AIGETOA Central Governing Council meeting was held on 29th Nov 2020 in the chairmanship of All India President Shri Ravi Shil Verma. GS AIGETOA Shri Md Wasi Ahmad, Chairman Shri Laxman Banoth and all most all the CHQ officer bearers were participated in the meeting.

The emergency CHQ meeting started with the address of All India President Shri Ravi Shil Verma, where AIP AIGETOA updated about the ongoing JTO to SDE DPC process and intimated that, management has again failed to keep their final time line of November last week also to complete the DPC process and issuance of JTO to SDE Promotion order.   It was apprised that number of Vacancies are not an issue for JTO to SDE promotion. Only thing which is to be decided now is that how the vacancy positions are to be treated.  Discussion on these issues along with submission of our view has already been done and the association view point has already been informed to Director HR and CMD BSNL. CMD BSNL has assured to hold the meeting with his HR team to decide on this issue in this week. Association is consistently following on the issue.

All India President also informed the house that DPC process is in advance stage and preparatory work on DPC is almost complete. Now a final go ahead is needed for the long awaited JTO to SDE promotion order.  He said that though personnel section is very actively doing their work on this issue but still time lines after time lines is failing and even the last time line given by management has also failed. He also informed that, there are many issues, which also needs to be settled in time bound manner. He emphasized that, though intent of management appears to be positive but at the same time, it is also a fact that HR issues are not getting the priority which they should get and now it’s high time that association should think about the next course of action. He categorically informed to CHQ officer bearers that, it is the high time to think and act immediately. 

He categorically informed to CHQ officer bearers that, it is the high time to fulfill the responsibilities associated with the post and extend their 100% active participation to protect the interest of executives as well as organization else association will be constrained to act accordingly against them. No body should take his/her posts for granted. He also requested CHQ OBs to start energising Circles OBs to motivate the members for long a long and sustained struggled in case of need.

AIP also informed that, apart from long pending HR issues, as the only recognised representative executive association, it is our responsibility to look at service related issues of our beloved company and take them to broader platforms. He emphasised that immediate need for BSNL is to roll out 4G services across India and role of AIGETOA for ensuring this roll out of 4G services is very crucial and same should happen in coordination with other major stake holders for the survival of BSN. Finally AIP emphasised that in the quest for an amicable solution, enough time has been given to management from association side and every time management has failed to keep their commitments and the final dead line of 30th Nov 2020 set by management is also over now. It’s time to go ahead with deciding the future course of action without waiting any further in the best interest of the executives.

GS AIGETOA, Shri Wasi Ahmad was also in the same view as that of All India president. He pointed out that, considering present prevailing condition of Covid-19 in the country, whatever possible way to start organizational action, AIGETOA will move ahead with that to highlight the serious resentment prevailing in the executives due to continuous denial of their due rights by the BSNL Management. He further appraised that even after passage of ten months of VRS implementation in BSNL, the management has failed to show any clear path of career progression to its existing executives and resolution of various long pending issues. Instead, the available possibilities to seek growth outside organisation are also choked by issuing unfair orders e.g. the last one is issuing ban of further two years for BSNL executives going to other departments on deputation. The HR Team is in passive mode and not showing any sign that how to get the acts together to take along all the executives by ensuring their career prospects and resolving HR related issues to motivate them for showing splendid performance to carry on the organization even after shedding of 50% of employees under VRS and onslaught of Covid-19 Pandemic. 

further said that it is extremely unfortunate that even some simple issues which were part of discussion in the agenda meeting on 15.09.2020 have not shown any progress after lapse of 2.5 months of the meeting, e.g. formation of Committee for Pay Loss issues, reminder to the DoT for standard Pay Scale of E2 and E3 for JT/JAO and SDE/AO equivalent grade, adding of clear direction in BSNL MRS for post retirement medical benefits to BSNL Recruited Employees, Settlement of Rule-9 cases, Operationalisation of online portal for Rule-8 and other request transfer process in BSNL, Review of Bond Period and Bond Amount as per industry standard for newly recruited JTOs/JAOs.   

While all verticals of the company is working in various possible ways to ensure growth of the business in post VRS era, HR vertical is completely lagging behind to capitalize existing human resource and ensuring their career prospects, various rightful dues and settlement of long pending HR issues in all these periods. It’s a fact that most of the cadres are facing acute shortage of officers and somehow they are being managed through local look after arrangements . Management has not shown any vision and action to resolve the issue and promote people on next level i.e. AGM, CAO, DGM(T), DGM(F) etc. Even the easiest one of JTO to SDE(T) is hanging in balance since last 4-5 months on the name of WIP. To our further dismay, when we see the letter of DoT that BSNL is seeking people on deputation basis for the post of IFA in 17 Circles, it raises serious questions on the part of management as well as those earlier formal representatives of the executives in these periods that even after Twenty Years of its existence, BSNL has to seek outside people in Telecom and Finance stream on deputation basis to run the organisation despite availability of sufficient internal qualified talents. GS-AIGETOA once again appeals the management to learn from past and start recognising the internal talent and give them sufficient opportunity to excel and groom them to cater requirements of the organisation at higher level else it is going to be a real tough time for the company in the coming days.

He also stressed that, it is also our responsibility to look at service related issues of our beloved company BSNL and updated the house about activities performed by AIGETOA during his stay at New Delhi for the roll out of 4G services in BSNL and other service related issues. He also appraised that if required AIGETOA will take all stake holders into confidence to start organizational action plan against DoT/Government for the early roll out of 4G services in BSNL, without which it is not possible for BSNL to survive in the Telecom domain. In this direction, AIGETOA is already working with a series of meetings and further movement will be made.

Chairman Shri B Laxman suggested to conduct regular CHQ meeting to update about status of HR issues  the CHQ office bearer and Circle officer bearers. He requested GS to meet MoC for the 4G services and write to Hon’ble Prime Minister for immediate roll out of 4G services in BSNL. He also asked the AIP/GS to take up the matter of pending temporary advance of the executives and is clearance which is running in Lakh of rupees of many executives. The association will take up the matter with competent authority for clearance of all pending dues spent by our executive fraternities for the maintenance of the system. 

All CHQ OBs bearers unanimously agreed that the resentment and frustration in the executives due to inordinate delay in resolving HR issues is at its peak and now association should not wait any further and supported the call for organizational action and assured 100% cooperation for successful launching of organizational action plan against management’s attitude towards settlement of HR issues. 

The summarized decision arrived in the Central Governing Council Meeting are as follows:

1. AIGETOA will write to CMD BSNL regarding unrest amongst the executives due to non settlement of long pending HR issues with an intimation that AIGETOA will start its Organizational action plan if things are not settled in time bound manner as assured by the management. 
2. As a symbolic protest to start with AIGETOA will start its movement with wearing black badges and signature campaigning and sending mass representation to CMD and DIR (HR) BSNL from next week i.e. the week starting 7th December 2020.
3. The Annual General Meet has been decided to be held on December 12th and 13th 2020 through online mode to transact important business of the association as well as to finalize harder organization action programs to resolve outstanding issues. It is decided to chalk out the next course on the organisation action programs in the AGM with inputs and concurrence of all Collegiums members. 
4. The meetings of Central Governing Council Members shall be held regularly on weekly basis to discuss and deliberate on the progress of various matters and future strategies.
5. It was also decided that any CHQ office bearer or any Circle/District Body member not executing their responsibility dedicatedly shall be dealt accordingly and decision on such CHQ representatives and Circle bodies will also be taken in the next AGM. 
6. AIGETOA will take all stake holders into confidence and will start organization action plan for the roll out of 4G services in BSNL exclusively. 

The meeting concluded with vote of thanks by AGS D K Sahoo. 

Thereafter another meeting of AIP Shri Ravi Shil Verma and Dy GS Shri Deepak Sahu was held with AIGETOA OBs mostly belonging to the sufferer group of JTO to SDE DPC on Monday 30th November 2020. AIP apprised them about the developments so far, the roadblocks due to which delay is taking place and the future course of action finalized in the CHQ meeting. All the OBs present in the interactive session supported the action plan finalized by AIGETOA CHQ and assured their full support to the program. The meeting ended with Vote of Thanks by Shri Hari Shankar Tiwari.

Further, it can been from nasty update of the proclaimed corners that they are still trying to instigate the executives as well as confuse management by showing one or other hurdles, some times they spell out number of vacancies, some time they say restructuring, sometimes they say reservation. Perhaps they are still not satisfied even after ruining the careers of BSNL executives for the last twenty years and are still trying to continue the same practice. AIGETOA once again request one and all executives to not to pay any attention on such troublemakers as we are dedicated to remove all obstacles. 

Friends, AIGETOA is totally committed for the resolution of all the issues as promised by us in our vision document. The inertia of the system, the prevailing Covid-19 situation, uncertainty over issues like 4G and somewhat lack of focus by management on HR issues are the main reasons for the delay. Since the final timeline has also passed, association has decided to start the organization action programs for settlement of our long pending demands. We seek your support in the endeavors of AIGETOA to ensure the very basic rights of executives.