BSNL Minutes of the 38th meeting of the National Council held on 29th April under the chairpersonship of Director (HR), BSNL Board
BHARAT SANCHAR NIGAM LIMITED
A GOVERNMENT OF INDIA ENTERPRISE)
SR CELL, Corporate Office
8th Floor, Bharat Sanchar Bhawan,
Harish Chandra Mathur Lane,
Janpath, New Delhi-110 001
No. BSNL/39-3/SR/2018
Dated, the 24.05.2019
Sub : Minutes of the 38th meeting of the National Council held on 29th April under the chairpersonship of Director (HR), BSNL Board.
The 38th meeting of National Council was held at 11:00 AM on 29th April 2019 in the Conference Hall, Bharat Sanchar Bhavan, New Delhi. The list of participants is available at Annexure-I.
2. GM (SR) welcomed the Chairperson and all the participants of the meeting. He said that the Staff Side members have come from the different parts of the country with lot of passion and dedication. He stated that the NCM is the platform where Management gets the time to fix the hole whereas most of the time it is busy bailing out water from the boat. Every NCM is the opportunity to strengthen the bonds between Staff side and Management side but this NCM is special as this is going to be the last NCM for the present incumbent Chairperson i.e. Director(HR). At the end of his welcome speech he invited Staff side for the felicitation of Chairperson i.e. Director(HR).
3. Leader, Staff Side in his felicitation address praised the leadership of Madam Sujata Ray, Director (HR) stating that whenever they sought time to discuss their grievances they were given opportunity. He also appreciated Director(HR) for her ability to take quick decision.
4. Secretary, Staff Side also appreciated the crucial role of Director(HR) in settling the issues of employees. He, further appreciated Director(HR) Chairperson NCM for being kind heartedness in resolving the issues related to Compassionate Appointment to the wards of BSNL employees who died in accident, grant of her approval for adopting relaxed standard in case of SC/ST employees appearing in LICE as per DOPT instructions and grant of unlimited plan for mobile service connection to BSNL employees.
5. Sh. Islam Ahmed and Sh. Swapan Chakraborthy, Members Staff Side also felicitated Director(HR).
3. Director (HR), the Chairperson National Council in her opening address thanked Shri Chandeshwar Singh, Leader Staff Side, Sri P. Abhimanyu, Secretary, Staff Side, and all the participants in the 38th Meeting in the NCM for the felicitation extended to her. She mentioned that the National Council is an August Body and the highest forum for discussing the matters concerning staff and that she has tried to honour the dignity and free spirit of this august body and given its true place. She appreciated the efforts of Unions and Associations who always come with zeal and worked hand in hand to solve most of the problems by offering one solution or the other like Service with A Smile (SWAS), Extra one Hour etc. when BSNL is passing through a phase of turbulent time during last few years She said that staff side in the National Council is represented by very able leaders. She hoped that management side and staff side would continue to work together and the HR team will take all the pending issues to a logical conclusion. She stated that she has tried to provide free, transparent and honest administration during her tenure.
Thereafter, GM(SR) invited Leader Staff Side to address the NCM.
4. Leader, Staff side once again greeted Chairperson and all the participants and mentioned the following issues for consideration by the Management.
I. Restarting the Wage revision negotiation of Non-Executives.
II. Pending Presidential Orders in respect of left out staff of BSNL specially of Bihar Circle.
III. Revision of Wages of Casual Laborers on the basis of 7th CPC.
IV. Case of 56J from Ferozpur SSA, Punjab Circle.
V. Notification of JE and TT LICE.
VI. Preparing New Promotion Policy for Non-Executives.
VII. Lifting ban on Compassionate Appointment.
5. Secretary, Staff Side raised/submitted following issues for consideration of management:-
a. Negotiation for Wage revision should be resumed immediately.
b. 8th Membership Verification for Non-Executives shall be carried out immediately. He stated that any further postponement will create more difficulties than solving anything.
c. Raised point regarding sole representative union on securing more than 50% votes. He stated that 2nd Union should also get recognition , even if the 1st Union gets 50% or more votes.
d. JAO LICE not conducted for long time.
e. Relaxed standard of questions for JE LICE.
f. Opposing the proposal for VRS.
g. Land Monetization funds should not be used to fund VRS.
6. Thereafter, the agenda items were taken up for discussion.
1) Resume the wage negotiation for the Non-Executives.
Staff side demanded that the wage negotiation should resume immediately and bring to the logical end. Management side stated that the settlement of wage revision for Non-Executive is not possible without the settlement of the pay revision for the Executives. As the wage revision of Executives has not taken place till now, the issue of wage negotiation of Non-Executives have been taken up with DoT for guidance. No guidance/clarification has been received from DoT. Reminder has also been issued to DoT. Staff side stated that as DoT has already given the go ahead for wage negotiation hence it shall be resumed and the agreement shall be signed. Director (HR) and Chairperson asked to have a discussion in the joint committee which was not accepted by the staff side. Chairperson directed that matter shall be expedited with DoT.
–Action by SR
2) Requesting to hold the JAO 40% LICE.
Staff side demanded to hold the JAO exam expeditiously by approving the amendments to the Recruitment Rules. The Management side replied that the amendments to the RR are awaiting approval of the Board. The JAO exam will take place as soon as the amendments to RR is approved.
—Action by Recruitment
3) Eligibility of the candidates with M.Com and M.A. qualifications obtained directly from the Madurai Kamaraj University the JAO LICE.
The staff side demanded that the officials who have acquired MCom and MA qualifications directly without completing Degree, should also be considered for eligibility to the JAO LICE on the analogy of the Hon’ble CAT judgement, in respect of JE LICE. Director(HR) Chairperson stated that PGM(Pers) may study the judgement and see if some analogy can be drawn from the earlier judgment.
—Action by Pers
4) Review of the results of SC/ST category candidates appeared in the LICE of Assistant Manager (CCS stream) held on 20.01.2019 as per the DoT order No.22- 5/61-NCG dated 30.11.92.
The staff side demanded that the results of the SC/ST candidates who appeared in the recent Assistant Manager examination should be viewed based on the DoT letter dated 30.11.1992 adopting lesser standards of evaluation to the SC/ST candidates. Director (HR) directed that review of failed candidates shall be done on the basis of DoT letter.
—Action by Pers
5) Strengthening and ensuring financial health of the BSNL.
The Staff Side highlighted that at the time of formation of BSNL, the Cabinet has taken decision to ensure the financial viability of BSNL. They demanded that this should be implemented. The Govt., DOT, has signed an agreement on 08-09-2000 with unions assuring to keep the new entity, BSNL, financially viable and healthy, of late the financial health of the company has deteriorated considerably and it has alarmed the workforce. The Group of Ministers has also decided at the time of corpotarisation and assured that the financial viability of BSNL will be fully taken care of and in no circumstances the PSU will be allowed to become unviable. The assurances and commitments need to be honored.
Management side stated that based on the recommendation of IIM(A), DoT had directed BSNL to submit the following Revival proposal in order to strengthen and make BSNL more financially viable.
Staff side also demanded that they should be apprised of the decision of BSNL regarding BSNL proposal related to restructuring and revival of BSNL.
After discussions,it was suggested that a copy of decision of Group of Ministers as provided by Unions will be given to Restructuring & CA Unit who in turn will take up the matter with DoT on the said decision of ensuring financial viability of BSNL.
—Action by Restructuring and CA
6) Evolve new promotion policy for non-executive staff.
The Staff side submitted that their grievances and hardships relating to NEPP. Staff side stated that these have not been addressed. Apart from above, the Directly Recruited Non-Executives are also having genuine grievances in the NEPP. Therefore, Staff side demanded that a new promotion policy akin to Executives be evolved not only to meet the aspirations of BSNL recruited staff but also to redress the hardships of absorbed employees. Management side replied that this cannot be considered at this juncture and may be relooked into at later stage.
—Action by Establishment
7) Repatriation of staff from rural areas after completion of the prescribed tenures.
Staff side stated repatriation of Non-Executive staff from rural to urban areas gets delayed on the plea of cutoff date and urged that the cutoff date prescribed as well as recent TA/DA restriction should not stand in the way in repatriation of staff from rural to urban areas after completion of the tenure as in the case of executives. PGM(Pers) assured to issue clarification in this regard within a week.
—Action by Pers.
8) Relaxation in the educational qualification in LICE for promotion to Telecom Technician Cadre
Staff Side stated that the posts of Telecom Technician are vacant in many circles as sufficient candidates having 10th standard qualification are not available for the LICE.and demanded that atleast one time relaxation be granted in educational qualification so that the employees, not possessing. Matric qualification, get opportunity to appear in the LICE.
The issue was deliberated and it was informed by the Management Side that time and again this issue has been examined and it has been observed that lowering of educational qualification will affect the efficiency of organization, hence it cannot be considered.
—Action by Establishment
The meeting ended with a vote of thanks.
(Pardeep Kumar)
AGM (SR), BSNL C.O
