The Corporate Office has issued letter today, constituting the Joint Committee to negotiate wage settlement of the Non-Executives. Chairman of this Joint Committee is Shri H.C. Pant, CGM (Legal) of the BSNL Corporate Office. There are 5 members from the Management Side, including the Chairman. From the Staff Side, 8 members are there. In this, 5 are from BSNLEU and 3 are from NFTE. As we have already informed through the website yesterday, the first meeting of this Joint Committee is taking place at 11:00 hrs. tomorrow.

Consequent to the General Secretary's recent visit to Leh, letter was written to the CMD BSNL, about the poor condition of the OFC, between Srinagar and Leh. Com.P.Abhimanyu, GS, met the CMD BSNL and discussed this issue. Following this, the Core Network Operation Cell of the Corporate Office has taken up the issue with the CGM, J&K circle and CGM, NTR, with a copy to the GS, BSNLEU. We appreciate the prompt action taken by the CMD BSNL on this issue.

The Payment of Medical Allowance without voucher to the retirees was introduced w.e.f. 11-04-2017, with the condition that it would be reviewed after 6 months. BSNLEU has been pressurising the Management to extend the scheme beyond the initial 6 month period. Now, Corporate Office has issued the letter for extending the scheme. However, the Corporate Office has reduced the quantum of the allowance from 50% to 25%. This is a drastic cut in the quantum of Medical Allowance that the retirees have been receiving. For example, a Sr.TOA who retired in 2013, had been getting Rs.5,027 per quarter, as Medical Allowance. However, now they will get only Rs.3,000 per quarter. Corporate Office has effected this cut, as a measure to control the expenditure. BSNLEU strongly opposes this drastic reduction and demands that the quantum should be increased back to 50%.

BSNLEU has already submitted it’s nominees for the Joint Committee on Wage Negotiations. Further, the Union is continuously pressing the Management hard for the early commencement of the wage negotiations. Specifically the Union has demanded that the first meeting of the Joint Committee should take place at least in the 3rd week of July. Today, Corporate Office has issued letter, for holding an exploratory meeting on 20-07-2018, on the issue of Wage Revision. In view of the impending elections to the Lok Sabha, there is great urgency to complete the Wage Revision at the earliest, . BSNLEU will ensure this.