BSNL employees seek allocation of 4G spectrum, wage revision

Tribune News Service

Jalandhar, February 19

Highlighting their long-pending issues, including the allocation of 4G spectrum to the public sector telecom entity and wage revision, hundreds of ‘Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL)’ workers in the district continued their three-day strike at the BSNL office today, near Shastri Market area.

Emloyees are on three day strike under the banner of All Unions And Associations of BSNL (AUAB) for long-pending demands from DOT and Central Government operators.

The workers said: “Through the PAN India strike, they have tried to oppose government’s move of constantly trying to destabilise the Public Sector Undertakings.

The union members participating in the strike have put forward eight demands. Allocation of 4G spectrum to BSNL is the primary one in the demand charter. “Though the private operators were allotted 4G spectrum in October 2016 itself, the BSNL was still waiting for the 4G spectrum. The absence of 4G services reduces the competency, and it may eventually lead to the dismantling of BSNL”, said Ashwini Arora, district secretary of Sanchar Nigam Executive Association (SNEA).

“The delay in the allotment of 4G spectrum to BSNL was adversely affecting the financial revival of the company,” he added.

He said besides, the government has persistently delayed in providing ‘Letter of comfort’ to the BSNL, through which, it could take loan from the banks for running the institution. However, the private organisations were easily provided the same without any restriction.

The leaders of AUAB told that BSNL was working on its own from the days of its formation in the year 2000 without any kind of loan from the Government or PSB and expanded its mobile services and landline services in PAN India.

Presently it has an employment base of 1.74 lakh. Notably, BSNL has been providing services in every nook and corner of the country, whereas private operators are giving services only for profitability. Private telecom operators are having loan from PSB and private institutions.

Therefore, every telecom company is feeling heat in the shape of losses in the present scenario of neck- throat competition. Hence the loan would help to further expand itself without any obstacle.

In the meeting that was held on February 24, 2018, the Minister of State for Communications, Manoj Sinha, had assured that 4G spectrum would be allotted to the BSNL.

But the promise is yet to be fulfilled even after so many protests and meetings, informed Arora.

Other demands by the employees include, payment of pension contribution by BSNL as per the government rule, approval for BSNL’s Land Management Policy without any delay, scrapping of BSNL’s outsourcing for the operation and maintenance of its mobile towers, implementation of 3rd pay revision and settlement of left out issues of 2nd Pay Revision Committee.

The strike that has been called by AUAB, All India Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited Executive’s Association, Sanchar Nigam Executives’ Association, All India Graduate Engineer and Telecom Officer’s Association, Telecommunication Employees Progressive Union, BSNL Officers Association, among others, wiIl continue till February 20.