BSNLEU discusses burning issues of the employees with the CMD BSNL..

Com.P.Abhimanyu, GS, and Com. Anand Kumar Singh, AGS, met Shri P.K. Purwar, CMD BSNL, yesterday the 05-01-2022 and discussed the important issues of the employees.

At the outset the GS and the AGS thanked the CMD BSNL for the early releasing of funds for the payment of salary for the month of December, 2021 and also to a certain extent, for the payment of the medical bills of the retired employees. Thereafter, the following issues are discussed in detail.   

Payment of IDA arrears.

The IDA increase from 01.10.2020 up to 30.06.2021 was frozen by the government. BSNLEU went to the Hon’ble Kerala High Court and in February, 2021, the Hon’ble Court gave order against the freezing of the IDA. However, BSNL Management delayed the payment. Initially, BSNL put the blame on the DPE. But, even after the DPE announced the rates of IDA increase, the Management has not made the payment of the IDA arrears. It is going to be one year after the Hon’ble Kerala High Court gave the order for the payment of IDA. Still the BSNL Management is dragging it's feet and delaying the payment. In yesterday’s meeting, the GS and the AGS told the CMD BSNL that, this is a great injustice to the Non-Executives.  They expressed their strong disapproval of the extreme delay and demanded that, the IDA arrears should be paid immediately.

Extreme delay in holding the LICEs.

In the meeting held on 27-10-2021, between the AUAB and the CMD BSNL, it was agreed by the Management that, the notification for holding the LICEs of the Non-Executives would be issued by 30.11.2021. Thereafter, the Establishment Branch has called for some details from the CGMs. Apart from this, the Management has not taken any concrete step for holding the LICEs of Non-Executives. In yesterday’s meeting, the GS and the AGS expressed their unhappiness over the delay and strongly demanded that, the LICEs should be held at the earliest.

Pay scale upgradations.

The Central Executive Committee meeting of BSNLEU, held on 22.10.2021, has demanded that, the pay scales of JE, Sr.TOA and TT cadres should be upgraded. In yesterday’s meeting with the CMD BSNL, the GS and the AGS explained about the justifications for the upgradations of the pay scales and demanded that this should be considered by the Management. For example, the GS and the AGS explained how 99% of the DR JEs are engineering graduates and are working in the high-tech areas and thus, justified the demand for upgradation of the pay scale. 

Promotion under NEPP - removal of discriminations between the absorbed and Directly Recruited employees.

Under the NEPP, the first promotion to the absorbed employees is being given on completion of 4 years and second upgradation is being given on completion of 7 years. However, for the Directly Recruited employees, the first and second promotions are given only after completion of 8 years each. BSNLEU has already written a letter to CMD BSNL, demanding to remove this discrimination. In yesterday’s meeting, the GS and the AGS strongly demanded that, this discrimination should be removed. Especially, they pointed out how the DR JEs are greatly demotivated due to this discrimination and demanded that, the discrimination should be removed soon.

Considering request transfers under Rule 8.

BSNLEU has already discussed with the Director (HR) that, the Rule 8 transfer requests of the DR JEs are being delayed inordinately. BSNLEU had already submitted a list of 56 DR JEs to the Director(HR), who had applied for Rule 8 transfer, but not considered. The Management has not taken any action on this. In yesterday’s meeting, the GS and the AGS pointed out that, the BSNL Board has already finalised the Restructuring of BSNL's Manpower. As such, all the Rule 8 applications of the DR JEs should be considered without delay.   

It is painful that, the reply of the CMD BSNL for all the above issues was in the negative. The GS and the AGS told the CMD BSNL in strong terms that, the BSNL Management is neglecting and discriminating the Non-Executives, which will not be tolerated. They told that, BSNLEU will be forced to go on agitation, if the issues are not settled.