Details of the AIGETOA Meeting held with CMD, BSNL & Director (HR)  on 24th June 2009

 

Details of the AIGETOA Meeting held  with BSNL Management under chairmanship of Director (HR) on 24th June 2009 :

President Shri N Shilohu Rao and GS Shri R P Shahu met Director (HR) in the presence of GM (CA) Shri R K Purwar, GM (Personnel) Shri R K Mishra, GM (Establishment) Shri D P De and DGM (SR) on 24th June 2009 at 14:30 Hrs and meeting lasted for almost 1.5 Hrs regarding various issues but we could not reach to any conclusion. The  meeting was inconclusive, which finally been diverted to CMD, BSNL at 18:00 Hrs.

During the discussion with Director (HR) called the BCG to justify the existing policy of BSNL. Representatives of BCG started justifying with the word that HR Policy of BSNL is unique in the world and nothing can be so good policy for the employees in any company. When we asked in which sense it is good? They said that only BSNL is the company which is giving Time Bound Financial upgradation without upgrading the responsibilities. When we asked what is good in this policy? They said that you are being paid without delivering the responsibility what can be so good for you. When we asked what is good for the company by paying without responsibility? We may be getting good salary today if we map with the responsibilities but what about tomorrow if company continued paying without responsibilities? Moreover, BCG is hired by paying crores of rupees to promote the business of the company by extracting optimum responsibilities from the employees but advocating for paying without responsibilities can not be expected from consultant like BCG. The words which was being delivered from the mouth of BCG was nothing but "puppet saying". If, it is the real opinion of BCG we don't find any necessity of hiring such BCG.

At 18:30 Hrs President and GS met CMD, BSNL and meeting was lasted almost for 2.5 Hrs. Director (HR) was also present. All the issues were discussed in depth are as below:

 

Details of the AIGETOA Meeting held with CMD, BSNL on 24th June 2009 :

 

1. Regarding ITS absorption issue:

In this regard, CMD said that BSNL board is very much committed to resolve this issue at the earliest. We strongly said that this dialogue has been very old. Government is going to disinvest 10% share through IPO route and we will not allow enjoying the public money to these guest officers without belongingness and responsibilities. We are not very much concerned about their absorption issue but till they are not the real employee of the BSNL they should not be posted as Circle Heads and key posts at Corporate Office. All these posts must be immediately replaced by the absorbed officers only. CMD said that this is not our "cup of tea". We are the real executives of this company and our bread and butter is dependent on the survival of the company how it is not our "cup of tea"? How we can leave our future in the hands of strangers?

 

2. Regarding 30% fitment to all GE-JTOs of 2005 batch:

CMD said that this can be looked into positively, if we compromise with other issues like MT and Career Progression while Director (HR) said it can not be given as many others will also come into the picture. It is ridicules that this issue has been forcefully created as bargaining point ignoring the sentiment and emotion of DR Batch 2005. This is not the point to bargain but it is right of 2005 batch GE-JTOs with following justified ground:
 

This is again due to some vested interest of some unabsorbed ITS officers who suggested BSNL board to keep this issue pending for bargaining. It is also learnt that one unabsorbed ITS officer forced his subordinate to change the "initial note sheet" having positive remark on this issue.
 


3. Regarding career progression of executives:

CMD said that performance oriented career growth policy proposed by AIGETOA can not be implemented as other associations are not agreed. This was really heart-beating to listen such words like "it can not be implemented because other associations are not agreed". We are not demanding anything wonder but almost all the CPSUs are following similar policy and moreover, this is the fourth point of “Project Shikhar” in BSNL which says,

“Provide a conducive work environment with strong focus on performance”.

HR is a very important and high priority area for us to address as part of this transformation. Our aim here will be to create a work environment that attracts talent and keeps it motivated by providing opportunities for personal growth. We will focus on enhancing employee skills and utilizing them effectively. We will create a performance oriented culture in the organization such that good performance at individual as well as team level is appreciated and rewarded. This will be vital to ensuring that we are able to transform BSNL successfully.

It is very clear and open to all that proposed Career Growth of Executives by AIGETOA are not going to harm anyone irrespective of the associations as well as company. With existing policy, one can get time bound upgradation in 4-6 years but functional promotion only after 12-15 years through seniority cum fitness while with the proposed policy of AIGETOA every one can get functional promotion also irrespective of their qualification within 4-6 years without additional financial burden to the company. Moreover motivation, performance and quality of employees will be improved which is high need in technology oriented company like BSNL. Same thing has been proposed by CMD BSNL in the month of Dec-2008 and both SNEA and AIBSNLEA has appreciated hole heartedly (Click here for the statement). Suddenly taking a U-turn from the statement and target of the “Project Shikhar” in the name of other associations are not agreeing is not digestible. It is definitely due to some vested interest of some unabsorbed ITS officers who are running illegal business to make money with current policy in promotion, transfer and posting. Every one knows how justified and fair is the LDCE, transfer, posting and fixing the seniority of the executives in the existing policy?

Director (HR) also mentioned that if we start promoting executives in time bound manner who will be available to execute work of JTO/JAO. It was really disappointing to see such kind of thinking from the top authority of BSNL. The meaning of promotion is itself to motivate the executives to work for the company but here executives can not be promoted to extract the work. We have also suggested that newly recruited TTA who are mostly having the engineers degrees can be promoted to JTO in similar fashion. Earlier, eligibility for TTA to become JTO was 5 years but now it is 10 years despite their performance and qualification. It is high injustice with them. There may be the minimum qualification of diploma for TTA but once engineers have joined BSNL, management should have appreciated them by giving better career growth instead demotivating by putting them as TTA at least for 10 years.

 

4. Regarding Management Trainee (MT) issue:

CMD said that we badly needed MT. He also said that maximum 2 years of experience can be added for external candidates while Director (HR) said that "with experience nobody will join BSNL".

Our question is that when sufficient number of equally qualified executives are already available in BSNL having upto 15 years of experience then what is the need of external MT. one side many BE/MTech/MBA recruited through all India competition have been working as JE since last 8 years and management is not concerned about their status other side management is much concerned about the status of person who is having MBA degree from any general institute. We will be the happiest person if management is going to recruit MT at the proposed level from institute like IIM else definitely existing executives of BSNL having professional qualification along with upto 15 years of experience are more suitable than any external MT. management has already proposed to recruit executives sales and executives marketing at the level of GE-JTO/DRJAO then suddenly taking U-turn is again indigestible. It is again due to the vested interest of some unabsorbed ITS officers who are actually the policy makers of this company.

 

5. Regarding additional increments as compensation for qualification and pension to maintain the cost to the company same:

Despite of mandatory guidelines of the DPE and Article-14 of the Indian constitution “Equal Pay for Equal Work”, CMD and Director (HR) both refused by saying that company can not pay. Out of 3.2 lakhs employees hardly 12,000 executives are there who are not covered under pensionary benefits. BSNL is depositing pension contribution (around 22-30%) at the max of the pay range for more than 3 lakhs employees but not even single time objected, ITS officers are being paid several allowances for which they are not eligible but for hardly 12,000 employees giving reason that BSNL can not pay which is again disappointing and indigestible.

BSNL has recruited Qualified Engineers and Account Officers to execute some responsibilities of the post but at the same time many unqualified Executives are posted in parallel for the same post ignoring the job and skills requirement and rules and guidelines. It is very clear that efficiency, amount and quality of work done by qualified executives are definitely more. In this situation paying same for two different efficient persons is against the natural justice and Article-16 of the Indian constitution “Equal pay for unequal work is illegal” but denying compensation for qualification is totally indigestible.

 

6. Regarding the retrospective fixation of seniority to DOT absorbed:

DoT absorbed Group-C JTOs are not only upgraded to Group-B JTOs ignoring administrative rules and recruitment rules but also given retrospective seniority of 1996 onwards in the name of vacancy year while BSNL recruited Executives have been given seniority of the appointment year. Due to this anomalies, many employees who were TTA and working under direct GE-JTOs up to 2005 were also became senior after making them to pass in LDCE of JTO with illegal relaxation. CMD replied that this seems to be not logical and it can be analysed but how ? No one knows because we were raising this issue since long time but all in vain. Many of them have already become the SDE over GE-JTOs by taking the advantage of relaxation and retrospective seniority. Recently Honourable court has declared illegal for diversion of post from outside quota and promoting internal candidate against the same but what happened every one knows. BSNL has created “Supernuarary” post for them instead reverting them to previous cadre which is nothing but eyewashes. Creating anomalies deliberately with some vested interest and making it compulsion for future has been habit of ITS dominated management. Our proposed career growth will automatically resolve all these anomalies at one stroke and several court cases running for the seniority issues will automatically finished. One side management is saying that other associations are not agreed for the time bound functional promotion which is beneficial to all the executives and other side saying that seniority issue will be analyzed in which many DoT absorbed will become junior and revert to previous cadre is nothing but mare assurance which we are getting since long time.

 

7. Regarding first Time Bound Upgradation in 4 years to all Executives:

In this regard, CMD replied that this issue can be looked into again if we compromise with career progression and MT. It is ridicules that existing time bound policy of BSNL is contrary to the it’s name itself. Some batch will get first time bound in 4 years, some in 5 years and some in 6 years purely on the random basis and totally dependent on luck. At least management can change it’s name from “Time Bound” to “Luck Bound” to avoid the mockery of this policy and policy makers.