Telecom services badly hit as employees boycott work

Hyderabad, July 11 (UNI) BSNL telecom services were badly hit in Andhra Pradesh today following the one-day strike called by the employees and unions, demanding issuance of Global Service Mobility (GSM) order by the UPA government, which enables to purchase 45.5 million GSM lines.

More than 40,000 employees participated in the strike, paralysing the sources as customers faced problems.

In Hyderabad, the employees of Telecom Department sat in a dharna since this morning before the state Telecom head office. The Employee Unions, affiliated to several organisations took out rallies in the city.

A Vijayawada report said the joint forum of BSNL Unions in Krishna district went on a day-long strike, crippling telecom operations.

A joint forum of BSNL Union's Krishna district convenor Prasada Rao told UNI that the strike was called off by all of about 2600 employees and officers participating.

The telegraph and other BSNL offices in the city wore a deserted look.

He said in one town about 800 employees and officers took out a huge rally from Chuttigunta BSNL GM office to the Central Telephone Exchange. The employees and officers, who participated in the rally, raised slogans against the delay of issuing orders by the centre for purchasing 45.5 million GSM lines.

In Visakhapatnam, BSNL General Manager Nagaraju said 1800 employees participated in the strike.

The joint forum of BSNL union and Association Convenor J Chittibabu said over 3,40,000 executive and non-executive employees of BSNL across the country participated in the strike.

UNI