HISTORY OF BSNLEU CHQ

Time moves fast. It is

three years since BSNL Employees Union was formed in the massive Joint

Conference held at Visakhapatnam (A.P) on 21-22nd March 2001. The

following existing six All India telecom unions merged to form the new

union: All India Telecom Employees Union Class –III (Namboodiri), All

India Telegraph Traffic Employees Union Class-III, All India Telecom

Administrative Offices Employees Union, All India Telecom Civil Wing

Employees Union Group C & D, Indian Telecom Employees Union, Line Staff

&Group D and All India P&T Industrial Workers Union. Many circle unions

of the following two All India Unions also merged: All India Telecom

Employees Union, Line Staff & Group D and All India Telegraph Traffic

Employees Union, Group D.

In the Telecom Department, there were about 33 unions, recognised

as well as not recognised, including that of officers. Three

Federations viz. NFTE, FNTO and BTEF stood recognised. 5 All India

Unions were affiliated to NFTE. There was only a single Federation till

1969 in the P&T Department called “National Federation of P&T Employees”

(NFPTE) which was formed as part of the realignment scheme agreed to by

Department and the then existing unions. FNPTO was formed in 1969 and

BTEF in 1977. They were affiliated to INTUC and BMS respectively, while

NFPTE was not affiliated to any Central Trade Union.

After bifurcation of P&T Department in to Posts & Telecommunications,

NFPTE also was bifurcated into NFPE and NFTE in the Calcutta Federal

Council in 1986. NFTE was affiliated by the following five unions: All

India Telecom Employees Union Class-III, All India Telecom Employees

Union, Line Staff & Class-IV, All India Telegraph Traffic Employees

Union Class-III, All India Telegraph Traffic Employees Union Class-IV

and All India Telecom Administrative Office Employees Union Class-III &

IV.

There was strong protest against the pro-management policy of the NFTE

leadership which resulted in contest in 1991 Bhopal AIC of E-III Union,

where its General Secretary O.P. Gupta, who was also the Secretary

General, NFTE was defeated in election. V.A.N. Namboodiri and Moni Bose

were elected President and General Secretary respectively. In T-III,

P.S.Ramankutty was elected as General Secretary in 1987. Pabitra Ranjan

Chakraborthy was elected as General Secretary of Administrative Union in

1993 at Calcutta. These three unions co-ordinated functioning and

strongly opposed the collaborationist approach of NFTE leadership. O.P.

Gupta, SG, NFTE agreeing to ban on recruitment, liquidation of 1,50,000

posts in the name of cadre restructuring etc. was actually helping the

government to implement its anti-worker policies. The new alignment of

forces of E-III, T-III and Administrative union, heralded a new wave of

enthusiasm amongst workers.

Three more unions viz. All India P&T Industrial workers union, with

veteran leader Sisir Bhattacharjee as General Secretary, ITEU Line Staff

& Class-IV with E. Gopal as General Secretary and All India P&T Civil

Wing Employees Union with S. Killivalavan as General Secretary, joined

the coordination. Circle Unions of Kerala, West Bengal, Assam & North

East of E-IV & T-IV also joined. Continued agitational programmes were

organised on the demands of telecom workers as also against

corporatisation / privatisation of Telecom. The Sanchar Bhawan March

organised in 1997 at New Delhi was participated by more than 13,000

workers, giving a new image to the organisation.The co-ordination

strengthened further. A National Action Committee (NAC) against

Corporatisation / Privatisation was formed with Sisir Bhattacharjee as

Chairman and V.A.N. Namboodiri as Convenor. The All India strikes

against Corporatisation of Telecom on 28th June and 24th & 25th August

2000 were big success with participation of workers even belonging to

other unions. The struggle continued, but the government was hell bent

upon corporatisation.

Department of Telecom Services (DTS) and Department of Telecom

Operations (DTO) were corporatised on 1st October 2000 with the name

Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL). The change over could be made six

months earlier than the proposed date of 1-4-2001, due to the whole

hearted support given by NFTE and other Federations.

The change from government Department to corporation had its own

problems for the unions. While in the Department, Cadre unions were

recognised; in corporation, industry wise union alone is allowed. It

became necessary to form an industry wise union including all cadres of

employees. The issue was thoroughly discussed by the National Action

Committee and it was decided to form a new industrial union. A Telecom

convention as well as a Joint Central Working Committee of All India

Unions were decided to be held at Visakhapatnam.

The Joint Conference held on 21st –22nd March, under a presidium

consisting of the Presidents of all the unions being merged, unanimously

adopted the Resolution forming BSNL Employees Union and the Constitution

of the union with thunderous applause. Founder office-bearers with J.N.

Mishra as President and V.A.N. Namboodiri as General Secretary were

elected. BSNLEU was the first union to be registered in BSNL with

Registration. No. 4896 dated 15th June 2001, within 3 months of its

formation, a record in itself.

The initiative and pivotal role of BSNLEU and its General Secretary,

V.A.N. Namboodiri have been appreciated by all. Memorandum which the

Joint Committee presented as the basic document for discussion, was

prepared by Namboodiri, after a thorough study of the wage agreements in

many PSUs. At each and every stage when NFTE leadership was conniving

and conspiring with management for lesser benefit, the intervention by

Namboodiri, supported by other unions saved the situation and resulted

in a better wage lift for the employees coming to more than Rs. 1500 to

Rs. 3000. O.P. Gupta, GS, NFTE BSNL, could not succeed in his sinister

game. The daily circulars issued by BSNLEU enabled the field units to

know the latest developments and give feed back to CHQ for a better wage

agreement. It was a credit to BSNLEU that its General Secretary was the

first person from the union side to sign the agreement.

BSNLEU once again took the lead in serving a notice on 05-08-2002 for

Indefinite Strike w.e.f. 19-08-2002, as per Aurangabad CEC decision,

against the undue and unwarranted delay in issue of wage orders. It had

immediate effect. Within a few days, orders were issued.

Even though, formed only one year back, office bearers of BSNLEU

campaigned throughout the country forming Circle / District / Branch

unions and also preparing for the membership verification. Namboodiri,

GS, himself attended about 200 meetings. Thirty circle unions and

hundreds of District Unions were formed in record time. While it was

only a change of name for the 3 Federations in to BSNL unions, we have

to form a new union in almost all respects and form its Circles,

Districts and Branches. Our comrades made it to the extent possible

within a short time.

Making the management agree for secret ballot for membership

verification was another success. But because of Code of Discipline and

opposition from NFTE, we could not make the management and Chief Labour

Commissioner to agree for proportionate representation. While BSNLEU

made pre-poll alliance with TEPU, BSLWRU and AITSC/STEWA, the alliance

with NUBSNLW-FNTO could not materialise due to certain unavoidable

difficulties.

BSNLEU with its alliance got about 90,000 votes with majority of more

than 50% votes in 9 circles. It got the first position in three more

circles. It got 95% in NE-II, 76% in NE-I and 72% in Assam. BSNLEU

showed its presence in all the 36 circles, while NFTE – BSNL got

0,2,3,11 etc. in certain circles. The management was shocked that BSNLEU

within a short time could get the support of about 30% of the total

staff.

But BSNLEU was not granted recognition. Only NFTE BSNL, which got first

position with about 35%, was recognised. Our unions in 9 circles where

we got more than 50% were given limited trade union facilities. We made

pressure on the management for recognition. Our Andhra comrades went to

A.P. High Court, through which we could get right of representation.

NFTE BSNL, as soon as it got recognition, started running amuck by

pressurising local managements to victimise, harass and transfer workers

and office-bearers of other unions, especially, BSNLEU. Management at

local levels succumbed and transferred our office-bearers and workers in

many places. NFTE BSNL dreamed that the non-recognised unions can be

finished this way. BSNLEU and its workers took up this challenge and

fought against victimisation and transfers wherever it took place. As

per the call of the Delhi CEC Meeting, 48 hours Hunger Strikes by Circle

Union Office Bearers were organised on 13-14 September 2003,

participated by hundreds of workers in each Circle Head Quarters. A

massive Dharna was conducted in New Delhi participated by more than 800.

A memorandum detailing the transfer, harassment

tc. was submitted to the CMD, BSNL. As a result of the agitation, BSNL

management was compelled to issue clear instructions that there should

be no harassment, victimisation and pick and choose transfers of members

and leaders of non-recognised unions. Most of the cases are settled. The

remaining cases are being perused. Through continued struggles, we are

able to defend our workers.

When there was delay in grant of Bonus for 2002-03, the matter was

immediately taken by BSNLEU with the management. The management

expressed its inability to pay Bonus as last year, since only Rs. 32

crore was available for disbursement. On our initiative, all the unions

met and decided to issue notice for strike. In the conciliation meeting,

we put strong arguments, which the management could not rebut. When the

management offered 50% bonus of last year paid, NFTE BSNL happily

accepted. It was only due to the strong stand taken by BSNLEU that the

adhoc bonus could be increased to 75%. All the non-recognised unions

have now demanded for the balance 25% of Bonus.

BSNLEU along with other non-recognised unions put strong

 pressure during wage negotiations for Pension on IDA from consolidated

fund. It was

agreed, despite opposition from NFTE. Now NFTE is trying to subvert it.

We have opposed. In the Strike Notice of BSNLEU on

24th February 2004, the demand to continue pension on IDA scale is

included. We will defend pension on IDA.

The Charter of Demands finalised by Delhi CEC meeting and submitted to

CMD, BSNL on 30th October 2003, included the important issues of BSNL

workers. CHQ is perusing all these cases vigorously, despite the fact

that it is not recognised by the management. Hundreds of individual

cases were taken and settled.