FORUM OF BSNL UNIONS/ASSOCIATIONS

D-7, Telegraph Place, Gole Market, New Delhi – 110001

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Press Release                                                                                                                                    20th April 2015

BSNL Employees’ Two Days Strike on 21-22 April 2015 Demanding Revival of BSNL

As per the call of the Forum of BSNL Unions/Associations, the BSNL Employees, both executives and non-executives numbering around 2.25 lakhs, will resort to Two Days Strike on 21-22 April 2015 demanding immediate action from the Government and BSNL Management for the Revival of BSNL.

Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited was the No.1 telecom company in India and was having an annual  revenue of about Rs.40,000 crore and profit of about Rs 8,000 – 10,000 crore  till 2006. The non-implementation of the government assurances on financial viability, continued cancellation of the BSNL tenders of mobile equipment, confiscation of the cash balance of the company by the government on one pretext or other, discriminating BSNL in favour of private companies -all these deliberate decisions have pushed BSNL in to loss for the last five years.

The government has withdrawn from its assurance to pay ADC, refund of licence fee and liberal subsidy from the USO fund, for compensating BSNL for the loss of about Rs.10,000 crore per year for providing services to the villages and rural areas in the country which is as per the universal connectivity policy of the government. The present loss of the company around Rs. 7,000- 8,000 crore per year will be covered and there will be profit for BSNL if these assurances are honoured and implemented.

Immediate purchase of various equipments for providing mobile, broadband etc. services are most important. Sufficient funds are required for the same, which BSNL is not having at present.

An amount of Rs. 6,700 crore is due to be paid to BSNL by Government towards the cost of spectrum, which the BSNL has surrendered. An amount of Rs. 1,250 crore, allotted to BSNL in lieu of ADC for providing loss making   connections for 2012-13, is still pending payment.  The employees are demanding that these two amounts be paid immediately so that BSNL can purchase required equipment.

The Forum of BSNL Unions/Associations has suggested various proposals for providing better service to the customers on which also no action is taken.

The Forum also demands that BSNL should start 4G services without any delay. It also has demanded that it should be made mandatory for the Central/State Governments and PSUs to take BSNL service as was done in the case of Air India.

The strike Demands submitted by the Forum are mainly intended to improve the services and to better the financial viability of the company. However, neither the Secretary, Department of Telecom nor the Communications  Minister have so far called the Unions/associations for any discussion or settlement of the issues.  The entire responsibility for the strike and its adverse affect on the services and difficulties to the public lies upon the Government and the Management.

The Two Days Strike on 21-22 April will start from the mid-night of 20-21 April 2015. We solicit the support of all in our effort to improve the BSNL services and revive it.

V.A.N.Namboodiri

Convener, Forum

Mobile: 9868231431.