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VSNL officers' association asks Centre to safeguard employees' interest
Neeraj Jha
Mumbai, Feb 23: Fearing large scale retrenchment in the event of the strategic partner getting management control in VSNL, the Federation of VSNL Officers' Associations has written on Friday to the disinvestment minister Arun Shourie and communication minister Ram Vilas Paswan, asking them to safeguard the employees' interest. The federation has sent the ministers a memorandum in which it has suggested that the strategic partner should be made to sign a tripartite agreement with the government and the employees' body to prevent it from changing the service conditions unilaterally. "The onus of protection of the employees' interest, benefit schemes and the funds thereof will be the responsibility of the Centre and statutory formalities must be taken to the logical conclusion. This should be a part of a agreement between the Centre, the strategic partner and the employees' body in case of transfer of management control to the strategic partner," federation president VS Rama Rao said in the memorandum.The federation's other demands are:
Protection of terms of employment, job security, service conditions, social security etc to the VSNL employees must be stipulated by way of an express clause in the letter of offer to the strategic partner. Any retrenchment/termination/dismissal from service/lay off with or without enquiry or disciplinary proceedings must be effected only with express approval from the administrative ministry for a minimum period of seven years.Other demands include the continuation of all the benefits that the retired/retiring OCS/VSNL employees are presently entitled to, including domiciliary medical treatment and hospitalisation scheme.When contacted, VSNL director operations Amitabh Kumar: "This (getting concerned over the future) is quite natural. And any association or union worth its salt will try to see that its interests are safeguarded. But, if you ask me, nobody is opposing privatisation in VSNL." But clearly, there is widespread fear among the employees of VSNL which is awaiting privatisation. Especially when the future of the present VSNL board itself is not certain. "Nobody knows what part of the present board will be retained in the event of the strategic partner taking the management control," is the common refrain. Not surprisingly, the memorandum wants the present board to be retained even if the new management chooses to expand it. And the fear is not unfounded. When VSNL (erstwhile Overseas Communications Service) was corporatised in 1990, a number of OCS employees with less than 10 years of experience on the date of absorption, lost their service without any compensation whatsoever. Those with longer service were allowed full compensation and gratuity but the amount was impounded and paid back after seven years and the interest (earned on the sum) was taxed. The matter is still pending with the Delhi High Court. Copyright © 2001 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.
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