AS per the call of the joint action committee of BSNL associations and unions, the BSNL workers all over the country went on strike opposing disinvestment /privatisation of BSNL as also the proposal to retrench one lakh workers through voluntary retirement. The workers are also demanding procurement of adequate mobile equipments to provide services to the people, honouring the commitment by the government to financially support BSNL for providing services in loss making areas like lakhs of villages, absorption of ITS officers, revision of pension of pre-2007 BSNL retirees, 78.2 per cent IDA fixation etc. The charter of demands was submitted to the BSNL management and the government more than six weeks earlier, but there has been no effective discussion on the part of the management or the government. Assurances were given by the then communications minister to settle these issues in a time bound matter, but most of the issues are not yet settled. Hence the strike.
The strike is complete in all parts of the country. Most of the offices were closed due to absence of staff. Hundreds of striking workers demonstrated in front of Bharat Sanchar Bhawan in Delhi, which is the corporate office of BSNL. Thousands of workers demonstrated in Kolkata, Chennai, Mumbai, Bangalore, Hyderabad and other metro cities. In Kerala, all BSNL offices stood deserted with nobody to attend work. It was not much different in other states.
Many trade unions organised demonstrations in support of the BSNL workers’ strike. The co-ordination committee of PSU unions observed the day as anti-disinvestment day by organising demonstrations. Central – state government, bank, insurance employees etc organised demonstrations in support of BSNL strike. The strike will continue for two more days.
Source: People’s Democracy
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