against BSNL, by the government. 

 

From 2006 to 2012, BSNL was not allowed to purchase mobile equipments. One after another, the tenders floated by BSNL, to procure equipments, were cancelled by the government, under one pretext or the other. During this period mobile connections grew exponentially in India. And the benefits were reaped by private operators. And it was during this period BSNL went into loss. BSNL is unable to get out of the loss even today.

 

3G spectrum was auctioned in the year 2010. But, BSNL was not allowed to participate in the auctioning. Later on, BSNL was compelled to purchase 3G spectrum, at the price paid by the private operators. Once again, BSNL could start it’s 3G service only after the private operators did.

 

4G service was started by the private operators in 2015. But BSNL was not allowed to start 4G. It was only after long and continuous struggles waged by the unions and associations, did the government make the announcement in 2019 that, BSNL would be given 4G spectrum.  But even thereafter, government did not allow BSNL to purchase equipments from global vendors like Nokia, Ericsson, etc. All the private operators are purchasing equipments from the global vendors without any restriction. Government intentionally created road blocks in BSNL‘s 4G launching. It is a tragedy that, even today, BSNL has not been able to launch its 4G service. 

 

Now, government has decided to allow only private operators to start 5G service. Again, BSNL is discriminated and side-lined. How long will the government discriminate against BSNL? (Courtesy: BSNLEU Website)

 

 

PENSION REVISION – ILLUSIONS AND REALTIES

01 Tuesday Feb 2022

Posted by in Uncategorized

≈ Leave a comment

PEN

PENSION REVISION- ILLUSIONS AND REALITIES.

Shri.. John Brittas M P has made an effective and strong intervention on the issue of Pension Revision to BSNL Pensioners with 15% fitment delinkIng wage revision from 01-01-2017.

The first letter dated 30-07-2021 in this regard to the Hon’ble Minister of Communications, Shri. Ashwini Vaishnaw was replied by the Minister on 06-09-2021.The reply was the same that his predecessor Shri. Ravi Shankar Prasad had stated earlier in Parliament. Pension Revision is intrinsically linked with wage revision .BSNL is not in a position to implement wage revision in view of its financial constraints. Moreover, there will be anomaly in Pension to the future retirees if pension revision is implemented without wage revision.

Shri.John Brittas MP countered these arguments of the Minister effectively and convincingly in his second letter to the Minister, of course, with the inputs provided by our CHQ. He categorically stated that Pension Revision of BSNL absorbed Pensioners is no way connected to the affordability conditions or bad financial position of BSNL, as the pension contributions of these retirees with combined service were paid to the government, that too at the maximum of their pay scales. There was an agreement with the then Staff Federations during the formation of BSNL that pension of the BSNL absorbed retirees will be paid by the government. Necessary amendments were also made in CCS ( Pension) Rules, 1972 to this effect. Further, the 60:40 condition was also scrapped by a Cabinet decision in 2016. Thus, the entire liability of pension and pensionary benefits of BSNL absorbed pensioners solely lies with the government.

Regarding anomaly in Pension to the future retirees, Shri.John Brittas pointed out that anomalies are common in almost every pay revision and pension revision and being settled with appropriate formula.The letter when published was well appreciated by the Pensioners through out the country.

May be due to this, one of the pensioners organisations, which had lost faith in the settlement through negotiation and struggles, filed case in the PCAT, New Delhi has managed a letter from an MP to the Minister of Communications. In this letter, it is demanded to convert IDA pay scales to CDA pay scales and pension revision with CPC fitment. It is also suggested that the possible loss in pension be compensated with grant of personal pension.!! This letter was circulated widely and drew flak from their own members.

OLD WINE IN NEW BOTTLE.

So this organisation has come out with another letter addressed to the Secretary, DoT. In this letter, they don’t prefer pension revision by conversion of IDA pay scales to CDA pay scales presumably due to the strong opposition. Once again they are for pension revision in IDA pay scales with 7th CPC fitment and have provided a calculation sheet also showing a benefit of 14.55% for both pre and post 2017 retirees.

The letter is intended to create illusions and utter confusion among the pensioners. Some innocent pensioners have started calculation of their benefit as if it is going to be ordered tomorrow. The fact is that no serious discussion has taken place in this regard. This organisation had claimed earlier also that their demand of 7th CPC fitment has been agreed to by DoT and DoP& PW. So let us not be befooled by these gimmicks.

We shall continue our efforts and fight for the pension revision with 15% fitment, recommended by the 3rd PRC and approved by the Government, delinkIng wage revision from 01-01-2017. Our demand on pension revision is based on Rule 37 A of CCS (Pension) Rules, 1972 and the precedence of pension revision from 01-01-2007. We cannot endanger the great achievements being enjoyed due to the first pay revision w e f 01-10-2000 and pension revision w e f 01-01-2007.

(Courtesy: AIBDPA CHQ)