BSNL employees in Aurangabad join nation-wide strike

Aurangabad, July 11 (UNI) Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) employees, affiliated to the Joint Forum of Executives and Non-executives Unions, here today struck work as part of the nation-wide strike over the demand for finalisation of tenders for purchase of GSM equipments.

At least 1000 members of the Joint Forum of BSNL Unions and Associations of Non-Executive and Executives boycotted work today, raised slogans and staged a dharna in front of the Telecom office here. They also submitted a memorandum to the BSNL General Manager Rajshekhar, Joint Forum of Employees Union President Mr S S Nirgavikar told UNI.

The employees remained absent in all the 170 exchanges and 20 consumer service cells in the district. Telecom operations and other services of the BSNL in the district were partially affected due to the strike, he said.

He said the employees had joined the nation-wide strike with a view to remind the government that it is its duty to make available the telecom services with latest technology at most affordable rates.

The strike was called not over employees pay scale, promotion, or bonus demands, but in the interest of customers, he said.

The employees started their protest since July 6 by wearing black badges during lunch hours and staged ''dharnas'' on July 9 and 10 before their respective offices.

The government is indirectly promoting private players in mobile communication, he alleged and warned that if the government does not concede to their demand, the Forum will go on an indefinite strike.

BSNL had finalised tender for the purchase of 45.5 million GSM lines a year ago at Rs 18,000 crore approximately. The customers were paying heavily for outgoing and incoming calls (Rs 16.40 per minute) earlier but the same was reduced by Rs 2.40 per minute when BSNL entered the mobile segment.

If BSNL does not go in for 3G technology now, private operators will play havoc with the rates, he warned.

UNI