In 2008, the Draughtsmen (Civil/Electrical /Telecom), who possessed the requisite educational qualification, were allowed to appear in the JTO (Civil / Electrical) exam, against the 50% quota. In the 26th and 28th meetings of the National Council, the Management had accepted the demand of BSNLEU, for holding one more JTO exam for the left out Draftsman Civil / Electrical/Telecom. However this decision of the National Council has not been implemented. BSNLEU has already raised this issue a number of times. Once again BSNLEU has written to the Director (HR) today, demanding to implement the decision of the National Council.

The results of the JTO LICE, under 50% quota, conducted in Punjab circle on 26.05.2019 are not yet declared, as a result of which the candidates are completely frustrated and demoralised. This problem is out and out a creation of the Punjab circle administration. They conducted the exam, without carrying forward the unfilled vacancies of the previous exam, as a result of which many court cases came. The problem got complicated due to the contradictory statements made by the Punjab circle administration, in the Hon’ble CAT, Chandigarh. BSNLEU has already discussed this issue with the Director (HR) many times. Again, this issue is taken up as an item for discussion in the forthcoming Formal Meeting with the Director (HR).

BSNLEU is continuously taking up the important issues of the Non-Executives with the CMD BSNL, Director (HR), etc. However, very little improvement is there on the issues being taken by BSNLEU. Under these circumstances, BSNLEU has sought a Formal Meeting with the Director (HR). The following important issues of the employees have been notified for discussion in the Formal Meeting. 

1. Implementation of a New Promotion Policy to the Non-Executives of BSNL
2. Urgent need to relax the ban imposed on Compassionate Ground Appointments.
3. Holding of the JE LICE, JAO LICE, JTO(OL) LICE, Telecom Technician LICE and other LICEs of the Non-Executives.
4. Inordinate delay in issuing Presidential Orders to the TSMs who were directly promoted as Telecom Technicians.
5. Non-granting of special increments / promotions to the deserving sports personnels and granting special increments clandestinely to some Corporate Office officials.
6. Non-providing of passwords to the Non-Executives.
7. Denial of transfer under Rule 8 to DR JEs - requesting to take action to mitigate their sufferings.
8. Imposing rigorous conditions in the JAO Recruitment Rules.

The MoUs signed by BSNL with the Canara Bank and the Union Bank of India have expired long back. Both the Canara Bank and the Union Bank of India have not come forward to renew the MoUs. This is mainly because, in the past, the BSNL Management had deducted the EMI amounts from the salaries of the employees, but did not remit the same on time to the banks. Due to the non-availability of various loans, the employees are suffering. BSNLEU has discussed this issue many times with CMD BSNL. Yesterday, BSNLEU has written letter to the CMD BSNL, suggesting that, the BSNL Management should approach other nationalised banks for signing MoUs for the extension of various loans to the employees.

The JAO LICE conducted in 2016 in Himachal Pradesh, has been conducted without carrying forward the unfilled vacancies of the previous exam. 2 SC vacancies remained unfilled in the exam conducted in 2012. Since these 2 vacancies were not carried forward, the 2 officials who would have been selected in 2016 exam, lost their chance. BSNLEU has taken up this case and has written a letter to the PGM(Pers.) today, demanding remedial action.

Employees who take House Building Advance, have to take insurance. This is a coverage for any damage that might be caused to the building, on account of fire, flood, etc. In Sultanpur SSA of UP(East), 17 Non-Executives had taken HBA and had already repaid the entire amount with interest. These 17 Non-Executives have retired under VRS. Now, the Management has recovered penal interest from their exgratia amount, stating that they had not taken insurance coverage for the HBA that they had taken. This is a violation of the Hon’ble Supreme Court order. The CHQ has written to the CMD BSNL, demanding to refund the recovered amount.

BSNLEU is continuously pressurising the Corporate Management for the granting of special increments and promotions to the outstanding sports personnel, based on the recommendations of the concerned circle administrations. Without approving these cases, the BSNL Corporate Office is taking steps to frame a new Career Progression Scheme for BSNL’s sports personnel. While not considering the recommendations made by the circle administrations, the Corporate Office has sanctioned special increments only to three officials worked / working in the Corporate Office. This is sheer favouritism and smacks of a scam. Hence, BSNLEU has written letter to the CMD BSNL today, demanding immediately to approve all the recommendations made by the circle administrations and also to look into irregularities in this connection. BSNLEU has also demanded that any new Career Progression Scheme, should be finalised only after taking into account the views of the Recognised Trade Unions.

BSNLEU is continuously pressurising the Management for the allotment of sufficient vacancies for the JTO LICE to be held on 07.08.2022. The Corporate Office has today issued a letter to the General Secretary, BSNLEU, in reply to the letter written by BSNLEU on 27.04.2022. In that letter, the Management has stated that, 4,687 JTO to SDE promotions have been effected in 2021. Naturally, 4687 JTO posts have become vacant by way of these JTO to SDE promotions. Hence, BSNLEU has once again written to the CMD BSNL, demanding to utilise all these 4687 JTO posts for the JTO LICE to be held on 07-08-2022.

The BSNL Staff Welfare Board, as well as the BSNL Sports and Cultural Board, are totally not functioning for the past many years. The period of both these Boards expired in March 2020. Ever since then, BSNLEU is writing letters to the CMD BSNL, demanding the reconstitution of both the Boards, as well as the holding the meetings of the Boards. Due to the repeated representations of BSNLEU, the Sports and Cultural Board was reconstituted on 29-11-2021. The BSNL Staff Welfare Board was reconstituted on 01-12-2021. However, the meetings of these Boards are not being held. Due to the non-holding of the meetings of these Boards, the welfare activities of the BSNL employees, as well as the interests of the sports personnel are being completely ignored by the Management. Hence BSNLEU has once again written letter to the CMD BSNL today, demanding to immediately hold meetings of both these Boards.

BSNLEU is continuously demanding that the JOA, SOA, AOS and OS, posted in the E-Office should be issued with password. The issue is already discussed with the Director (HR) in the meeting held on 24.03.2021. The Director (HR) had assured to issue passwords to 25% of the JOA, SOA, AOS and OS, posted in the E-Office. However, this assurance is not implemented. Hence, BSNLEU has once again written letter to the Director (HR) today. Com.P.Abhimanyu, GS and Com.John Verghese, Dy. General Secretary, met Shri Arvind Vadnerkar, Director (HR) and discussed the issue. The Director (HR) has assured to look into it. 

In it’s letters being issued by the Restructuring Branch of the Corporate Office, the term “Merger of SSAs” is being used the place of the term “Consolidation of Business Areas”. BSNLEU is continuously writing to the Management and insisting that, “Consolidation of Business Areas” and the “Merger of SSAs” are not one and the same. Hence, the term Merger of SSAs should not be used as a substitute to the term “Consolidation of Business Areas”. This is because, if “Consolidation of Business Areas”is accepted as Merger of SSAs, then it will give scope for the Management to transfer the Non-Executives out of the SSAs. This will be a very big danger for the Non-Executives. Today, BSNLEU has written one more letter to the Director (HR) on this issue. Com.P.Abhimanyu, GS and Com.John Verghese, Dy. General Secretary, met Shri Arvind Vadnerkar, Director (HR) today and discussed this issue. The Director (HR) immediately instructed the GM (Restg.) not to use the term Merger of SSAs in the place of Consolidation of Business Areas.

BSNLEU has already demanded a new Promotion Policy for the Non-Executives. Once again, BSNLEU has written letter to the CMD BSNL today, demanding to implement a new Promotion Policy for the Non-Executives. BSNLEU has cited the following reasons for demanding a new Promotion Policy for the Non-Executives.

1. It is already 14 years, since the agreement for the NEPP was signed between the Recognised Union and the Management. A lot of changes have taken place thereafter, which warrant a new Promotion Policy.
2. There are a lot of disparities between the Executive Promotion Policy (EPP) and the Non-Executive Promotion Policy (NEPP). These disparities should end.
3. Disparities are there within the NEPP, between the employees absorbed from the DoT and the employees directly recruited by the BSNL. The employees absorbed from the DoT get 1st and  2nd promotions on completion of 4 years and 7 years, respectively. But the directly recruited employees get 1st and 2nd promotions only on completion of 8 and 8 years, respectively. 
4. A good section of the Non-Executives are suffering from stagnation. A new Promotion Policy should be implemented to settle the stagnation problem.   

Com.P.Abhimanyu, GS, and Com.John Verghese, Dy.GS, discussed this issue with the Director (HR) in detail today and strongly demanded to implement a new Promotion Policy to the Non-Executives. 

In the case of employees who were recruited immediately before and after formation of BSNL, initially GPF was implemented by the Management. However, subsequently, Management changed it’s policy and forced the employees to join the EPF. Not only that, employee contribution of the EPF, for the past period, was also recovered from the employee’s salary. This is a total violation of the EPF and MP Act 1952. Hence, BSNLEU has written to the CMD BSNL, demanding to review this case and to refund the amount deducted from the employee’s salary.

The MoUs signed by BSNL, with the Canara Bank and the Union Bank of India had already expired. Due to the non-renewal of the MoUs, the employees are not getting various loans from the Canara Bank and the Union Bank of India. BSNLEU had already written letters to the CMD BSNL and the Director (HR) and had already discussed the issue with them. However, the MoUs have not been renewed and the employees continue to suffer. Hence, BSNLEU has once again written to the CMD BSNL today with the request to make intervention urgently.

BSNLEU has once again written to the CMD BSNL today on the issue of JTO LICE to be held on 07.08.2022. In accordance with the discussion held with the CMD BSNL yesterday, BSNLEU has emphasised the need to immediately take action for conducting the examination with another 1,072 JTO posts that have been vacated in 2021, consequent to the JTO to SDE promotion.

The BSNL management has issued notification to hold the JTO LICE on 07-08-2022. However, there are no vacancies in 11 circles and only a few vacancies are there in 9 more circles. The same is going to be the fate in respect of the forthcoming JE LICE, JAO LICE, TT LICE, etc. The JTO to SDE promotions have been implemented, taking into consideration the posts that existed prior to 31-01-2020. Hence, BSNLEU has given call to organise lunch our demonstrations on 26-04-2022, demanding to hold the JTO LICE to be held on 07-08-2022, with the posts that existed up to 31-01-2020 and also to hold all the forthcoming LICEs of the Non-Executives, including the JE LICE, JAO LICE and the TT LICE with the posts that existed up to 31-01-2020. All the circle and district unions are requested to mobilise maximum number of employees and make the programme success.

In the case filed by BSNLEU, the Hon’ble High Court of Kerala has ordered that IDA increase w.e.f. 01.10.2020 should be paid to the Non-Executives of BSNL. However, this order has not been implemented so far. BSNLEU has been pressurising the CMD BSNL to pay the IDA arrears. Now, it is learnt that, the DoT has directed the BSNL Management that the IDA increase from 01.10.2020 to 30.06.2021 should not be paid to the Non-Executives. In view of this, BSNLEU has written to Shri V.V. Suresh, Advocate, in Hon’ble Kerala High Court, to proceed with legal action for the implementation of the Hon’ble Court order. 

The Corporate Office issued notification yesterday, to hold the next JTO LICE on 07.08.2022. However, there are no vacancies in 11 circles, viz., Assam, Gujarat, Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, UP (East), UP (West), Jharkhand, West Bengal, NE-I, J&K and NTR. Further, in 9 more circles, viz., Andhra Pradesh, Haryana, NE-II, Rajasthan, Telangana, Tamil Nadu, Bihar, Chennai Telephones and Uttarakhand,  only a few number of vacancies are available. This has caused anguish and agony amongst the DR JEs. BSNLEU has written to the CMD BSNL today, demanding to review the number of vacancies, taking into consideration the JTO posts that existed prior to 31.01.2020, as has been done in the case of JTO to SDE promotion.

The CHQ has received complaints from circles, about the difficulties being faced by the employees, in submitting option for the Group Medical Insurance policy. It is reported that, there is no provision for altering or editing the option submitted. There is also no option to top up. Hence, BSNLEU has written to the GM(Admin.), BSNL CO., to take the needful action.