Dear friends,
You might be aware of an agitation being taken out in New Delhi by All India Graduate Engineer and Telecom Officers Association (AIGETOA) since August 18, 2009. If you have noticed the news and followed it with some interest, you might have a few questions at the back of your mind.
A few words about AIGETOA
After BSNL was corporatised in October 2000 following the opening up of telephony to the private sector, the decision was taken to revamp the staff-structure of BSNL in keeping with a modern telco. The direct fallout of this was the creation of a post, GE-JTO (Graduate Engineer-JTO). Most of us JTOs might recall the original letter which called us GE-JTOs. We joined service into the midst of a lot of JTOs who were not Graduate Engineers, but simply graduates. And we work under SDEs who are not engineers. nor even graduates, but often simply matriculates.
India is my country and all Indians are my brothers and sisters. Yes, we know that and it is just so. But when you have to call a matriculate "Sir" by virtue of his position, it hurts a little. For a lot of us, it hurts a hell of a lot more than that. It hurts even more when we realise how ill-equipped that person is for a technical job. So, there comes a day when you give up the illusion.
For a lot of us, that day came immediately after joining duty. To me, it came on the first day itself when I got posted under and SDE who was Maths MSc. This Officer was preparing cable diagrams. This officer's handwriting was terrible, but I got over that in due course (I made a map of all the signs she used in place of legible alphabets and soon I could read Greek and even Swahili). The difference was unmistakable. Especially for impressionable fellows like me, the difference was unbearable.
The first time it really hurt was when I was reprimanded for taking a Second Saturday off. (I later checked it out and found that if a JTO has to report for duty on a seond saturday, then every officer up to the GM/CGM has to report for duty.) We had an exchange of words, the first of the few that we have had in an otherwise sweet working relationship. Soon, my SDE was a much wiser person, and I began reporting directly to my DE (I was a JTO (Groups)).
All this time (this was in 2003-04), a few other distruntled fellows were doing the handiwork that would one day launch this organization, AIGETOA, which is at the forefront of this batte to save BSNL.
In simple terms, AIGETOA is an organization of graduate engineers and accountants with no more than 7 years of service in BSNL, who have been recruited by BSNL, and who are responsible for running the day-to-day activities of BSNL. We hold either BTech or CA degrees. We are qualified for the job, and we have passed qualifying examinations framed by the best professors in the country. You might see some of us in telephone exchanges, but most us are behind the scenes, maintaining the switches, mending the data circuits, setting up new connectivity, and so on. That is, most of the time you don't see us, but will be using services configured and optimized by us.
Why we are here, in the streets, fighting a noble war with a formidable enemy
The lowest executive post in BSNL is that of the Junior Telecom Officer. There are two ways you can become a JTO:~
The topmost executive post is that of Deputy General Manager. These are the ways you can become a DGM: ~
Why is it so? Why would the management (composed of a large number of ITS officers) want to rub out the technically qualified staff, who have been recruited with the intention of holding these managerial posts? Why does it suddenly emerge that those with technical qualification and relevant experience in the telecom field are deemed inappropriate or inadequate?
The basic fact is very simple: survival. It is a well-known fact that GE-JTOs supply the rechnical expertise to run the wheels of BSNL. We provide the oil and we provide the trained manpower to keep these high-technology switches and mobile operations working smoothly. We provide the technical edge and the competence.
The presence of ITS officers is a prime example of singleminded bargaining and blackmail. It is represented by a single organization which has resisted, indeed thwarted, every attempt at absorbing them into BSNL. When we joined the organization, they were fighting with their backs to the wall. Several ultimatums were issued by the BSNL, by the Ministry of Communication, and pressure was exerted from all quarters. Nothing came out of these efforts, half-hearted as they have been, and ITS Officers grew stronger and their bargaining power has increased. (And itis not a coincidence that a company which reported profits to the tune of Rs 8000 crores in 2005 reported an operating profit of Rs 104 crores in the last financial year.) While we toil, they are having the cake and eating it too. They are the Chotte Babus of BSNL Raj.
We do not forget the fact that a handful of conscientious ITS officers have opted to be absorbed into BSNL. However, a lot many years have passed since the stipulated 3-year deputatuion period which the ITS Officers have already exceeded. They are still strong and they still bargain, to their benefit, for better compensation and more power. GE-JTOs represent the biggest challenge to ITS Officers due to their similar qualification and better competence on the job. ITS Officers would like to see them bite the dust every time. Of course, we all know how it feels to get ordered about by another BTech. And they too, have known the sweet feeling of ordering about another BTech. Thus far, but no more.
But for how long?
Many of us who participated in this strike (it is to be noted that the victorious Oct-2008 strike at New Delhi went unnoticed in the South) are still very inexperienced with this modality of asking for our rights, of taking what is rightfully ours. We are abashed at this, that we could not provide a fitting support to our fighting brethren of the North and East regions. Yet we take heart in a few things.
The proportion of GE-JTOs will increase with every passing year, as recruitment examinations are held every two years. About 2500 new graduate engineers and chartered accountants will join service with each recruitment. That gives a yearly increase of nearly 1250 technically-qualified staff. Every year, a large proportion of technically unqualified staff (legacy code, often in bad repair, and almost always unmaintainable) take their leave. There will come a point when we will call the shots.
ITS Officers are living in a fool's paradise right now. They hope to stretch their luck to the utmost, and when things break (BSNL starts reporting losses) they propose to leave the organization en masse and get rpatriated into DoT. However, they conveniently forget that DoT in 2006 expressed their inability to accommodate nearly 3000 ITS Officers into their "surplus pool" (warming the benches in places like Jharkhand and Bihar). In fact, that was one of the reasons for ITS Officers to prolong their "deputation" in BSNL in the first place. So if BSNL starts reporting losses, they won't be going anywhere.
Surrounded as we are by our immediate "superiors" who feel no moral qualms kowtowing to the Babus, and looked from above by the Babus themselves who would shudder if they had to work shoulder-to-shoulder with us, we take heart in the fact that we are growing stronger every minute. Each additional day of the strike is another nail in the coffin of those who are bent on destroying BSNL.
We belong to BSNL. We have no life outside of it, and our hearts and minds lie are with BSNL. BSNL and Ge-JTO–our fates are inextricably linked to each other. If BSNL dies, we are finished. If our wings are clipped, BSNL will die. We are the technical persons responsible for providing "next generation telephony services at an affordable price." Without us, there will be no BSNL. And without BSNL, there would be no affordable telephony in the country.
You might be aware of an agitation being taken out in New Delhi by All India Graduate Engineer and Telecom Officers Association (AIGETOA) since August 18, 2009. If you have noticed the news and followed it with some interest, you might have a few questions at the back of your mind.
A few words about AIGETOA
After BSNL was corporatised in October 2000 following the opening up of telephony to the private sector, the decision was taken to revamp the staff-structure of BSNL in keeping with a modern telco. The direct fallout of this was the creation of a post, GE-JTO (Graduate Engineer-JTO). Most of us JTOs might recall the original letter which called us GE-JTOs. We joined service into the midst of a lot of JTOs who were not Graduate Engineers, but simply graduates. And we work under SDEs who are not engineers. nor even graduates, but often simply matriculates.
India is my country and all Indians are my brothers and sisters. Yes, we know that and it is just so. But when you have to call a matriculate "Sir" by virtue of his position, it hurts a little. For a lot of us, it hurts a hell of a lot more than that. It hurts even more when we realise how ill-equipped that person is for a technical job. So, there comes a day when you give up the illusion.
For a lot of us, that day came immediately after joining duty. To me, it came on the first day itself when I got posted under and SDE who was Maths MSc. This Officer was preparing cable diagrams. This officer's handwriting was terrible, but I got over that in due course (I made a map of all the signs she used in place of legible alphabets and soon I could read Greek and even Swahili). The difference was unmistakable. Especially for impressionable fellows like me, the difference was unbearable.
The first time it really hurt was when I was reprimanded for taking a Second Saturday off. (I later checked it out and found that if a JTO has to report for duty on a seond saturday, then every officer up to the GM/CGM has to report for duty.) We had an exchange of words, the first of the few that we have had in an otherwise sweet working relationship. Soon, my SDE was a much wiser person, and I began reporting directly to my DE (I was a JTO (Groups)).
All this time (this was in 2003-04), a few other distruntled fellows were doing the handiwork that would one day launch this organization, AIGETOA, which is at the forefront of this batte to save BSNL.
In simple terms, AIGETOA is an organization of graduate engineers and accountants with no more than 7 years of service in BSNL, who have been recruited by BSNL, and who are responsible for running the day-to-day activities of BSNL. We hold either BTech or CA degrees. We are qualified for the job, and we have passed qualifying examinations framed by the best professors in the country. You might see some of us in telephone exchanges, but most us are behind the scenes, maintaining the switches, mending the data circuits, setting up new connectivity, and so on. That is, most of the time you don't see us, but will be using services configured and optimized by us.
Why we are here, in the streets, fighting a noble war with a formidable enemy
The lowest executive post in BSNL is that of the Junior Telecom Officer. There are two ways you can become a JTO:~
- Qualify a nationwide examination conducted by BSNL. For this, you have to hold a BTech (Electronics) with minimum 60% marks.
- BSNL employees woking in TTA and lower posts can be promoted to JTO. For this, no educational qualification is necessary (even matriculates can become JTO and have).
The topmost executive post is that of Deputy General Manager. These are the ways you can become a DGM: ~
- Qualify in the now-defunct ITS examination, which was similar to the IES examination. For this you have to be a BTEch with minimum 60% marks. (This is the same qualification as a JTO.)
- Sub-Divisional Engineers (these are often those who hold BSc, there are very few engineers in this cadre excepting those who have qualified last year's examination in which some direct-recruit JTOs could appear) can be promoted to this post by passing a departmental test, for which there is no stipulated educational qualification.
- (The new twist, or watering the weed) You can be working in a private company for 12 years and drawing a salary of Rs 7 lakhs, or in a PSU for 5 years and drawing a salary of E4-scale. Here, too, the educational qualification required is a BTech.
Why is it so? Why would the management (composed of a large number of ITS officers) want to rub out the technically qualified staff, who have been recruited with the intention of holding these managerial posts? Why does it suddenly emerge that those with technical qualification and relevant experience in the telecom field are deemed inappropriate or inadequate?
The basic fact is very simple: survival. It is a well-known fact that GE-JTOs supply the rechnical expertise to run the wheels of BSNL. We provide the oil and we provide the trained manpower to keep these high-technology switches and mobile operations working smoothly. We provide the technical edge and the competence.
The presence of ITS officers is a prime example of singleminded bargaining and blackmail. It is represented by a single organization which has resisted, indeed thwarted, every attempt at absorbing them into BSNL. When we joined the organization, they were fighting with their backs to the wall. Several ultimatums were issued by the BSNL, by the Ministry of Communication, and pressure was exerted from all quarters. Nothing came out of these efforts, half-hearted as they have been, and ITS Officers grew stronger and their bargaining power has increased. (And itis not a coincidence that a company which reported profits to the tune of Rs 8000 crores in 2005 reported an operating profit of Rs 104 crores in the last financial year.) While we toil, they are having the cake and eating it too. They are the Chotte Babus of BSNL Raj.
We do not forget the fact that a handful of conscientious ITS officers have opted to be absorbed into BSNL. However, a lot many years have passed since the stipulated 3-year deputatuion period which the ITS Officers have already exceeded. They are still strong and they still bargain, to their benefit, for better compensation and more power. GE-JTOs represent the biggest challenge to ITS Officers due to their similar qualification and better competence on the job. ITS Officers would like to see them bite the dust every time. Of course, we all know how it feels to get ordered about by another BTech. And they too, have known the sweet feeling of ordering about another BTech. Thus far, but no more.
But for how long?
Many of us who participated in this strike (it is to be noted that the victorious Oct-2008 strike at New Delhi went unnoticed in the South) are still very inexperienced with this modality of asking for our rights, of taking what is rightfully ours. We are abashed at this, that we could not provide a fitting support to our fighting brethren of the North and East regions. Yet we take heart in a few things.
The proportion of GE-JTOs will increase with every passing year, as recruitment examinations are held every two years. About 2500 new graduate engineers and chartered accountants will join service with each recruitment. That gives a yearly increase of nearly 1250 technically-qualified staff. Every year, a large proportion of technically unqualified staff (legacy code, often in bad repair, and almost always unmaintainable) take their leave. There will come a point when we will call the shots.
ITS Officers are living in a fool's paradise right now. They hope to stretch their luck to the utmost, and when things break (BSNL starts reporting losses) they propose to leave the organization en masse and get rpatriated into DoT. However, they conveniently forget that DoT in 2006 expressed their inability to accommodate nearly 3000 ITS Officers into their "surplus pool" (warming the benches in places like Jharkhand and Bihar). In fact, that was one of the reasons for ITS Officers to prolong their "deputation" in BSNL in the first place. So if BSNL starts reporting losses, they won't be going anywhere.
Surrounded as we are by our immediate "superiors" who feel no moral qualms kowtowing to the Babus, and looked from above by the Babus themselves who would shudder if they had to work shoulder-to-shoulder with us, we take heart in the fact that we are growing stronger every minute. Each additional day of the strike is another nail in the coffin of those who are bent on destroying BSNL.
We belong to BSNL. We have no life outside of it, and our hearts and minds lie are with BSNL. BSNL and Ge-JTO–our fates are inextricably linked to each other. If BSNL dies, we are finished. If our wings are clipped, BSNL will die. We are the technical persons responsible for providing "next generation telephony services at an affordable price." Without us, there will be no BSNL. And without BSNL, there would be no affordable telephony in the country.
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