BSNL union denies media reports on VRS, IPO

Chennai, May 31: The Public Sector BSNL Employees Union today denied having agreed to the proposed Voluntary Retirement Scheme (VRS) and listing BSNL in the share market.

In a statement here, Mr R Gunasekaran, All India Organising Secretary, dismissed as totally false and fabricated, reports in a section of the media that trade unions have agreed for the proposals. He said the United Forum of six non-executive unions in BSNL only had discussion with Minister for Communications and IT A Raja on May 29, but never agreed for VRS or IPO.

In the above said meeting the United Forum leaders were requested to accept the listing of BSNL and introduction of VRS.

But both these proposals were stoutly rejected by the unions in the very presence of the Minister.

He said the VRS and listing of the company would be ''disastrous'' not only to BSNL, but also to the nation in the long run.

Meanwhile, employees, who were members of the United Forum, held lunch hour demonstrations today against the ''attempts'' and ''conspiracies'' to list BSNL in the share market and to introduce VRS.

UNI