BSNL staff go on 3-day strike : The Tribune India

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BSNL employees during a protest on the first day of the three-day strike in Bathinda on Monday. Tribune photo: Pawan sharma

Tribune News Service

Bathinda, February 18

Following a call given by the All Unions and Associations of BSNL (AUAB), BSNL executive and non-executive employees on Monday went on a three-day strike against the Union Government and the Department of Telecom over their long-pending demands. They staged a protest in front of the BSNL office and raised slogans against the Union Government and the Finance Minister.

AUAB BSNL leaders said they were on strike over their main long-pending demands: allotment of 4G spectrum to BSNL as per the proposal submitted by the BSNL, issue letter of comfort for BSNL’s proposal for taking soft loan from banks, implementation of the 3rd Pay Commission recommendations, payment of pension contribution by BSNL should be as per government rule and settlement of left-out issues of the 2nd Pay Commission.

Addressing the protesters, AUAB BSNL leaders Tara Singh Brar, Manohar Lal, Kulbhushan Jindal and Ram Das Singh Sodhi said vested interests had joined their hands against BSNL. The future of employees, who have put in 20 to 35 years of service, was at stake. They said this was an agitation for their survival.

They said the agitation was necessitated as the employees had been upset due to the non-implementation of assurances given by Minister of State for Communications Manoj Sinha at the meetings held with AUAB on February 24 and December 3 last year on the issues of the 3rd Pay Commission.

Besides, there were some others unfulfilled promises such as allotment of 4G spectrum to BSNL whereas other private operators were providing 4G services. BSNL had not yet launched the same as 4G spectrum had not been allotted by the government. BSNL employees were disappointed due to the denial of 3rd Pay Revision. As per the Affordability Clause of the 3rd Pay Revision Committee, the employees of BSNL were not entitled to wage revision as it had not earned profit during the past three years. The wanted the clause to be withdrawn.

The employees were concerned that the government had forgotten its commitment. On the contrary, the government was more concerned about ensuring financial viability of one private sector firm instead of its own PSU (BSNL).