Reverification of Membership in E.III
The DOT on 31st October 1996 ordered reverification of membership of telecom Group ‘C’ employees along with the already ordered verification for other categories. In desperation, OPG and Co. criticized the decisions of the Delhi High Court, Law Ministry, DOP&T and DOT in ordering the verification. He even insinuated Com. Harkishan Singh Surjeet, General Secretary, CPI(M), alleging that this is issued on an understanding between him and Prime Minister to favour Com. Namboodiri. Madness has no limits! In fact, OPG & Co. were afraid of the workers. OPG and NUTE filed cases in Delhi High Court, but could not get any stay.
Delhi CWC
An Emergent E-III CWC was held at New Delhi on 30th October 1996 to finanlise strategy in the verification, presided by President, Com.Moni Bose. To facilitate the union to apply for recognition in confirmation with CCS (RSA) Rules 1993 (New Recognition Rules) that one of the Chief Executive should be a serving employee, Com. Moni Bose, President of E.III Union, elected at Thiruvananthapuram, desired to step down. The house accepted the same with great regrets, as there was no other course. The CWC highly appreciated the spirit behind the offer. Com.K.D.M.Tripathi, Vice-President, was unanimously elected as the President.
The CWC meeting was addressed by .P.S.Ramankutty, GS T-III and Pabitra Chakraborty, GS Administrative Union. The meeting discussed and decided the strategies to face the reverification.
Denial of Union’s Name
Both V.A.N.Namboodiri, General Secretary and M.B.Vichare applied in the same name viz. All India Telecom Employees union Class III for the reverification. But in continuation of its favouritism, DOT refused to entertain the application of Namboodiri. The application was ignored for reasons not known. And surprisingly, the application of Vichare was accepted. DOT wanted the real union represented by Namboodiri to be out of the reverification process to enable OPG and Co. to get majority with out any hurdle.
Mighty Protest Actions – Telegram Campaign
Massive protest rallies were organized throughout the country as per call of the E.III CHQ, demanding cancellation of DOT’s completely prejudiced orders. Thousands of Protest Telegrams were sent to the Prime Minister, Communications Minister and Chairman, Telecom Commission.
Discussion with Minister on 1-1-1997
The country-wide protests had its effect. The union was invited to talks by the Communications Minister Beni Prasad Verma on 1-1-1997. K.D.M.Tripathi, President, V.A.N.Namboodiri, General Secretary and K.M.Pillai, Treasurer met the Minister and Chairman Telecom Commission A.V.Gokak with other senior officers on the day. The union demanded acceptance of its application for the re-verification. The arrogant DOT officers ridiculed the demand by stating that the union can approach the courts, as was done earlier. The union stated that they are requesting the intervention by the Minister.
As a solution to the complicated issue, it was agreed the union’s application will be accepted as “All India Telecom Employees Union Class III (Namboodiri)”, as per the suggestion of the Minister, thus adding the name of the chief executive in brackets for identification, as was done in the case of Indian National Congress (Indira), when a dispute arose in the Congress party. After consultation with senior comrades and CWC Members available on phone, application to that effect was submitted to DOT on 02-01-1997. This became necessary to protect the organization from being kept out of the verification.
But the DOT was not happy and delayed accepting the application. After delaying matters for long three months, again on the intervention of the Minister, the DOT accepted the application on 11-04-1997.
Limited TU Facilities
The verification was by check off system, though the union wanted by secret ballot. The Federation wanted check off system, where manipulation with the connivance of the management can take place as before. As part of the re-verification process, the time schedule was announced on 03-06-1997. Limited Trade Union Facilities were granted to all applicant unions in order to conduct the verification in an equitable and fair manner vide orders dated 12-06-1997.
Reverification Starts
The time schedule was changed more than once on request from OPG & co. and other Federations. They wanted time to file cases for staying the verification. Supply of verification forms started on 31-07-1997. The significance of the verification was not lost on anybody. The sustained struggles conducted by us had gone to the workers. The alternate policies and demands which we had raised and popularized have been appreciated by the workers. This will certainly have its positive impact on the verification.
E.III (Namboodiri) in winning position
The workers rose to the expectation. Within 5 days, the trend was very clear. In 9 circles viz. Assam, North East I & II, Calcutta Telephones, Telecom Factories, Telecom Stores, W.Bengal, A&N Islands and Kerala, we maintained an unenviable position with huge majority. We got majority in Madras telephones, A.P., Karnataka, U.P.(East), UP(West), Haryana etc. and largely improved our positions in other circles. An analysis on the basis of the reports made it clear that E.III (Namboodiri) will get No.1 position with more than 35% required for recognition. NFTE and other Federations became panicky. They wanted to scuttle the verification to avoid getting defeated.
Reverification stayed
They moved various Courts to stay the ongoing verification. They could not approach the Delhi High Court, since the same has already been denied by it. Instead, they filed petitions in Mumbai High Court, Chennai High Court, Ernakulam High Court, Tiz Hazari and Sonepat Courts.
The Sonepat Civil Court issued the first stay. Even though it was a lower Court, DOT immediately stayed the verification proceedings. E.III(Namboodiri) filed a petition and got the stay vacated. But another stay was grant by the next higher court at Sonepat itself. Ernakulam High Court stay was got vacated by us. But the Division Bench allowed another stay.
Thus, the re-verification process was stopped half-way due to continued court cases and stays. E.III(Namboodiri) Union was sure to get recognition as the first union and there was a chance that NFTE may also get recognition as second union. But NFTE wanted to deny recognition to E.III (N) and continue its present recognition status. There was no chance for the other Federations and unions to get recognition, thus losing their present recognition.
Thus the workers were not allowed to select their union through the verification process. The dark forces have won temporarily denying recognition to the number one union viz. E.III(N).
(To be continued)

Com.V.S.Menon Passed away

Com. V.S.Menon, a stalwart leader of the P and T employees and former Secretary, NFPTE, passed away on 7^th January 1994 at Ahmedabad after a severe heart-attack. He was 75. He was suspended in the 1949 strike and detained in jail for a long time. After reinstatement, he was promoted and retired as Divisional Engineer. He continued to be in contact with the union and gave all help and guidance and also worked in the Pensioners Association. Mrs. Vimala Menon, his wife, also passed away within  three hours of his death.

Resolution of the Co-Ordination Committee of Trade Unions on Telecom Sector

A meeting of the representatives of Central Trade Unions, Apex Trade Unions and Office Associations of five important sectors, Financial Sector, Public Sector Enterprise, Electric Power Sector, Oil Sector and Telecommunications, was held at New Delhi on 27^th and 28^th January 1994 and analysed the prevailing situation due to the implementation of the neo-liberal policies and the attack on the public sector and especially the ore sectors. It called upon the workers, the intellectuals, the Members of Parliament and political parties to raise their voice against the denigration of the Public Sector and to demand the government to strengthen, instead of weaken, the public sector. It called upon the employees and the masses who would bear the brunt of the adverse consequences to resist all such attempts of the government which compromise with the sovereignty of the nation in terms of its  economic independence, self-reliance and national security.

A separate detailed note on each sector was appended for the study of the workers and prepare for struggle. E.III Union actively participated in the meeting, discussion and drafting of the resolution. It was a move to educate the workers on the coming danger.

All India Conference of T.III  and Administrative Unions

In the All India Conference of T.III Union held at Pushkar, Rajasthan on 5-8 October 1993, Coms. V.A.Harsulkar and P.S.Raman Kutty were re-elected as President and General Secretary.

The All India Conference of Administrative Union Class III and IV, held at Calcutta from 5-8 October 1993 elected H.G.Ramachandra as President Pabitra Ranjan Chakraborty as General Secretary. (To be continued)

New Recognition Rules – CCS (RSA) Rules, 1993

The government issued the Central Civil Services (Recognition of Service Association) Rules, 1993 on 09-11-1993, amending the existing rules on the recognition of the associations/unions of central government employees. One of the major changes in the rules was that only a working employee can be the office-bearer of the association/union. Another was that the membership will be verified through the check-off system in pay rolls at such intervals and in such a manner as the government may decide

Important provisions of these rules are given below:

1. Separate Association for each category
2. Only an Association representing more than 35% of total strength of the category shall be recognized. Another Association if representing more than 15% of the strength will be recognized.
3. Only serving government servants will remain members / office bearers of the Association. If an office bearer of a category of Association is promoted, he will cease to be a member/office bearer of that Association.
4. All amendments to the constitution / bye-laws of the Association shall have to be approved by the government before these could be carried out.
5. Verification of membership would be through check-off system in pay rolls and not through secret ballot.

Spectre of Privatisation in telecom – N.Vittal as Secretary, Telecom

The appointment of N.Vittal, as Secretary, DOT and Chairman, Telecom commission in 1994 speeded up  the move for privatization of the telecom sector as part of the neo-liberal policy of the government. Inviting the entrepreneurs to invest in the huge profitable telecom sector, he stated that Government should consider 10 years tax holiday or 16 % return to the private sector units for their investment in the sector.

Meanwhile reports also came that at Tumkur and Bangalore in Karnataka, Tirupur and Tutucorin in T.Nadu, Ghaziabad in U.P. etc. MNCs and their partners and collaborators among Indian monopoly houses have been invited to open new services to meet the existing and expanding demands for telephone.

It was also reported that two schemes will be implemented – BLT(Build, Lease and transfer)  and BOT (Build Operate and transfer) were being finalized for the private operators.

In this background the three recognized federations met N.Vittal, Chairman, Telecom Commission on 26^th April 1993. Vittal assured the Federations that the existing 4.7 lakh telecom workers will be fully protected, their career prospects would be guarded and the entire workforce will be given training in the new technologies for which a scheme will be finalized.

E.III (N) Union strongly protested these moves for privatization  and expressed firm view that in the name of competitiveness we can not allow dual functioning.

The three recognized Federations, viz. NFTE, FNTO and BTEF, after the meeting with the Secretary DOT met and decided to go on strike in November 1993 to focus people’s attention on the policy of destabilization of the services in the name of liberalisation and  deregularisation.

The demands for the strike are:

1. No duality/multiplicity in Telecom Services
2. Complete upgrading of skills and education of workforce to change the work culture
3. Reduce working hours as recommended by the ILO to absorb surplus staff
4. End corruption at all levels.
5. Provide full information to unions and hold meaningful consultations
6. Settle all aspects of the workers’ organizations.

One Day Stay-in, Pen Down  Strike on 31-12-1993

After one postponement of date, One Day Stay-in, Pen Down  Strike was decided to be organized on 31^st December 1993. Initially, OPG & Co. were not prepared for action. As usual, he expressed reluctance to fight against corporatization and privatization. But when ITSA, JTOA, FNTO, E.III, T.III and Administrative Union decided, OPG also agreed. Accordingly the strike notice was issued.

The demands raised in the strike were as follows:

1. No need of corporatization/privatization
2. Constitute an independent Telecom Finance Corporation.
3. Joint Committee Report to be incorporated in the Cabine Note
4. Consultation with Staff Side before launching any move for a change in the structure of the DoT.
5. Upgradation of the skills of the workers.

The Chairman, Telecom Commission met the unions and discussed the issues, but there was no progress in settling the demands. Hence the strike decision was reiterated.

The strike was a complete success. Since the call was given by all the three Federations and the Unions, there was good co-ordination in the campaign and the implementation.

The Indian Telecom Service Association(ITS), the organization of the  ITS officers, observed Protest Day on the same day, 31^st December 2015 to synchronize their opposition to the move of the government for corporatization, by wearing black badges and extended full support to the strike by employees. The class II Officers’ Association, TESA, observed pay-boycott on the same day to fall in line with the united movement.

The government was prompt enough to declare the strike as illegal and threatened to punish the striking employees with orders of penal measures. The workers ignored them and fully participated.

Altogether the one day Stay-in, Pen Down Strike was a warning by all the employees to the government that any move for corporatization or privatization of telecom will be unitedly opposed.

US telecom MNC threatens H.P.Wagle, Chairman, Telecom Commission

It was reported in the press that Van E.Snowdon, Vice-President of ‘Vanguard’ one of the biggest cellular operator in USA, has threatened that, if necessary, that good offices of the International Monetary Fund(IMF) will be used through diplomatic channels to remove H.P.Wagle, ITS, Chairman, Telecom Commission from his post. The reason? He was not prepared to open the flood gates for any cellular company to open in the metros and stuck to the position that rules will be strictly implement. H.P.Wagle was the last ITS officer to hold the post of Chairman, Telecom Commission. He retired in September 1993. Afterwards no ITS officer was posted in that position. N.Vittal, the so called telecom expert was his successor. (To be continued)

For the last few months, I have been posting in my blog, a series of articles on the ‘Telecom Trade Union Movement 1991-2015’. 11 installments are already published. A few senior comrades have sent some suggestions. My thanks are due to them and  I am including their suggestions. I  request all the readers to convey their opinions/suggestions/modifications etc. so that quality of the articles become better. Thank You.