The officers and workers of
BSNL are going on a one day strike on 27.07.2017, demanding wage revision. The
next round of wage revision has become due for the entire public sector
employees from 01.01.2017. The government formed the 3rd Pay
Revision Committee (3rd PRC), headed by justice Satish Chandra
(retired) for this purpose. The Committee has already submitted it’s report and
it was approved by the Union Cabinet on 19.07.2017. As per the “Affordability
Clause” of the recommendations, only such of those Public Sector Undertakings
(PSUs) which have earned profit during the last 3 financial years are eligible
to give wage revision to their employees.
Since the employees of BSNL
are not eligible for wage revision as per the recommendations of the 3rd
PRC, the unions and associations of BSNL have demanded exemption from the
“Affordability Clause” of BSNL. They have made it clear to the government that,
BSNL became a loss making entity not because of the employees but because of
the anti-BSNL policies and measures adopted by the government. BSNL was not
allowed to procure equipments for it’s mobile network expansion from 2006 to
2012. The tenders floated by BSNL to procure mobile equipments, were cancelled
one after another by the government, to benefit the private telecom companies.
The cancellation of the tender
floated by BSNL in 2007, to procure 45 million line mobile equipments and
cancellation of the tender floated in 2010 to procure 93 million line mobile
equipments were a severe blow for BSNL. As a result of this blockade created by
the government in the procurement of equipments, BSNL was not able to take
advantage of the exponential growth witnessed in the mobile segment, during
this period.
The officers and employees
went on struggles several times against the cancellation of these tenders, and
demanding procurement of equipments. As a result of these struggles, BSNL
Management started procurement of equipments from 2013 onwards, and network
expansion is being made in right earnest. Thereafter, significant improvement
has come in BSNL’s quality of services. The unions and associations of the
officers and workers have also taken many pro-active steps to improve customer
satisfaction and the revival of the Company. The unions and associations have
conducted many movements such as “Customer Delight Year”, “Service With A
Smile”, etc., to improve the performance of the employees, with a view to improve
customer satisfaction and to achieve the financial revival of the Company.
As a result of all these
efforts, a significant change has come in the financial position of the
Company. For example, Company incurred Rs.691 crore operational loss in the
year 2013-14, whereas it earned an operational profit of Rs.672 crore in
2014-15. This has increased to Rs.3,854crore in the year 2015-16. Even in the
midst of cut-throat competition from Reliance Jio, BSNL is adding 20 lakh new
mobile customers every month. BSNL is sure to become a profit making PSU within
next 2 / 3 years.
The efforts and initiatives
taken by the officers and workers of BSNL, and their unions and associations,
have significantly contributed in taking BSNL in the revival path. Hence, BSNL
should be given exemption from the “Affordability Clause” of the 3rd
PRC report and BSNL employees should be given wage revision with 15% fitment.
To insist upon this demand the officers and workers observed dharna on
20.06.2017 and hunger strike on 13.07.2017. Since, the government has not
responded favourably, the officers and workers are going on one day strike on
27.07.2017. The unions and associations will be compelled to resort to more
serious forms of struggles, if the government does not respond favourably to
the demand of the employees.
Sd/-
[P. Abhimanyu]
Convenor
Mobile No: 9868231113
