Almost every day, the BSNL Casual and Contract Workers Federation as well as BSNLEU are getting complaints from their units that the contract workers are not being paid the Minimum Wage as per the government orders, EPF and ESI are not implemented, wages are not paid through cheques or to the SB accounts of the worker etc.
The BSNL C.O. has issued clear orders on 5th november 2008 itself regarding payment of minimum wages and on EPF, ESI etc.after the issue was taken up by BSNLEU. Even after five years of the issue of the order and regular reminders by the C.O., the field units are not implementing the same. It seems that the CMD and other Directors and top management have no control over their GMs.Otherwise why they are blatantly violating the orders of the C.O.?
Or is there a secret understanding between the top management and SSA heads that though orders are issued by C.O., the field level officers need not implement them? Or is it an understanding between the field level officers and the contractors ?
The brutal exploitation of the tens of thousands of contract workers by the BSNL Management-Contractor nexus has resulted in loss of more than Rs. 50 crores to the contract workers. The BSNL Management should be ashamed that such exploitation is continuing in BSNL, a Public Sector Unit, with out any change.
The only way seems to be to organise mighty struggles to put an end to this exploitation and get justice to the toiling contract workers. Their due wages can not be allowed to be cheated by the nexus of some corrupt officers and the contractors.
Let us prepare for a serious struggle for getting justice to the contract workers engaged in BSNL.
