EDITORIAL
WAGE / PENSION REVISION IN BSNL; STRUGGLE INEVITABLE.
The 3rd Pay Revision Committee appointed to recommend pay and perks for the executives in central public sector units has submitted its report. The PRC in its report has put forward certain conditions, rather stringent, for wage revision and fitment. It has linked the wage revision with affordability of each PSU. Accordingly, it has recommended three fitments, if the financial liability liability of PSU is below 20% of Profit before tax (PBT) 15% fitment, if the liability is between 20 and 30% of the PBT in such PSUs the fitment should be 10% and for above 30% but below 40% of PBT only 5% fitment. And if the financial liability is more than 40%, fitment will be NIL.
In the case of non-executives, pay revision is determined through bilateral discussion between the management and recognized unions. The norms and criteria for such discussion would be on the basis of the 3rd PRC recommendations. In BSNL, a committee has been constituted with management representatives for the wage negotiation.
Nobody can deny that BSNL has achieved a great turn around during the last two, three years. It has posted an operational profit of Rs.672 crore in 2014-15 and increased it by 6 fold, to Rs.3855 crore in 2015-16. Telecom Industry analysts have correctly opined that BSNL is certain to post net profit in 2018. BSNL has successfully overcome the cut throat competition from the private telecom companies, particularly Reliance Jio in the recent past. This has been made possible with whole hearted co-operation of the BSNL employees both executives and non-executives on the initiative of Forum of BSNL Unions/Associations through ‘Customer Delight Service’, ‘Serve with a Smile’ and ‘one hour extra work’. Some innovative marketing strategies and attractive packages also helped a lot. BSNl has been able to give more than 20 lakh mobile connections every month for the last six months. So, undoubtedly, BSNL is very much on the revival path.
The great progress achieved has made the BSNL management favourable for the pay revision and Shri.Anupam Shrivastava, CMD has stated ‘ I will be failing in my duty if the wage revision is not settled amicably”. Though the PRC has laid down certain conditions, the central government , as in the past, can waive it and implement the wage revision in BSNL.
So, All Unions and Associations have demanded the central government to exempt BSNL from the affordability clause of the 3rd PRC for wage revision. They have also demanded pension revision after pay revision. AIBDPA had already taken up the issue of mandatory pension revision with the Minister of Communications and Secretary, Telecommunications and is being further pursued vigorously.
However it will not be possible without struggles due to the anti BSNL, rather anti-PSU stand of the central government and that is why our Mysuru CEC took the decision for agitational programmes. All Unions and Associations also decided certain program on the issue. It is worth mentioning that pension revision for pre 2007 pensioners and 78.2% IDA merger along with annulment of 60:40 conditions were achieved through sustained struggles by the employees and the pensioners. So, let us make the struggles a grand success and the united struggles of the employees and pensioners would definitely have its desired result .