Category Archives: BSNL – Better Service to the Nation

The BSNL Employees under the Forum of BSNL Unions/Associations are making all out efforts to ensure a better service to the customers. It has given a detailed Memorandum to the Prime Minister, Finance Minister, Communications Minister, Secretary DOT, CMD BSNL etc. with proposals for improvement and strengthening the company. The issues coming in this category are connected with the same.

TRAI to recommend MVNO policy to DOT

23 Friday May 2014

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Advance technology results in new services. It is more true with the telecom services. Such a one is the service through Mobile Virtual Network Operators(MVNO). MVNOs are agents or resellers of data, bandwidth etc. to end users. It buys talk-time and bandwidth from a telecom operator and sell it / provide services to the end user/subscriber. This will include international, national, internet services etc.

It is yet to start in India, although the proposal was there since 2011. now the DoT has requested the TRAI to recommend how this MVNO policy is to be introduced.

What will the effect of this on the existing telecom operators including BSNL is to be studied.

Wish List of Private Telecom Companies

20 Tuesday May 2014

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Private Telecom Companies are really fast. They have already decided what are their immediate demands and wish -list to be presented to the government. Reports in the media have focussed the five main demands, which are as follows:

1. Make more spectrum available for data usage

2. Rationalise the taxes and levies in the sector

3. Facilitate introduction of new and efficient technologies such as M2M and cloud computing

4. Implement the benefits of the status for the industry in parity with other infrastructure sectors in the country

5. Exploring a revenue sharing arrangement between the over the top Internet players and telecom companies.

The lines are clear. The telecom corporates want that they should be favoured and all restrictions and regulations in the sector have to be rescinded for their benefit.

What the PSU telecom companies, BSNL and MTNL, are demanding? They also have to formulate what is immediately required for the revival of BSNL and MTNL? Delay will be costly.

BSNL and MTNL workers and their organisations also have to move fast with their demands to save BSNL and MTNL and strengthen them to give a better service to the people.

SBI move to shift BSNL connections to Reliance

15 Thursday May 2014

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It is reported by the Bank Unions that there is a move to shift the BSNL connections of State Bank of India to Reliance. Already the majority services of the SBI is being outsourced to Reliance as part of the neo-liberal policy of the Government. In continuation, the phones are being planned to shift from the PSU BSNL to private corporate Reliance.

Com.V.A.N.Namboodiri, Convener, Forum has already spoken to Shri R.K.Upadhyay, CMD BSNL, to take immediate steps to ensure that the SBI connections are retained to BSNL. Messages have also been sent to the Directors of BSNL.

Establish a Museum on Telegraph Services

02 Friday May 2014

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The Forum has requested the BSNL Management to establish a Museum on “Telegraph Services”, which service was discontinued with effect from 15th July 2013, despite protest from the staff unions.
The Telegraphs in India have a long history and has been part of the daily life of Indians. It is certainly essential that a museum with all the documents, various kinds of equipments and other connected matters are kept for the study of the future generations.

A copy of the letter furnished to the CMD BSNL in this connection is given below:

FORUM OF BSNL UNIONS / ASSOCIATIONS
D-7, Telegraph Place, Gole Market, New Delhi – 110 001.

Forum/GL 02-05-2014

To

Shri R.K.Upadhyay
CMD BSNL,
Bharat Sanchar Bhawan,
Janpath, New Delhi – 110 001

Sir,

Sub: – Museum for Telegraph Services – reg.

The Telegraph services have been discontinued from 15th July, 2013, by the BSNL. The Telegraph services have a long history in India. Its growth and the important position it held for about one and half centuries in the progress of the country is well known and recorded. It is part of the history of India.

In such a situation, it is necessary to ensure that the story of Telegraphs in the country, the equipments used for service etc. remain for the future generations to see.

It is, therefore, suggested that a “Museum on Telegraph Services” be established with all the import documents, equipments, and other connected matters collected and kept. Most of these may be available in the Central Telegraph Offices at Kolkata, Mumbai, Delhi and Chennai. The senior staff in these offices will be able to provide more information.

The Telegraph Offices at the above places are also heritage buildings constructed at the time of British rule mostly in the victorian architecture. In all these CTOs, at least one or more rooms can be allotted for this purpose. The BRBRAITT and ALTTC can also have such arrangements.

A favourable decision and action will be much appreciated.

Thanking you,

Yours Sincerely

V.A.N.Namboodiri
Convener, Forum

Copy to: All Directors of BSNL.

BSNLEU Convention at Rohtak, Haryana, on 28th April

26 Saturday Apr 2014

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BSNLEU Haryana Circle is organising the BSNLEU Circle Convention as per the call of the Rajkot CEC Meeting against neo-liberalisation policy of the government, on communal harmony and on the Charter of Demands of the Central Trade Unions on 28th April 2014 at Rohtak. Com. V.A.N.Namboodiri, All India President, BSNLEU will be attending the Convention. Comrades M.S.Kadian, Circle Secretary, Haryana and Kuldeep Singh, CHQ office-bearer and other leaders from Haryana are making all arrangements for the success of the convention.

Kerala BSNL Circle Profit for 2013-14 may reach Rs. 400 crore

26 Saturday Apr 2014

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When BSNL is struggling at the All India level, it is making rapid advances in Kerala circle. The profit of that circle is expected to touch Rs.400 crore for the financial year 2013-14. It is worth mentioning that the profit of Kerala circle was Rs.287 crore in 2012-13. BSNL, in Kerala circle is having a market share of 32.32%. In the land line segment it’s market share is 96.11%. In the financial year 2013-14, BSNL in Kerala has added 10,89,385 cellular connections, 78,619 land line connections, 1,68,433 broadband connections, 18,646 Wimax connections and 50,116 CDMA WLL connections. The CHQ of BSNLEU salutes the employees of Kerala circle, as well as the motivating role being played by BSNLEU and all other unions and associations. The question before us is, if Kerala circle can give such a wonderful performance, then why such a performance could not be given by the employees of other circles? Let every one of us think and act. (BSNLEU Website)

Training Centres and Vacant Quarters can be effectively utilised.

24 Thursday Apr 2014

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BSNL have two Advanced Training Centres at Ghaziabad and Jabalpur. A report in the newspapers have stated that BSNL is proposing to start a Technical University utilising the infrastructure and facilities. Well and good if the proposal is being implemented. But it may not be as easy as stated.

However, other proposals can be mooted with regard to the 2 advanced training centres and the more than two dozen RTTCs situated in the circles. Since the training process for the BSNL employees are limited as there is not much recruitment, these centres can be utilised by giving on rent to other government / PSU institutions for training purpose. Of course this is being done in a small scale. Some circles are doing it effectively, while others lack. All these institutions have to be maximum utilised as mentioned above.

It is the same with the thousands of vacant BSNL quarters through out the country. These can be rented out for other Govt./PSU institutions, which will at least ensure funds for their maintenance or more.

These issues were discussed in detail today by Com. V.A.N.namboodiri, President BSNLEU, with Shri Neeraj Verma, GM (Trg), who looks after the training institutions. He was also of the opinion for maximum utilisation of these facilities which will bring some extra revenue to BSNL.

BSNL may get waiver of fee for satellite link in Andaman etc.

24 Thursday Apr 2014

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BSNL is compelled to pay high charges for the satellite links for better connection in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Lakshadweep etc. The charges are to be paid for the Department of Space for these connections. It is now reported that based on the demand of the BSNL and DOT, the Department of Space has agreed to waive the charges for operation of BSNL in these border areas, including the North East.

The government should, not only take the decision, but also implement the same at the earliest which will give some relief to the ailing BSNL.

National Council meeting on 23-04-2014

23 Wednesday Apr 2014

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30th meeting of the National Council held.
The 30th meeting of the National Council took place today the 23-04-2014. Shri A.N.Rai, chairman of the National Council, presided over. In today’s meeting the Staff Side strongly protested the indifferent attitude of the Management, in settling the long pending genuine problems of the Non-Executives, on the plea that the Company is facing a crisis. It was also questioned, how the top officers of the Company continue to incur extravagant expenditures when the Company is facing financial crisis. Further, the repeated statements being made by the CMD BSNL, to give a wrong picture, as if the Company has gone into loss only because of the huge expenditure being incurred for payment of salaries to the employees, was strongly protested by the Staff Side in the meeting. The Management was demanded to start early discussion on the charter of demands submitted to the CMD BSNL on 09-04-2014, and to find an amicable solution to the problems. As regards the decision of the BSNL Board to form a separate Subsidiary Tower Company, as well as the proposal to induct a strategic partner subsequently, they came under the severe criticism of the Staff Side. The Staff Side recorded it’s strong protest for the decisions and demanded to rescind the same. (Courtesy:BSNLEU Website)

Is the wage burden, the reason for loss of BSNL?

23 Wednesday Apr 2014

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Whenever the DOT or BSNL Management is asked about the financial condition of BSNL, they immediately blame the wage bill of the huge workforce of BSNL. They will point out that the wage bill comes to about 50% of the expenditure or so. Next point will be to implement VRS for about one lakh workers so that the expenditure can be reduced and BSNL saved. Even in interview with the CMD BSNL, the Business Lines column writer has reported the CMD BSNL, mentioning the wage increase as one of the main reasons of the financial difficulties.
In the report of the Group of Ministers from BSNL, again the main reason for the financial difficulties is mentioned as huge wage bill coming up to 50% of the total expenditure.
All the above arguments are a fallacy to mislead the government and the public. Let us examine the points one by one.
1. Did the wage bill increase? No. The wage bill for 2009-10 was Rs. 13,455 crore, for 2010-11 Rs. 13,791 crore, for 2011-12 Rs. 13,406 crore and for 2012-13 Rs. 13,856 crore. One can see that there is no increase as such, but only small amount more or less each year.
2. The wage bill comes to 50% of the revenue: The wage bill has increased in %, not because of the actual increase of wages, but due to loss of revenue. The revenue came down drastically during the period mentioned above. While the revenue was Rs. 34,708 crore in 2009-10, it reduced to Rs. 29,686 crore in 2010-11, Rs. 27,933 crore in 2011-12 and to Rs. 26,396 in 2012-13. it is because of this drastic reduction in revenue that the % of wage bill has gone up. For example, if the revenue has up to Rs. 50,000 crore, the wage bill come to only between 25%-30%.
3. Who is responsible for the loss in revenue? Mainly it is the anti-PSU policy of the government. Secondly, it is the inept management. And thirdly a casual attitude of some workers.The government and management do not miss any chance to cite the example of the private companies, their work, profit etc. But they once again forget a important thing. In the private sector, when there is any loss, the management is fully responsible. The CMD and top officers resign on their own or are sent by the company making them responsible for the loss. But the same management which caused the loss continues without any stigma in BSNL.
4. What is the efficiency rate of the company management?: The rate is very low. None of the projects are completed in time. Whether the installation of 2199 towers in the 9 naxalite affected areas, The construction of the OFC lines for the Defence to enable them to release the spectrum, NOFN, BBNL etc. Everything in lagging behind. Who is responsible? The Management.

The Management and the Government should wake up from the slumber, instead of sleeping over the works and projects and sincerely and seriously attend to work. The workers are always ready to put all their strength for improving the situation so that BSNL can be saved and an efficient service provided.