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.

BSNL lost 2 crore connections? A change for the better is a must!

17 Monday Aug 2015

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I am reproducing below a report in the Economic Times which states that BSNL lost 2 Crore connections last two years. This is a serious situation which has to be changed for the better. The Forum and the Unions should continue maximum efforts.

“State-run BSNL lost about 2 crore subscribers in the last financial year as the telco could not match aggressive marketing by private operators besides persisting issues related to coverage and quality of its services.
According to an official in the Department of Telecom, BSNL lost about 1.78 crore wireless and over 20 lakh wireline subscribers between March 2014 and March 2015.
Stating the reasons responsible for the loss of wireless subscribers, the official said BSNL was not able to match the aggressive marketing of services by private telecom operators.
Also, the official added that due to the PSU’s inability to invest in upgradation of its network during the period 2008-2012, there were issues related to mobile network coverage, capacity and quality of service.
“The reasons for decline in wireline subscriber base include the general decline in demand for fixed lines telephone on account of shift to mobile services,” he said.
At the end of May 2015, the wireless subscriber base of BSNL stood at 7.76 crore with a market share of 7.96 per cent.
The wireline base stood at 1.60 crore with a market share of 61.07 per cent.
The company, however, is taking various steps to increase its subscriber base and revenue through investments in network and improve quality of service.
As a part of its phase 7 project, the company will be investing Rs 4,804.77 crore in network augmentation which will result in addition of 14,421 2G sites and 10,605 3G sites across the country.
Apart from that, BSNL has taken a number of initiatives to attract customers which include unlimited free night calls from landline, free incoming calls on roaming and a host of different special plans.”

Have you started the Post Card Campaign ? If not, start it immediately.

11 Tuesday Aug 2015

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The Forum of BSNL Unions/Associations has taken a very appropriate decision to send a post card by each and every employee addressed to Shri Ravi Shankar Prasad, Communications Minister, demanding immediate steps for the revival of BSNL. It was only due to the anti-BSNL decisions and policy of both the UPA and NDA Governments that BSNL has started posting loss for the last few years and the service has gone down. It is the responsibility of the government to restore it to its glorious past. The employees under the leadership of Forum are taking every step to ensure financial viability of BSNL and better service to the customers. Due to this, the service has improved and the losses are marginally coming down for the last two years. But it is only through support from the government the process could be expedited.

Communications Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad continuously declares that he will not allow BSNL and MTNL to die and that the government will give all assistance to BSNL and MTNL.  Words have to be followed by action, which is missing. Leave alone liberal assistance, even what is due to BSNL is not being paid. Rs. 1,250 crore which is due to BSNL in lieu of ADC for 2012-13, though approved, is yet to be paid. Rs. 4,460 crore, the balance of refund of the spectrum ( after adjusting Rs. 2,000 crore towards Licence Fee) is yet to be paid. Only Rs. 169.16 crore alone is approved by the Cabinet, recently. Great injustice is being done towards BSNL by the government.

The employees also are very much agitated that the Communications Minister, since he has taken over charge, has not met the Forum leaders even once, despite several requests, even after the strike Notice was served.

It is in this context that the Forum has decided to organise the Post Card Campaign from 10th to 22nd August 2015, by sending Post Cards to the Minister demanding immediate action for the revival of BSNL. Each and every employee, whether executive or non-executive, should write with his signature and address and post the same during this period of 13 days.

It may not be out of place to mention one thing. Unless the decision is completely implemented, the full power of the unions / associations can not be shown to the Government. The SSA/Branch Secretaries should ensure that the Post Card is sent by each and every employee. In the case of those on leave also, the same should be ensured. The CHQs of the unions/ associations need to be informed about the number of post cards dispatched, so that the exact number could be ascertained. This is part of the organisational activity, which every member has a responsibility to implement.

The Campaign is for the defence of the BSNL and its workers. It is for a better service to the customers. Each and every employee should be part of this campaign for the Revival of BSNL.

 

Revival of BSNL – Post Card Campaign 10 -22 August 2015

07 Friday Aug 2015

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Forum of BSNL Unions/Associations has decided to organise a Post Card campaign from 10th to 22nd August 2015 on the issue of revival of BSNL.

The Posts Cards are to be addressed to “Shri Ravi Shankar Prasad, Communications Minister, Sanchar Bhawan, 20, Ashoka Road, New Delhi -110001” with the following content:

“Hon’ble Minister of Communications & IT is requested to immediately settle the demands submitted by the Forum, for the revival of BSNL.”

The name, designation and station of the employees should be mentioned. The address, the content and the name of the employee – all should be hand-written. The intention is that all the 2.25 lakh employees should be party to this massive campaign and pressurise the Government to take immediate action for the revival of BSNL. The campaign can be planned in many ways by organising GB meetings, meeting each and every employee, issuing pamphlets, press releases etc. etc. This is part of the Save BSNL Campaign.

The Government should be waken up from its slumber and compelled to take necessary action for the Revival of BSNL as demanded by the Forum in its Charter of Demands earlier.

Kerala BSNL Strike – Agreement Reached: Agitation withdrawn : Congratulations!

07 Friday Aug 2015

Posted by in BSNL - Better Service to the Nation, BSNLCCWF - Casual and Contract workers, BSNLEU

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Hearty Congratulations to the Kerala BSNL Workers! Agreement reached between the Circle management and Unions – Strike and agitation withdrawn.

We heartily Congratulate the casual and contract workers and employees of Kerala Circle for their great victory. Agreement has been reached between the three unions, BSNLCCWF, BSNLEU, SNEA and BSNL Circle management on the demands of the casual and contract workers as also in vacating the victimisation.

After the transfer of MSS Rao, CGM, the new CGM in-charge Shri Subbaiah had discussions with the unions represented by Coms. K.Mohanan, CS, BSNLEU, Sudheer, President, SNEA, Somasekharan Nair, CS CCLU at 17.30 hours. The following agreement was reached:

  1. Rs.100/- will be increased in daily wage of contract workers from the present Rs. 336/-
  2. A Committee including the Management and the representatives of the 3 unions is constituted to discuss on the demands of the workers.
  3. All the victimisation imposed in connection with the present agitation will be vacated.
  4. All the victimisation imposed on SNEA leaders in the last SNEA struggle will be vacated.
  5. The Strike of the CCLU and the Hunger Strike by BSNLEU and SNEA are withdrawn on the basis of the agreement.

We Congratulate the valiant workers of Kerala for their great Victory! We thank the CHQ of all the concerned unions for the effort made by them for seriously taking up the issue with the CMD. We thank all the unions, associations and individuals for supporting and helping the struggle!

We also thank the CMD BSNL for his intervention and strong action to settle the issues and save the BSNL services in Kerala.

Shift anti-worker CGM – No other option to save Kerala BSNL Circle

07 Friday Aug 2015

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The CCLU workers as well BSNL employees in Kerala are on struggle for the last one month. The complete strike by the casual contract workers and Hunger Strike by the leaders of BSNLEU and SNEA against vindictiveness of and victimisation by CGM Kerala is continuing for the last four days almost paralysing the BSNL services. While the CCLU is on strike for better wages and upgradation from unskilled to skilled category as also for implementation of the strike agreement made earlier,  the employees are on agitation against victimisation and harassment of leaders and workers of the unions. Any sensible management would have discussed the issues with the unions and found a settlement. Despite one month of struggle, no worthwhile discussion has taken place.

The assurances given by the Communications Minister to the Kerala M.P.s as well as the assurances given by the CMD to the leaders of BSNLCCWF, BSNLEU and SNEA are not honoured by the CGM Kerala. Shri MSS Rao, CGM Kerala is acting beyond his powers and has already made the entire employees against him by his arrogant and anti-workers decisions. We do not know, whether he is acting in such a way as to help the private companies and sabotage the services to the people so that the one circle, which has always been profitable is also made in to loss.

The workers and the trade unions in Kerala can not allow such a situation. It is a circle which has sent out such arrogant bureaucrats in the past, whether they were in P and T, AGs Office or elsewhere. We usually do not demand for the transfer of an officer. But now, he has crossed every limit and there is no other way except that the present CGM should be packed and sent out of Kerala, if the circle is to be saved. The Minister and CMD should ensure that he is transferred immediately from the circle. Nothing less than that is acceptable to the workers.

We demand the Minister and the CMD to immediately transfer Shri MSS Rao, CGM from Kerala Circle to outside.

Forum calls for protest demonstration on 12th August against formation of Tower Company – BSNLCCWF will also participate.

06 Thursday Aug 2015

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Forum of BSNL Unions/Associations has called upon the BSNL employees to organise massive protest demonstrations on 12th August 2015 opposing the approval of the union cabinet to separate the BSNL towers, numbering about 65,000 in to a separate company bifurcating BSNL. The decision of the Cabinet stating that this will improve financial viability is nothing but a clever move to weaken the BSNL by reducing its revenue from the existing towers. The decision of the Forum to express its protest is in time.

BSNLCCWF calls upon its units to join the demonstrations on 12th August along with BSNL employees.

Protest Cabinet decision to form Tower Company, bifurcating BSNL

06 Thursday Aug 2015

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It is reported that the Central Cabinet in its meeting on 5th August 2015 has decided to form a Tower Company, separating the tower section of BSNL. This is one of the recommendations of the Deloittee Committee and which has been strongly opposed by the Forum of BSNL Unions and Associations. In the two days strike on 21-22 April 2015 called by the Forum, one of the demands was that the proposal to form a Tower Company should be dropped.

BSNL has got about 75,000 towers which will be handed over to the new company along with a few officers and staff. The new company may be financially viable, but the the revenue of BSNL will come down drastically making its revival difficult. The Modi government wants to seal the fate of BSNL as the earlier BJP government has sealed the fate of VSNL by gifting it to Tata. There is no VSNL now, only Tata Communications. We can not allow such a fate for BSNL.

Strong protest action is required to put a stop to this Cabinet decision. BSNL workers under the Forum have stopped Disinvestment of and VRS in BSNL through continuous and mighty struggles. Now it is the turn against the formation of the Tower Company. Any delay will be dangerous for the revival of BSNL.

Modi Government Dishonours Assurances – Betrayal to BSNL

06 Thursday Aug 2015

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It is reported that the Cabinet yesterday has decided to grant Rs. 169.16 crores to BSNL, as part of the refund for the BMW Spectrum surrendered by BSNL. BSNL surrendered the spectrum years back and the more than Rs. 4,700 are to be paid to BSNL for the same after the DOT has arbitrarily adjusted about Rs. 2,000 crore towards licence Fee to be paid by BSNL. The Communications Minister, Ravi Shankar Prasad has been continuously declaring that financial assistance will be given to BSNL for revival, but what happens is that even the legitimate refund is not being paid. Is it that Prime Minister Narendra Modi is not hearing Communication Minister or the the latter himself is against assisting the BSNL? Any way, the losers are BSNL, the employees and the public. The double face of the Modi Government is exposed fully, which only wants the MNCs and Corporates to grab maximum profits.

Rs. 1,250 crores already allotted for the financial year 2012-13 in lieu of ADC for BSNL is yet to be paid despite assurance from the DOT after the two days April Strike.

The Forum and BSNLEU will continue their sustained struggle for getting justice to BSNL and its workers. THE GOVERNMENT WILL NOT BE ALLOWED TO TAKE THE WORKERS FOR GRANTED. THEY WILL FIGHT BACK FOR SURVIVAL!

DOT, Where are the funds assured to BSNL ?

05 Wednesday Aug 2015

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In the meeting with the Forum on 1st May 2015 consequent to the 2 days strike on 21-22 April and discussion later, the DOT had assured that the payment of Rs.1,250 crores approved for the financial year 2012-13 as well as part of refund of spectrum surrendered by the BSNL will be made without further delay. But so far, it is yet to be paid. Why so much delay? BSNL is in a big move to expand and improve its services to the customers. This is the time when the funds are required for the company.

The DOT should act immediately and ensure that the due funds are paid to BSNL immediately.

Call Drops – Audit of telecom companies ordered – Communications Minister

31 Friday Jul 2015

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The Department of Telecom will undertake special audit to assess the coverage and quality of service of all mobile operators in the metro cities to assess the gravity of problem to call drops. This was stated in a written reply given in the Parliament by the Minister of Communications Ravi Shankar Prasad.

“The TERM cells (field unit of DoT) have been asked to take up the special audit to assess the coverage/quality of service in metro/capital cities of all mobile operators network in order to assess the gravity of problem of call drops,”  the Communications  Minister stated.

There has been several complaints of call drops, especially in the metro cities. Many MPs had also raised the issue in the Parliament.

Though the call drops of BSNL is stated to be less than others, it also will have to seriously look in to the matter and ensure for a better service, which will attract more customers.