Hon’ble High Court,  Delhi outrightly dismissed the modification application filed by BSNL seeking 25 months time for repatriation of unabsorbed ITS officers working in BSNL.Even desperate plea made by the BSNL counsel to give time upto 31st December, 2012 was rejected by the Hon’ble Court. Hon’ble HC while dismissing the application of BSNL directed it to complete repatriation process by 30th Sept, 2012.

Intervention application was filed by AIBSNLEA, BSNLEU and SNEA(I). Even though the intervention application was also dismissed, yet counsel appearing for these Associations/unions strongly opposed the move of ITS controlled BSNL Management for extension of time. Intervention application was not admitted on technical grounds since we are not party in the original application.

Further course of legal action is being discussed with our counsel.  

The Chief Labour Commissioner (CLC) held a meeting today with the BSNL management and the JAC with regard to the issues raised by the JAC in the 15th December strike. The issues of VRS and ITS absorption were discussed in great detail. The JAC gave detailed convincing presentation on both the issues. The management was on the defensive.

The next meeting will be held on 30th May.

The anomaly committee held today discussed the issue in detail and has arrived to the general conclusion that the issue should be settled by allowing the seniors who are getting less than their juniors in the lower grade after the wage revision from CDA to IDA in 2000 should be stepped up to the pay of the junior. The next meeting which will be held in the first/second week of June will finalise the report.

The demand of the staff side on  NE-12 pay scale is put in the agenda of the BSNL Board Meeting to be held on 21st May.   I met the CMD BSNL, Director (HR) and also Director (Fin) today  and insisted that the same be approved without fail. I hope that the approval will be given by the Board.

The next sitting of the Anomaly Committee will be held on 16th May. In the last meeting the staff side has clearly told that  the seniors in the higher grade who are getting less than their juniors in the lower grade  should be  paid the same as their juniors. Nothing less can be accepted. Let us hope the administration will realise the seriousness of the issue and agree without compelling the staff side to go on agitation.

New designations

 The issue of giving new designations for the Non-Executive employees was taken up in the National Council long back. As per the decision of the National Council, a joint committee was constituted. The committee met a few times. Thereafter, Management stopped calling meeting of that committee. This is one issue on which dharna and hunger strike took place in November, 2011. This issue was taken up as an item for the National Council meeting held on27th February, 2012. Due to the pressure created by us, the joint committee was reconstituted and it’s meeting took place on23rd February, 2012. In that meeting proposals for new designations emerged for the four mainstream cadres, viz., Regular Mazdoor, Telecom Mechanic, Senior TOA andTTA. The proposals are as follows.

Regular Mazdoor –

 (1)Telecom Assistant

(2) Senior Telecom Assistant

(3) Senior Telecom Assistant grade I

(4) Senior Telecom Assistant grade II

Telecom Mechanic –

(1)Telecom Technician

(2) Senior Telecom Technician

(3) Senior Telecom Technician grade I

(4) Senior Telecom Technician grade II

Senior TOA –

(1) Telecom Associate Officer

(2) Senior Telecom Associate Officer

(3) Senior Telecom Associate Officer grade I

(4) Chief Telecom Associate Officer

TTA –

(1) Telecom Associate Engineer,

(2) Senior Telecom Associate Engineer,

(3) Senior Telecom Associate Engineer grade I

(4) Chief Telecom Associate Engineer

Soon after grant of recognition in 2005. BSNL Employees Union has taken up the issue of change of designations of the non-executive cadres. While the management took a negative stand first, they were convinced that it is of utmost importance to give better designations in the present competitive situation. A joint committee with representatives from management as also from the staff side was formed. A lot of discussions took place on the basis of the demand of the staff side. But at a certain stage, the management took the stand that it is going for  a change of designation  for the executive cadres and hence it is possible to finalize the change of designation of non-executives only afterwards. Since there was acute delay, this was included as an issue in the dharna and hunger strike in November 2011. The case was again taken up in the National Council held on 27th February 2012. Before the meeting BSNLEU called upon the employees to suggest suitable proposals which can be present to the committee. Many suggestions came and the issues were discussed in detail in the Joint Committee. The official side was very reluctant on many designations suggested by the staff side. After protracted discussions and hard bargaining certain designations came to the fore for further discussion.

The following are the proposals for the designations of TTA with the upgradation posts:

I.  TTA :    (1) Telecom Associate Engineer (2) Senior Telecom Associate Engineer (3) Senior Telecom Associate Engineer Grade I  and (4) Chief Telecom Associate Engineer.

It was once again called by BSNLEU to all unions and workers to indicate their opinions. This was mostly agreed as per the  comments and opinions received.

We have again asked for an early meeting of the Joint Committee so that the issue can be finalised. But it seems to be that certain sections in the management are having reservation in giving the name of Engineer to non-executive cadres. But we have taken a very strong position in the matter that the Engineer name should be there. We are pressurizing for an early meeting to finalize the issues.

This is the latest position on the issue of Change of Designation for the TTAs.  (to be continued)

I am happy that many TTA comrades have commented about discriminations against them by the management and certain issues which are pending settlement. These comments are made in connection with the post in which the injustice done to the casual and contract workers were mentioned by me. Before going in to the issues of the DR TTAs, I would like to point out one crucial difference between the issues of the casual/contract labour and the regular worker including the TTAs.

There are settled orders, agreements, court judgments etc. with regard to the regular workers which are implemented by and large. For the regular workers, the fight mainly is for getting  for new wage revisions, promotional policies, other benefits and improving the service conditions etc. This is continuing for decades and will continue further.

With regard to the casual and contract worker the main issue is that even the Acts of the Parliament, the government orders and the decisions of the Labour Courts etc. is not implemented either by the managements or by the contractors. Even the minimum wage decided by the government is not paid in most of the places, though the funds are spent for the same. Social security measures like PF, Insurance etc. are not implemented. Paid weekly off is denied eventhough  order exists for the same. It is inhuman exploitation and violation of rules and regulations. For the casual and contract labour the immediate requirement is at least to implement the existing orders on all the above. They also have got a lot of demands, but the priority is implementation of the existing orders. In the case of regular employees, the orders are implemented, but their genuine demands thave to be achieved.

Why the casual and contract labour could not get the benefits? One is the combined exploitation by the contractor and the management. Second is the lack of knowledge and information about the rights of the workers both by the worker and the management. Third and most important is the absence of a strong union for the casual contract workers. It is only  a few years back that a union for these downtrodden was formed. Through sustained struggles, Parliament March, taking the issues in the Parliamentary Standing Committees, going on for arbitration and also many,, the conditions have at least some what improved. For example in W.Bengal, Kolkatta, T.Nadu and to a certain extent in Kerala, due to continuous struggle many of the orders have been got implemented. Struggles are taking place in other places also where the union is formed and strengthened. Even for implementation of the orders, a strong union is necessary. Why I am writing on the issues of these unorganised section of workers is that they are part of the BSNL workforce and they also have a right to work and get the benefit of the existing rules and laws. I have got full hope that all the regular employees will support the cause of these downtrodden workers. I will be posting on the issues of the TTAs shortly.    (contd..)

The judgement of the Delhi High Court for a final disposal of the ITS absorption issue is welcome. For at least the last 5 to 6 years, the issue has been continuing without any final settlement. This has seriously and adversely affected the development and expansion of the company in an unprecedented manner. The company is in loss for the last three years and the top management is answerable. Along with the anti-PSU policy of the government, the uncertainty about the future of the ITS has demoralised the top officers to a very large extend which had its own repercussions in the functioning of  the BSNL. This situation can not continue, if the BSNL has to survive.

It is informed that the BSNL management is trying to approach the Court to get more time for the repatriation, on the plea that the services of these officers are indispensable. Similar was the argument by the Britishers that Indians can not rule the country on their own. It is only a fragile argument. There are sufficient ITS officers who have opted for BSNL who can be posted in the important posts. Even if more is necessary, senior and efficient executives can be posted. The Pitroda committee recommendations in this connection is relevant. Less than 100 senior officers are sufficient to man these posts. If necesaary expeditious recruitment also can be made.

The BSNL management should stand for the company from which they get their salary and not for those who want to leave the company for their career prospects. We don’t have anything against the ITS officers who want to get repatriated for better prospects.  The issue is very simple.  If they want BSNL, BSNL  wants them. If they do not want BSNL, naturally BSNL  also does not want them.

The BSNL Management has to rise to the occasion and has to settle the issue in the interest of BSNL. Any lapse on this will never be condoned or pardoned by the workers or the people of this country who  want BSNL to survive and serve the people.

In a detailed letter, the Joint Action Committee has requested the Prime Minister to grant sufficient subsidy to the BSNL for maintaining the loss making land connections which are socially necessary  for the universal service for which the government is committed. The amount recommended by the TRAI is only Rs. 1500 crore for this year and Rs. 1250 for next year. Considering the huge loss to the BSNL this should be increased substantially. The JAC has written to the Communications Minister as well as the Finance Minister with copy to the CMD to pursue the matter vigorously. Members of Parliament of different political parties also have been requested to intervene in the matter which is very important for the survival of BSNL.

The full letter is posted in th website of BSNLEU.