BSNLEU is continuously demanding that, the TSMs who were directly promoted as Telecom Technicians, should also be issued with Presidential Orders. The file was sent to the DoT. The General Secretary met the DDG (Pers.), DoT, twice and discussed this issue. However, the DoT has returned the file to the BSNL, without settling it. This issue was discussed by the General Secretary and Dy.General Secretary, with the Director (HR) and the Sr.GM (Estt.) today. The leaders have strongly urged upon the Director (HR) and Sr.GM(Estt.) to find an early solution to this issue. 

Based on the decision taken in the Hyderabad CEC meeting, BSNLEU is organising an online convention of the young employees. Initially, the date of this convention has been fixed as 15.09.2021. Since this is a working day and employees will be having inconvenience to attend the convention, it’s date has been changed. Now, the convention will take place on 19^th September, 2021 (Sunday).

Com.P.Abhimanyu, GS and Com.Swapan Chakraborty, Dy.GS, had a meeting with Shri Arvind Vadnerkar, Director (HR) BSNL today. The following issues were discussed.

1. Payment of IDA arrears.

BSNLEU is continuously taking efforts that the IDA arrears should be paid to the Non-Executives, based on the order of the Hon’ble Kerala High Court. This issue was once again discussed with the Director (HR) today. In reply, the Director (HR) told that, file is being put up to the CMD BSNL for the payment of IDA arrears. He also told that, the file is likely to be approved by the CMD BSNL.

2. ATT will continue as a Live Cadre.

The GS and Dy.GS handed over the resolution passed in the Hyderabad CEC meeting of BSNLEU, on the issue of Restructuring. During the discussion, the Director (HR) told that, the demand of BSNLEU that the ATT should be retained as the Live Cadre, has been accepted by the Management. Further, the Director (HR) also stated that, the other demand of BSNLEU has also been accepted that, the decisions taken by the Management on Restructuring, should be reviewed after one year.

3. 3^rd Wage Revision.

The GS and Dy.GS handed over the resolution passed in the Hyderabad CEC meeting on 3rd Wage Revision. The leaders stated that, the issue of 3rd Wage Revision to the Non-Executives of BSNL has been discussed with the erstwhile Minister of State for Communications, Shri Manoj Sinha, and also with the erstwhile Secretary, Telecom, Ms. Aruna Sundararajan. Both of them have directed the BSNL Management to expeditiously sign the Wage Revision agreement. As such, the Union demanded that the, Wage Settlement of the Non-Executives should be completed immediately.

The government has taken a giant move to allow Indian and foreign corporates to loot the national assets of our country. In the name of “National Monetisation Pipeline” (NMP), the Modi government has decided to hand over the national assets at throw away price to the corporates.

According to the announcement of the government, 26,700 kms Highway (worth Rs.1.6 lakh crore), 400 railway stations and 150 trains (worth Rs.1.5 lakh crore), 42,300 circuit kms of Power Transmission Lines (worth Rs.0.67 lakh crore), 5,000 MW Hydro, Solar and Wind Power Generation assets (worth Rs.0.32 lakh crore), 8,000 kms of National Gas Pipe lines (worth Rs.0.24 lakh crore), 4,000 kms Pipe lines of IOC and HPCL (worth Rs.0.22 lakh crore), 2.86 lakh kms of Bharatnet Fibre and 14,917 towers of BSNL and MTNL (worth Rs.0.35 lakh crore), 21 Airports and 31 Ports (worth Rs.0.3 lakh crore), 160 Coal Mining Projects (worth Rs.0.3 lakh crore) and 2 Sports Stadiums (worth Rs.0.11 lakh crore) are going to be sold to the Indian and foreign corporates in the name of “Monetisation”.

Now, it has become clear, why the Modi government has not permitted BSNL to start it’s 4G service. It is nothing but, the government wants to sell BSNL’s mobile towers. Next, the government will sell BSNL’s 7 lakh kms of Optic Fibre also. We have to immediately protest against this decision of the government. The All India Centre meeting of BSNLEU, held today, has called on the employees to organise Lunch Hour Protest demonstrations on 27.08.2021. All the circle and district unions are requested to organise this programme successfully.

The Hyderabad CEC meeting of BSNLEU, held on 06^th & 07^th August, 2021, has decided to organise agitational programmes on the issues of the serving and retired employees, as well as the casual and contract workers. The decisions of the Hyderabad CEC were further discussed in the Co-ordination Committee of BSNLEU, AIBDPA and BSNLCCWF, held on 18.08.2021. The meeting discussed and finalised the following 14 point charter of demands and the agitational programme. All circle and district unions are requested to make note of this and implement the programme successfully.

Charter of demands.

1. Stop privatisation of the Public Sector.
2. Payment of salary on the last date of every month.
3. 3^rd Wage Revision.
4. Pension Revision with 15% fitment, by delinking from Wage Revision.
5. Immediately pay the wage arrears of the contract workers.
6. Implement 30% Superannuation Benefits to the Directly Recruited Employees.
7. Immediately hold the various LICEs.
8. Introduce a New Promotion Policy, to solve the problem of stagnation.
9. Do not reduce the posts, in the name of “Restructuring”.
10. Settle the medical bills of the serving and retired employees without delay.
11. Implement 7^thCPC pay scale for the casual labourers.
12. Settle the Rule 8 transfers of the DR JEs and other employees.
13. Implement E 1 pay scale for the Non-Executives, as has already been approved by the BSNL Management Committee.
14. Re-engage the retrenched contract workers.

Dates of the programmes.

The meeting fixed the dates for the agitational programmes as follows: -

1. Demonstrations on 14.09.2021.
2. March to SSA and BA (Business Area) Offices on 22^nd September, 2021.
3. March to the CGM Offices on 05^th October, 2021.

As per the decision of the Hyderabad CEC meeting, the CHQ has given call to conduct the “Meet the Members” campaign, from 01.09.2021 to 15.09.2021. During this programme, the anti-BSNL and anti-Public Sector steps being taken by the government, are to be explained to the employees. The CHQ has prepared a campaign material and the same has already been sent to the circle secretaries through Whatsapp. This material should be translated into regional languages and used for printing the pamphlets. This pamphlet should be distributed to the employees during the “Meet the Members” campaign. For the Hindi speaking circles, the CHQ is printing the pamphlets in Hindi and directly sending them to the district unions.

In 2016-17, BSNL's subscriber share was 8.6 per cent, which significantly went up to 9.4 per cent in 2017-18. By the end of 2018-19, it had again grown and reached 9.9 per cent and in 2019-20 it had crossed the 10 per cent, to touch 10.3 per cent. However, by 2020-21 (as on March 21, 2021), it had slightly come down to stand at 10.03 per cent, according to the Ministry's data. 

[ Courtesy: NDTV. com dt. 23-08-2021]

A Co-ordination Committee of BSNLEU, AIBDPA and BSNLCCWF has already been formed at the All India level. A meeting of this Co-ordination Committee was held yesterday the 18-08-2021. The meeting reviewed the implementation of it's decision to form the Co-ordination Committees at the circle and district levels. After discussion, the meeting decided that the Co-ordination Committees should be formed in all circles and districts by 10^th September, 2021. The CHQ calls upon all the circle and district secretaries to immediately take action for forming the Coordination Committees in all the circles and districts, by 10.09.2021.