BSNL forum protests non-settlement of wage revision & delay in services

June 15, 2023 28 Views No Comment

Kohima, June 15 (MExN): The members of the Joint Forum of Non-Executive Unions and Associations of Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) today submitted a memorandum to the Governor of Nagaland, La Ganesan regarding non-settlement of burning issues concerning the company.

It was part of the forum’s action programme to march to the Raj Bhawans and submit memorandum in all circle headquarters across the country. Today’s event was preceded by ‘human chain programme on June 1 and would be followed up by “Delhi Chalo” on July 7.

Meanwhile, in the memorandum to the Nagaland Governor, the forum said that BSNL employees are suffering due to the non-settlement of the Wage Revision, pending since January 1, 2017.

Especially, out of the 30,000 Non-Executives (Group ‘C’ and ‘D’ employees), around 12,000 are suffering from stoppage of annual increment, due to stagnation, it said.

On April 2018, the Department of Telecommunications (DoT), the nodal department for BSNL, issued a letter to the Chairman and Managing Director of BSNL directing for negotiation and to signing the Wage Revision Agreement with the recognised unions of the non-executives of BSNL and to send the same for its approval, it informed.

However, even after 5 years, the BSNL management is dragging its feet on the issue, it added.

The Wage Negotiating Committee is presently stuck in a stalemate due to the adamant and unreasonable stand taken by the management, with regards to the new pay scales, the memorandum further maintained.

On 27.07.2018 itself, both the management side and the staff side of the Wage Negotiating Committee, had finalised the new pay, through consensus, it pointed out.

However, after the reconstitution of the Wage Negotiating Committee in November, 2021, the management took an unjustified stand that both the minimum and the maximum of the pay scales, already finalised, should be cut down, it said.

This demand in the name of reducing the burden on account of payment of Pension Contribution of the company but the pay scales of the Executives have already been determined by the 3rd PRC and the management has no power to cut down the pay scales of the executives, it added.

Accordingly, the memorandum demanded that the Wage Revision should be settled without further delay.

Further, it stated that non-executives of BSNL are being discriminated in the matter of promotions and called for a review of Non-Executive Promotion Policy (NEPP).

Immediate launching of 4G & 5G services
Meanwhile, the memorandum stated that the Union Cabinet in October 2019 approved the revival package for BSNL.

Allotment of 4G spectrum to BSNL was one of the important component of the package and by April, 2020, it could have launched its pan-India level 4G service, by upgrading the 49,300 4G compatible BTSs available with the company, it said.

However, the government did not grant permission while in March, 2020, a BSNL tender to procure one lakh 4G BTSs was affected due to DoT insistence that the company procures equipments only from Indian vendors, it added.

Due to these roadblocks, the BSNL is handicapped from launching its 4G service on time, it highlighted.

Accordingly, 77 lakh customers have left the company in the year 2022 alone, the memorandum noted, adding that more are leaving due to delay launching of 4G & 5G services and the “exodus” is causing irreparable damage to the company.

While the management and the government are making tall claims regarding the launching of BSNL’s 4G service with indigenous technology, the former had also stated that it would take another 18 months for launching, it added.

In this connection, the forum demanded in the memorandum for taking all out efforts for the immediate launching of BSNL’s 4G & 5G services.