21/09/2011:JAC MEETING HELD ON 21^ST SEPTEMBER 2011.

A meeting of the Joint Action Committee of BSNL Associations/Unions of Executives and Non-Executives was held at New Delhi on 21^st Sept 2011. After detailed discussion the following decisions were taken unanimously:

The JAC decided to organise agitational programmes on the important issues facing the BSNL and the employees.

a)    Massive Fast from 10.00 Hrs to 18.00 Hrs on 27^th September 2011 at SSA/Circle/Corporate Office levels with maximum participation.

b)   One Day Strike on 10^th October 2011.

Demands:

1.    No VRS.

2.    Payment of Bonus (PLI).

3.    Restoration of Medical Allowance, Leave encashment and LTC.

4.    Conclusion of the process of ITS absorption.

5.    Merger of 78.2% IDA.

6.    Expeditious implementation of important business projects like ERP, NGN, Transmission NMS and Immediate Procurement of equipments including GSM, BB modem, MLLN Eqpt etc.

7.    Government Policy related issues:

•  Compensation for loss making rural services according to policy commitments.

•  Pension Contribution to DOT only on actual basic pay instead of maximum of the pay scale.

•  Refund Rs. 8313 crore paid towards non standard BWA Spectrum band.

•  Giving BSNL complete freedom to decide its circles of choice for 3G spectrum – flexibility already extended to pvt operators at the time of 3G auction.

•  Access Deficit Charges (ADC) should be quantified through adequate and appropriate mechanism before phasing it out.

•  Reimbursement of Licence Fee to BSNL as assured at the time of corporatisation.

•  Refund of ‘Notional Loan’ of Rs. 7500 crore with interest collected by DOT from BSNL.

•  Discontinue the Telecom Advisory Committees.

    8) Procurement of GSM equipment, Broad band modems, MLLN equipment for leased lines, expeditious finalization of certain critical business mechanisms like ERP, NGN, NMS for sale of bandwidth etc. 

Comrades of SNEA(I) must get ready for a protracted struggle to fully expose how policies of the Government since corporatization of DOT and consistent violation of policy commitments by the Government aided by a fully non professional BSNL management having no commitment towards viability of BSNL and growth of BSNL have brought BSNL to present deep crisis. Workers are in no way involved in present crisis that the Company is facing.

This exposure to bring about complete awareness among parliamentarians, media and prominent countrymen is absolutely necessary to salvage the future of BSNL. The report of CAG on how the government (ministry of civil aviations) has massacred its own Company, air India, is glaring example of how sate owned companies are being slaughtered by the policies of the government and BSNL is a classic example of state owned Company presently being butchered by government policies and a non committed, unprofessional BSNL management, completely lacking professional integrity and highly vulnerable to political and bureaucratic interference. 

13/09/2011:CHQ INSTRUCTIONS ON PROPOSED DHARNA ON 14^TH Sept 2011:  SNEA has decided not to participate in the Dharna programmes on 14^th Sept 2011.

JAC HAS TO STAY ON COURSE AND GET UNITED:

JAC fundamentally came into existence in 2007 to launch broad based and sustained struggle on issues of policy of the government and the BSNL management. The struggle started on the issue of cancellation of 45.5 m GSM lines.

 Over a period of time, JAC lost its objectivity and focus in terms of a serious drift on issues of policy. Today BSNL is bleeding because the government has abdicated all the policy commitments that BSNL is entitled to, namely, abolition of ADC, USOF, Rural service compensation, refund of spectrum charges for giving BSNL non standard BWA spectrum (Rs 8300 crores), payment of pension by BSNL on actual basic, ITS absorption, so on and so forth. Then there are critical policy issues pertaining to BSNL management i.e procurement of equipment, introducing new business mechanisms and processes to bolster growth of BSNL, greater accountability, performance based HR policies etc. etc.

 Unfortunately, these issues have gone out of sight of JAC and unless these issues are addressed through unending, protracted and sustained struggle, struggle on other issues have virtually no meaning because other issues will get addressed once policy issues are attacked comprehensively. Hectic political and media support is needed and this support will be forthcoming once policy issues are focused and a sustained struggle is launched on those issues, whereas support will be completely absent on other issues.

Besides, JAC has gone considerably weak since two affiliates (NFTE and FNTO) have moved out for whatever reasons. Almost a parallel JAC is functioning which is counterproductive and undesirable. Weaknesses in JAC have become quite pronounced after the latest membership verification. Extraordinary maturity at this critical hour when there is a big question mark about bread and butter of lakhs and lakhs of workers has to be displayed by one and all to forge complete unity. This is really no time for petty politicking and scoring of points. And if the leadership of trade unions do not rise to the occasion by bidding good bye to internal squabbles and settling of scores, posterity will never forgive them for being extremely narrow minded and peevish

 JAC has to undergo drastic transformation in prioritizing issues, deciding strategies, getting political and media support, project essentially issues of policy and finally making it once again formidable force that it emerged in 2007. 

This is without prejudice to anyone, and SNEA (I) cannot and does not escape its share of responsibility in taking JAC to its present position. Thus JAC needs immediate course correction in raising and struggling intensely on issues of policy and injecting new life. SNEA (I) shall unquestionably continue to remain an integral part of JAC.