Historic Victory Of BSNL Employees Union

V A N Namboodiri

THE membership verification to select the majority union in Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited, one of the biggest public sector unit was conducted on December 1, 2004. Out of 2,83,919 voters 2,62,988 participated through secret ballot arranged in 2,276 polling booths spread over through out the country from Gujarat to North East and J&K to Andaman & Nicobar Islands. More than 7,000 presiding and polling officers were engaged. Hundreds of officers of the Central Labour Department supervised the counting which tool place on December 3, 2004 arranged in about 500 SSAs (districts). The ballot boxes were provided by the Election  Commission of India.  In short, it was a mini election conducted on the same day through out India. The percentage of voting was a high 92.63 per cent, and the fall down due to the festive and marriage season.

Eleven unions participated in the verification. However, the real contest was between National Federation of Telecom Employees (NFTE), the existing recognised union and an alliance of six unions led by BSNL Employees Union (BSNLEU). In the last verification, conducted in September 2002, NFTE which was a long established union since 1954, polled 1,05,209 votes (35.2 per cent) and BSNLEU, a new union formed before 18 months, got 89,496 votes (29.98 per cent). Even though NFTE did not get 50 per cent, the management recognised it, denying recognition to BSNLEU, the second union. This was against the convention that existed in the Department of Telecom (before corporatisation of BSNL) where two unions having more than 15 per cent support were recognised, and which continues even now in postal department under ministry of communications. In other public sector units also more than one union are recognised.

REBUFF TO COLLOBORATION

The two years after the last verification was used by NFTE in supporting the anti-worker policies of the NDA government and the management. It agreed for reduction and abolition of existing allowances. It pressurised the management to impose Voluntary Retirement Scheme (VRS) and Compulsory Retirement Scheme (CRS) to reduce about 10 per cent of the existing strength. Already within the last 20 years, despite vast growth and development, the staff has been reduced from 6 lakh to 3.5 lakh due to non-recruitment. The staff ratio for 1,000 telephones has come down from 10 to 5 within the last ten years. Bonus was reduced to 75 per cent despite increase in revenue and profit. The union agreed with the management to reduce pay scales of certain categories/ cadres. Higher pension on IDA pay scales paid by government was sought to be reduced on CDA pay scales, which the employees were getting earlier before wage revision in BSNL.

Further, utilising all the facilities provided by management, the recognised union NFTE tried to destabilise other unions. Due to its pressure, All India Circle state, district and branch level leaders and active workers numbering more than two thousand, and mainly belonging to BSNL Employees Union, were transferred from the stations of posting to far away places without any principle, rule or justification.

Although negotiating councils at National, Circle (State) SSA (District) levels with all facilities like office accommodation, telephone facility etc, were available to the recognised union, it completely failed to take up the major issues of the workers with management and no settlement was made. In fact, it functioned as a pro-management and anti-worker union.

On the important issues like disinvestments, privatisation etc, NFTE not only did not oppose such anti-worker proposals, but actually gave tacit support stating that it is not prepared to fight against the policies of the government. But its leaders conveniently forgot that the P&T trade union movement had the tradition of organising serious struggles and historic strikes like in 1946, 1960, 1968, 1974 etc. against the policies of the government. All this led the workers to dub it as Negative Federation of Telecom Employees.

During the last two years, BSNLEU was under severe attack from both the management and the recognised union. It functioned patiently with commitment and devotion to the cause of workers. Despite not being recognised, it took up the burning problems of workers and through continuous struggles was able to settle certain issues. It effectively organised workers against the proposal to disinvest/privatise BSNL through massive struggle. Two crore signatures were collected from the public against privatisation and submitted to parliament. Thousands of BSNL workers demonstrated in Delhi against privatisation and disinvestments. With its commitment to the people, it agitated for a better service and expansion and development of the telecom network. It made all efforts to unite the workers for struggles to the cause of the working class. It actively participated in all the struggles organised by the central trade unions, including the February 24 strike on Right to Strike.

UNITED FRONT

It was in this background that the second membership verification was conducted in BSNL. The leaders of BSNL Employees Union took the initiative in bringing five other unions into an alliance to defeat the pro-management NFTE and to protect and safe guard the interest of BSNL workers. As a result, the United Forum of BSNL Unions was formed which decided that members of all these unions would vote for BSNLEU on a common symbol.

Massive campaign was organised all over the country. The general secretary of BSNLEU toured almost all important stations in the country more than once within three months. Hectic tours were conducted by other leaders and alliance partners. Lakhs of wall posters, pamphlets etc were printed and circulated. Seminars, general body meetings and public meetings were held with participation of leaders, including those of central trade unions. Seeing the response to this, the NFTE tried to stall the election but failed.

The polling was over on December 1. After counting on December 3, the results were officially announced next day. BSNL Employees Union alliance got 1,39,827 votes out of the 2,62,988 votes polled securing a majority of 53 per cent votes. NFTE BSNL got 1,00,226 votes less than 4,983 votes polled in their favour last time. The workers gave a crushing defeat to the NFTE and its anti-workers policies. The support of the management, money power and its recognised status and facilities could not save the NFTE from the wrath of the workers.

BSNL Employees Union got more than 50 per cent votes in 18 circles out of 36. It got 92.23 per cent and 89.09 per cent in North East I & II circle respectively. In Assam, Kerala & Kolkata it got 84 per cent, 81 per cent and 75 per cent respectively. While BSNLEU got not less than 30 per cent in all circles, the NFTE got zero votes in two circles and less than 10 per cent in other 7 circles.

BSNL Mazdoor Sangh (BMS) which contested separately got 14,566 votes (5 per cent) which is less than 16,838 votes it got in the last verification. Its strength was reduced to less than 50 per cent due to its vacillating and pro-government line. BSNL Employees Union has now been recognised as the Negotiating and Representative Union for the next two years.

This is not the first defeat that the revisionist leaders of NFTE (NFPTE) suffered. In 1970 there was a contest in the federal council of the then NFPTE, where these pro-government leaders led by O P Gupta were defeated by the progressive leadership led by K G Bose and others. But with the support of the government, parallel list was floated and a dispute created. Again in 1991, in the all India conference of E-III Union, an affiliate of NFTE, O P Gupta leadership was defeated by more than 5,000 delegates present electing V A N Namboodiri and Moni Bose as president and general secretary respectively. Now the lakhs of ordinary workers of BSNL have defeated decisively the anti-workers and pro-management leadership of NFTE BSNL.

CRUCIAL BATLE AHEAD

The workers all over the country are jubilant over the victory of their pro-worker union. They very well known that it is the unity and alliance of the which brought this victory and the unity has to be maintained and strengthened. The important and long pending issues should be taken up and settled.

While the UPA government has declared in its Common Minimum Programme that no profitable PSUs will be privatised, proposals are already afloat to disinvest BSNL. The merger of MTNL with BSNL is under active consideration, so that the shares of BSNL can be sold as in the case of MTNL. Consultants have already been appointed by the government for synergising the merger. Workers are not averse to the merger, but before that the shares sold by MTNL should be bought back. The government is starving BSNL by not paying the USO Fund amounting to Rs 4,726 crore to reimburse the loss incurred by BSNL in providing telephones to villages, remote areas etc. which are not remunerative. TRAI is creating hurdles by proposing reduction of Access Deficit Charge (ADC) which is due from private operators to BSNL. It has barred BSNL from reducing rentals and other charges while it is very liberal with private operators. People want BSNL mobile connections, but government creates all hurdles for BSNL to acquire sufficient SIM cards. The government is proposing to increase foreign direct investment (FDI) to 74 per cent in telecom, while USA, Canada etc have put a cap of 25 per cent to 35 per cent only. These are very vital issues for the existence and development of BSNL, which the new recognised union has to take serious note of and tackle to the benefit of the people and workers. Wider unity of all employees including executives should be forged for developing, expanding and giving a better service to the people, the real masters.

The slogan of BSNL Employees Union has always been “Struggle for Unity and Unity for Struggle”. Now it stands expanded to “Unity and Struggle for the Advancement of Workers”.

(The writer is general secretary BSNL Employees Union)