Following the discussion that Com.P.Abhimanyu, General Secretary, had with Shri Arvind Vadnerkar, Director (HR), yesterday the 10-11-2020, regarding removing the deadlock that has arisen in the functioning of the National Council, BSNLEU has submitted the letter attached hereunder. BSNLEU has pointed out that the only way to break the stalemate is to utilise the discretionary power given to the Management, by the Hon’ble Kerala High Court. It has given the discretionary power to accept or to reject any nomination to the council, made by the Recognised Union. The General Secretary, BSNLEU, has requested the Director (HR) yesterday that, the Recognised Unions should be given the power to nominate even non-members to the Councils.

It observed that the DoT and the BSNL Management are not showing seriousness in attending the conciliation meetings. No DoT officer has attended the conciliation meetings during the past one year. BSNL Management is also deputing junior level officers who are not empowered to take decisions. As a result, the conciliatory meetings have become rituals. Hence, BSNLEU has written to the Chief Labour Commissioner (Central), demanding that the conciliation meetings connected with BSNL should be conducted at the level of the Deputy Chief Labour Commissioner (Central).

The BSNL Management has sent a status report to the Assistant Labour Commissioner (C), New Delhi, wherein  distortion of facts has been made regarding the revision of wages of the Non-Executives. Hence, BSNLEU has written to the Director (HR), explaining the facts. Further, BSNLEU has also demanded the immediate resumption of the wage negotiations, for signing an early agreement on wage revision.

The CHQ has received numerous complaints in the online Circle Executive Committee meetings, with regards to the utilisation of the left out manpower, after implementation of the VRS. Further, the quality of landline and broadband services has greatly deteriorated, after the implementation of outsourcing of works. As per the TRAI report, 1.54 lakh landline and broadband connections are surrendered in the month of July, 2020 alone. BSNLEU has written to the CMD BSNL, drawing his attention to the above issues for taking appropriate remedial measures.

It is known to all that the BSNL Management started negotiations for the Wage Revision of the Non-Executives, but discontinued with the same in the midway. BSNLEU is continuously pressurising the Management to resume the wage negotiations. In the Conciliation meeting held by the ALC(Central) on 20-11-2020, the representative of the BSNL Management informed that, the Management wanted to resume the wage negotiations. Following this, BSNLEU has written to the CMD BSNL, demanding to resume the wage negotiations without further delay.

The MoU signed between BSNL and the Canara Bank has lapsed in December, 2019. It has not been renewed, as a result of which employees are not able to obtain various loans from Canara Bank. Hence, BSNLEU has written to the Sr.GM(CBB), Corporate Office, demanding early action for the renewal of the MoU.

BSNLEU has written to the CMD BSNL, pointing out the discrimination in the settlement of medical bills of the retired employees. BSNLEU has also pointed out that the BSNL retired employees are life-long covered by the BSNL MRS and that, the Management is liable to settle their medical bills on an equal footing with the serving employees.

BSNL’s 4G tender has been forcibly cancelled by the government. Media reports state that, the DoT Committee has decided that BSNL should roll out it’s 4G network though a System Integrator. Under these circumstances, BSNLEU has written to the Prime Minister, demanding his intervention on the matter. BSNLEU has demanded that it should be allowed to procure equipments at par with the private operators and no undue condition should be imposed by the DoT on BSNL.

The BSNL Management has steeply increased the rent of Staff Quarters, to be paid by retired employees. This has increased the burden of the good number of employees retired under VRS. BSNLEU has written to the CMD BSNL, requesting to withdraw the increase. Since, no response is received for this, BSNLEU has written to Shri Ravi Shankar Prasad, Hon’ble Minister of Communications, seeking his intervention on this issue.