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.

A hit below the belt to BSNL-MTNL – Govt. decision on spectrum

09 Tuesday Oct 2012

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The decision of the Empowered Group of Ministers (EGoM) that the telecom operators who have  spectrum in excess of 4.4 Mhz will have to pay  a one-time fee for the remaining period of the 2o year licence is completely discriminatory and is nothing but a favour to the private companies.  Since the spectrum was allotted to the major private companies in 1994 and their 20 year licence is to end by 2013, most of them  have to pay at about Rs.2,ooo crore to 3500 crore only. It is only Bharti Airtel which will have to pay about Rs. 5000 crore since it has got as much as 10Mhz spectrum in almost all circles. These private companies have been enjoying the free excess spectrum for the last 19 years.

According to the reports BSNL has to pay a minimum of Rs. 6250 crore and MTNL Rs. 4640 crore. This is due to the reason that they have yet   10 years more to complete their 20 year period, since they were discriminated and were given the spectrum only in 2002, though they were the companies owned by the Government. Both of them together have to pay Rs, 10,890 crore for spectrum all over India, while Airtel  need pay only Rs. 5,000 crore for the same.  While excess spectrum was free for 19 years to the private companies and have to pay only for one year, BSNL & MTNL  got excess spectrum free for only 10 years and have to pay for 10 years. This is completely injustice and an attack on the above two PSUs who have served the country for long years serving not only in the urban cities but in the lakhs of villages as part of the universal service obligation by the government incurring loss of lakhs of crores of rupees.

The Cabinet is going to take a decision on the recommendations of the EGoM  on 16th October as reported in the media. There should be strong protest from the BSNL – MTNL management against this decision. It should be demanded that the excess spectrum with BSNL & MTNL should be free and that no charge should be levied as they are the incumbent  and government companies   as also that they have been discriminated in allocation of the spectrum for many years. At least  no fee should be levied till the end of the first 20 years period.

The Forum of BSNL Unions has to immediately take up the issue with the government to ensure that justice is given to the PSUs, BSNL and MTNL. The present decision of the government is a bolt from the blue for both these PSUs which are already in loss due to the pro-private policies of the government.  Serious agitational programmes will have to be resorted to against the anti BSNL-MTNL recommendations.

 

Merger of BSNL and MTNL – Is there any possibility?

08 Monday Oct 2012

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The question of merger of the two telecom PSUs, BSNL and MTNL, is coming up now and then. Is it possible? What are the real issues?

MTNL was formed on 1st April 1986 as a wholly government company under Department of Telecommunications (DOT),  to provide telecom services, except telegraphs,  in the metros of Delhi and Mumbai. BSNL was formed on 1st October 2000 as government company as MTNL, but to provide telecom services all over India except in the above two metro cities and the telegraphs including in the metros.

What was the necessity to break the DOT services in to two corporations, instead of continuing as a government department which was well appreciated as an efficient and reliable service?

The government has adopted the neo-liberalisation process since the 1990s. Instead of strengthening the Public Sectors which were called as ‘Temples of modern India’ by the first Prime Minister Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, the present ruling classes wanted to disinvest and sell the PSUs at cheap prices to the corporates. Their slogan was, ‘Business is not the business of the government’. It is not easy to privatise the government department directly and hence corporatisation, which is considered as the first step towards privatisation. How another corporation formed from DOT vis. Videsh Sanchar Nigam Limited (VSNL) was sold to the Tatas is well known.  In the same way, the government wants to privatise both MTNL and BSNL. MTNL is already disinvested to the extent of 45%, but due to strong resistance from the unions, no disinvestment has taken place in BSNL.

Both the PSUs were  in profit earlier, but is in loss at present due to the pro-private, anti-PSU policy of the government. DOT services should not have been corporatized and at least not bifurcated in to MTNL and BSNL.

Interestingly, years after formation of these two companies, some proposals from the government had come for merger of the two. The employees are in support. Merger will help synergy and benefit the operations on an all India basis.

But there are two issues to be sorted out. One is about wages, perks, promotion, seniority, pension etc. These are different in these two companies. How it can be solved? We have the tragic experience of the merger of Air India and Indian Airlines which has resulted in much heartburning and agitations due to the injustice meted out to one or other section after merger. There are about 2.74 lakh workers in BSNL and about 35,000 in MTNL. These  issues have to be sorted out before merger.

Another issue is that MTNL is disinvested and BSNL is not. How this issue can dealt with on merger. One way is to buy back the shares sold by MTNL and then merge. But this is almost an impossibility with the privatisation policy of the government.

Under the circumstances, the chance for any merger between the two telecom PSUs is dim. But another decision can be taken by the government. BSNL can be allowed to provide services in Mumbai and Delhi and in the same way MTNL allowed to function outside Delhi and Mumbai . The Oil PSUs are not restricted to any areas, but is on all India basis. Why that position can’t be introduced in telecom also. That will benefit both the companies.

 

 

Savingram to Prime Minister on ITS issue – Action by Forum

07 Sunday Oct 2012

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ITS absorption /repatriation issue is pending without settlement for  12 years, especially for the last 7 years after the initial deputation period was over. It is a trauma affecting the good governance of BSNL. The tragedy is that those who have to settle are not interested in the future of BSNL. Despite Delhi High Court’s clear orders with a dead line of 30th September, the issue remains unsettled. It seems that the government and the BSNL management is more interested in safeguarding the interests of a few thousands of ITS officers more than the interests of BSNL, the Nation and that of lakhs of workers who depend upon this organisation.

As such, the agitational programmes decided by the Forum of BSNL Unions/Associations are fully justified and necessary. The first programme is Lunch Hour Demonstration on 11th October and sending savingrams to Prime Minister with copy to Communications minister, Cabinet Secretary, Secretary DOT and CMD BSNL.

Make the action a big success with all the Branch Unions of all unions sending the savingrams and organising demonstrations at the SSA/Circle/C.O levels as called by the Forum.

ITS Repatriation – Forum of BSNL Unions calls for sustained struggles

05 Friday Oct 2012

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The Forum of BSNL Unions/Associations has decided to organise sustained struggles on the issue of repatriation of non-optee ITS officers to save the BSNL and its workers from the present crisis and challenge. The agitational programme were decided in the meeting of the Forum held yesterday. The details of the programmes will be posted in this blog also after finalising the same.

Delhi High Court stays DOT order on roaming service without licence

05 Friday Oct 2012

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The Delhi High Court on 3rd October stayed for 60 days the order issued by DOT asking the Airtel to stop its 3G roaming services in circles where it has got no spectrum allotted. Airtel and other private telcos like Vodafone and Idea Cellular have been providing 3G roaming services in the circles where they had no spectrum, by making mutual agreements with other companies. Thus without paying the spectrum charges they were cheating the government by these mutual agreements. It is to be noted in this context that BSNL was compelled to pay spectrum charges for all the circles, without even participating in the auction process. The government also lost heavily.  We had also demanded that these illegal services should be stopped.

At last after much dithering DOT issued orders stopping these illegal 3G services by the private companies. Airtel has gone to the court and now Delhi High Court has stayed the DOT orders for 60 days.

DOT should put a strong case and ensure that these illegal services are got cancelled.

Improve BSNL Service – Minister

02 Tuesday Oct 2012

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Shri Kapil Sibal, Communications Minister called upon the BSNL management and the workers to improve the services. He was addressing a meeting held to celebrate the 12th Birth Day Anniversary of BSNL.

We completely agree with the Minister that the services have to be improved a lot. But unfortunately it is the anti-PSU policy of the government which is creating hurdles for BSNL to develop and improve the services.

What the Minister should do is to change the anti- BSNL policy and implement all the assurances  given to the BSNL at the time of corporatisation. This will help not only financial viability but also enable the company to give a better service to the people.

Hearty Greetings on 1st October – BSNL Day!

30 Sunday Sep 2012

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Tomorrow, 1st October 2012, is the 12th Birth Anniversary day of Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL), the Public Sector Telecom company fully owned by the Government of India. BSNL was formed on 1st October 2000 by converting the service portion of the Department of Telecom (DOT). The staff unions/federations opposed and went on agitation including the strike. Some of the federations / Unions agreed for corporatisation  on certain assurances. This was an unpardonable betrayal of the interests of the workers and the BSNL was formed.

The last twelve years have seen the high growth of BSNL till 2007 and the decline of the market share afterwards. High profits in the early years were followed by heavy loss in the last three years. The main reasons are the anti-worker PSU policy of the central government and its neo-liberal policies, Ineffective Management and to a certain extent the casual attitude of the workers. All these have got to be changed.

Sustained struggle to change the wrong policy of the government, strong and continued pressure on the management for better governance and maximum effort to change the mindset of the workers have to be done. The implementation of the ‘Customer Delight Year’ in an effective manner will do a lot to improve the services. Unnecessary expenditure and corruption to be firmly dealt with.

Let us continue our struggle to Save BSNL and its workers. Best Wishes and Greetings to all on the eve of BSNL Day!

7% DA increase for Sentral Govt. employees.

25 Tuesday Sep 2012

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The Union Government today hiked Dearness Allowance (DA) by 7 per cent, benefiting its 80 lakh employees and pensioners and costing the exchequer an additional Rs 7,408 crore annually.
The hike will be effective from July 1, 2012, and the employees would be entitled for arrears from this date.
The hike in the DA from 65 per cent to 72 per cent will cost the exchequer Rs 4,939 crore for the remaining part of the current financial year. The annual expense on account of the DA increase has been estimated at Rs 7,408 crore, says an official release.
The decision, which was approved by the Union Cabinet, will benefit about 50 lakh employees and 30lakh pensioners.

Within a few days the increase of DA for BSNL workers will be announced.

Forum of BSNL Unions/Associations meet Secretary, DOT

20 Thursday Sep 2012

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The leaders of the BSNL Unions/Associations met Shri R.Chandrasekhar Secretary DOT today and pressed for the early repatriation of the IAS officers as per the judgment of the Delhi High Court. The leaders also requested for early approval of the 78.2% IDA fitment and the subsidy to BSNL from the USOF which is pending decision for some time. Secretary, DOT assured favourable consideration.

In addition to Secretary DOT, Addl Secretary, Joint Secretary and Member (Services) were present. From BSNLEU comrade P.Abhimanyu, GS, P.Asokababu, Dy.GS and Swapan Chakraborty, AGS participated.

BSNL issues orders on NE – 12 payscale

11 Tuesday Sep 2012

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One more of the agreement reached on the NEPP has now been implemented by issuing orders on the NE – 12 payscale ( Rs.16390 – 33830) thus granting one more promotion to those who have reached NE – 11 payscale. This is a great achievement of implementing the Promotion Policy for the Non-Executives. This will be with retrospective effect from 22-02-2012. I am sure that even those pessimists who stated that the NE-12 will not be sanctioned will also be happy, because they also will get the benefit.

Congratulations go to all the BSNLEU and UF comrades who fought and who compelled BSNL for the issue. Thanks are due to BSNL management also for issue, even though somewhat delayed on administrative reasons.