BSNL staff go on two-day strike

Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, December 12

Workers of all unions of non-executives and associations of executives of the BSNL, Ludhiana, today went on a two-day strike. All officers and staff members gathered at the Bharat Nagar Chowk after closing down all offices and staged a massive demonstration in front of the head office.

The employees have demanded wage revision from 2011 and removal of anomalies in the second wage revision. They have opposed a separate subsidiary tower company of the BSNL.

Addressing the workers, Balbir Singh, national president, BSNLEU; Jasvir Singh, secretary, North Zone, SNEA (l); and Surjit Singh, circle secretary, NFTE (BSNL), said strike was complete in Ludhiana as all offices, including single cash counters and customer service centres remained shut.

They said the Union Cabinet had approved the wage policy for Central Public Sector Enterprises with the terms and condition laid down by the Department of Public Enterprises. As per the guidelines of the Department of Public Enterprises, the wage of employees of loss-making public sector units cannot be revised.

They said the losses to the BSNL are due to the policies of the government.

They said Telecom Minister A Raja cancelled the 13 crore mobile line equipment tenders, which was the main reason for losses incurred by the BSNL. Moreover, the BSNL was allowed to enter the mobile sector six years after the private companies started operations.