GS AIGETOA writes to the CMD BSNL regarding eating away of our hard earned revenue by the vendors by offering bundled VAS Services even after our serious objections as well as various Circles representation against the default service. He raised the matter that when BSNL don’t have money to pay salary to their regular employees on time, medical bills of employees are pending, medical limit has been reduced, sufficient fund is not being given to Circles for maintenance, the bills of works carried out by various petty workers/agencies are pending since many months and they are begging for the amount and disturbing our services at many locations on this account. Then, how we can afford to shed away even a single rupee, which could have been saved?

Click here for GS Letter to CMD BSNL

Hence, AIGETOA demanded following in the larger interest of BSNL:

1. A white paper may be published every quarter having the details of the % increase in BSNL revenue in a particular voucher and % increase in VAS vendors billing before and after implementation of these services.
2. The circles should be empowered to decide the Bundle VAS services as per their demographic situation and requirement of the circle with greater say in decision making process.
3. The revenue earning must be analyzed properly before start of bundled VAS with any STV and it should be reviewed quarterly vis-à-vis revenue collected and once the STV becomes Popular, the bundles VAS services should be withdrawn immediately.
4. Odisha model must be implemented on a pan India basis thereby saving more than Rs 150 Cr every year, sufficient to maintain good infrastructure for BTS maintenance.
5. Default bundled services of LOKDHUN, EROS-NOW etc may be withdrawn immediately on pan India basis and allowed only through on demand subscription basis as existing earlier.
6. A committee should be formed comprising of management side and representative associations side to review all existing bundled VAS services associated with various STVs. We can’t be a mute spectator when crores of rupees are being paid to the VAS vendors for no benefits to BSNL and employees are waiting for their basic due of salary and medical bills in this pandemic situation.

GS AIGETOA writes to the Director HR for extension of two years limit to pass online examination for next increment after getting EPP or start organize the online examination at all SSA HQ till the persistence of present pandemic of Covid-19. Click here for letter

GS-AIGETOA requested that finalization of the Man Power Planning and Restructuring Process shouldn’t be hastened and proper opportunities should be provided to upcoming representative association after completion of ongoing 2nd membership verification process on 20th Aug 2020, to represent the concern and aspiration of executives, who are not only major stakeholder but end beneficiary of the process also. Click here for the letter

Question by AIGETOA:

Why you never seriously persuaded or when it got negated, filed a case for Standard Pay Scales and 30% SAB ? Is it because you have given in written that you are OK with E1 as scales for JTOs (A fact Reiterated by you a few days back) ? Is it Because You have submitted to HLC, that pensionary benefits of BSNL Recruits are more than DoT absorbees ?

What is your stand on PRMB for BSNL Recruits ? Whether You agree that PRMB should be in place in BSNL ? If Yes, why are you saying that BRs are getting 3.3 percent PRMB ? Are You aware of the difference between Defined Benefit and Defined Contribution ? Can U write a single letter for PRMB ? Can U Tell us, whether 5% SAB is pending to be implemented and or 7% ?

Answer by Proclaimed SENA:

Association and Trade Unions are basically formed to settle the issues through Organizational actions, which you are not aware! TUs will resort to court cases rarely, as a last resort. SNEA gone to Court for removing hurdles, removing stay on DPC /LDCE etc…Can you quote a single incident in which SNEA proposed/accepted/demanded E1 scale? In the draft JTO RR also SNEA demanded E2 scale instead of E1 scale. In Q3 above, we quoted several occasions you accepted/demanded E1 scale or E2 scale from 01.10.2000 and derailed the E2 scale for post 2007 rect JTO/JAOs.

On medical reimbursement, BSNL is having best medical policy both for serving and retired employees with unlimited coverage to the family also, unlike any other PSUs. But we are aware about the lacuna in implementation and failure due to present financial conditions. When it was reported by Estt Finance section in 2016 that the expenditure on PMRB is more than 13%, SNEA did not accept it and demanded reassessment which was entrusted to LIC who calculated it as 3.3%, on actuarial basis. SNEA did not have expertise on it. If AIGETOA Co have better calculation of PMRB, it is better convince management that the calculations done by LIC is wrong. Oh for AIGETOA Co, if your understanding on PMRB is that it is for DR alone we can only sympathise with you. According to us, it is for all PSU employees.

Your concern for SAB made known to all when you rejected 4% offer in 2014, 6% offer in Sept 2015 and accepted 3% in the meeting held on 19.02.2016 in the absence of major Unions/Assns like SNEA, BSNLEU etc, just to stop 6% credit going to SNEA.

Analysis by AIGETOA:

Great that proclaimed SENA has accepted that they have done nothing on the issue. Can they tell us, what TU (Trade Union) actions have they launched for this issue? Even for opposing PO, they needed help of AIGETOA. Can they show us a single TU action, which they have done individually ? Isn’t it ridiculous that in the draft RR they proposed E2 and then finally accepted E1 in JTO RR 2014 and broadcasted a congratulatory message to all that all their suggestions have been accepted? What was more important to them – 2200 Officiating JTOs or 22000 BSNL Recruits. You have chosen 2200 Officiating JTOs to kill the career of BSNL Recruits.

And their double speak is also visible when they have safely evaded questions on PRMB and SAB. They still have not replied whether they know the difference between Defined Benefit and Defined Contribution. Can they tell what options BSNL Recruits have if BSNL Stops paying MRS to retirees ? For DOT ABSORBEES there is CGHS, for us there is nothing.

It’s great that they have accepted the reasons for not getting PRMB implemented. They know that it is for all employees. Once PRMB comes, they will lose the option of CGHS. So they want BSNL Recruits and their families to suffer without medical facility. It’s great that though partially, but slowly they are learning to accept the truth. Hence it is proved that they killed Post-Retirement medical benefits of BSNL Recruits for the petty gains of their core members.

Their concern for SAB can be understood when none of their representatives were present in such crucial meeting held on 19.02.2016 where AIGETOA, NFTE and AIBSNLEA were present. NFTE may not be a major union for them, but we consider them at par with BSNLEU.

For Complete 30% SAB and PRMB Fund for BRs  –  Vote and Support

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Question by AIGETOA:

Why pension benefits to BSNL Recruits were denied when Legacy Association didn’t take up the proposal of Gazette notification of Pension Rule-37A right from the day of inception of BSNL ? It was clearly written that “BSNL shall devise its own pension scheme and make arrangements for funding and disbursing pensionary benefits.” But since these legacy Associations were only concerned for the DoT absorbed employees and hence they fought for their government pension under Rule-37A but didn’t care for the pension of BRs, which was part of the same order, else we could have also had our pension scheme since inception of BSNL.

Answer by Proclaimed SENA:

We can only sympathise for your poor understanding and lack of knowledge! The Pension for the DoT employees getting absorbed in BSNL was settled in September, 2000 itself before formation of BSNL on 01.10.2000. Govt extended this benefit on the agitation by Group C & D Unions (NFTE, FNTO, BMS etc) and in their agreement, pension assured.

While you cannot think beyond your batch as being proved repeatedly, it is not the case of farsighted visionary leaders of DOT era. Inspite of the fact that not even a single BSNL recruitee was available in September 2000, these visionary leaders have made up their mind to ensure pensionary benefits to all including BSNL recruitees by incorporating necessary provision in Rule 37 A. That also before formation of BSNL. Instead of forming a separate Pension Fund under the control of the management, the visionary leaders opted for EPF scheme for Pension which is directly under the control of Govt of India and more secured for the employees. The EPF by way of contributory PF is that part of pension envisaged in Rule 37A which is in force from the day one an employee enters into the company. Again under your dictionary only 5% SAB is the only superannuation benefits and not Gratuity and EPF pension!

Please stop the blatant lies that pay scale of BSNL JTOs were downgraded when 8600-14600 was offered as the replacement scale of 6500-10500 which was upgraded to 9850-14600 through the agitation. Perhaps as per your dictionary when pay scale is changed from 8600-14600 to 9850-14600, it may be down grading act.

Analysis by AIGETOA:

Yes True.. We can only sympathise for their poor understanding and lack of knowledge! Only a proclaimed Liar like them can say the lies with so much confidence. We advise them to go and have study on the subject. They may go and learn the difference between Provident Fund and Pension Fund. Even the daily wage labourers are entitled for EPF and they are saying Executives in BSNL have got EPF because of their visionary leadership. This shows their mind set and lack of concern for BSNL Recruits. They killed the Pension/Social Security of so many thousands and thousands of BSNL Recruits and they are now trying to divide us in the name of batches. Shameless Indeed !! How are they again expecting votes from same BSNL Recruits ?

For Pension Benefits to BSNL RECRUITS   –  Vote and Support

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Question by AIGETOA:

Why at the time of formation of BSNL, you legacy associations agreed to demote the cadre by accepting non-standard pay scale of E1A (9850-250-14600) instead of E2 (10750-300-16750) for JTO/JAO equivalent grade when MTNL Adopted Higher Pay Scale?

Answer by Proclaimed SENA:

Do you know what was the pre-revised pay scale and stand of the DOT and BSNL in deciding the pay scale of JTOs in BSNL? Oh! You were not even born at that time and you never bothered to read and understand the history or have the calibre to understand the history because of your prejudiced mind. Do you know the difference between MTNL and BSNL in 2000? Oh again! How can you know about MTNL where you never worked while you are not even aware of the realities in BSNL?

When the negotiation was under way during agitation in Oct-November, 2002 by the Executive Negotiating Council (ENC) comprising TEOA & MTNLEA and BSNL EA, DoT and BSNL had taken a stand that BSNL has already recruited its own JTOs in the CDA pay scale of 6500-10000 and their revised IDA scale is E1 (8600-14600). They further insisted that any discussion on pay scales should be restricted to absorption as demand in the Trade Union Program is Terms and Condition for absorption in BSNL/MTNL. But the visionary leaders did not succumb to the pressure of DOT and BSNL. They continued with the agitation. They insisted pay scale for the cadre and not for the absorbees alone as you did for 2005 batch alone in the case of II PRC pay anomaly. They demanded E2 for all JTOs/JAOs (go through the ENC notice dated 03.10.2002). When services paralysed, Hon Minister (Late Shri Pramod Mahajan) intervened and at this stage BSNL offered E1A scale for absorbed officers but we did not relent which resulted in the upgradation of the scale from 8600(E1) to 9850(E1A) for all JTOs.

DOT and BSNL was not ready to extend same pay scale for MTNL and BSNL as MTNL was a Navaratna company operating only in Metro cities of Mumbai and Delhi and earning very good profit as monopoly operator and BSNL was an in infant stage with liability of all rural areas. Further being a Navaratna Company, MTNL Board had much more powers.

Please stop the blatant lies that pay scale of BSNL JTOs were downgraded when 8600-14600 was offered as the replacement scale of 6500-10500 which was upgraded to 9850-14600 through the agitation. Perhaps as per your dictionary when pay scale is changed from 8600-14600 to 9850-14600, it may be down grading act.

Analysis by AIGETOA :

Proclaimed SENA Accepts that the Executive Negotiating Council (ENC) comprising TEOA & MTNLEA and BSNL EA, DoT and BSNL had demanded E2 for all. While MTNL was extended E2 for JTOs and No pension liability on the part of Government, BSNL was extended E1A with pension liability on the part of government. Later on, when Government owned the liability of pension for MTNL, they agreed to make the scales of MTNL at par with BSNL. Good that you accepted that it was your so called visionary leaders who accepted E1A in place of E2.

Being the Proclaimed Liar they are, they are telling BSNL was not in good finances at that time. If they refresh their memory, BSNL was earning profit in thousands and Thousands Crores at that time, much more than MTNL.

BSNL was slated to be Maharatna. It was the biggest corporate entity with highest profit. Much bigger than MTNL. There were other PSUs which were not Navaratna but adopted scales of 10,750 for trainee officers and extended E3 after one year of probation period. Example – NHPC. The PSU was lower in size than BSNL but adopted higher scale. This shows their lack of knowledge. The company was not listed in stock market in 2002. So they ought to take these lame excuses. They should accept that their leaders did mistake.

As per their own site, they were successful in upgrading the scale three times when only DoT wala were there but when BR time came, SNEA got the scale degraded..it’s a truth. When liability of pension was with MTNL, the scale was E2, but when govt took the liability of pension for MTNL, they made an agreement that They will accept the scales at par with BSNL. This proves that only criteria for lowering the scale was pension liability.

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