AIR, Doordarshan employees defer agitation

New Delhi, Nov 22 (UNI) The employees of All India Radio and Doordarshan today decided to defer their agitation after assurances from Information and Broadcasting Minister Priya Ranjan Dasmunsi.

The employees decided to defer their agitation up to December following Mr Dasmunsi's meeting with representatives of the Akashvani and Doordarshan Administrative Staff Association (ADASA), in which he assured them that all efforts would be made for early resolution of their demand by taking it up in the next GOM.

An estimated 7000 administrative staff employees of AIR and Doordarshan were on a nation-wide strike demanding extension of upgraded pay scales on a par with Engineering and Programme Employees.

They had alleged utter neglect by the authorities to resolve the continued wage discrimination among employees in Prasar Bharti despite acceptance by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting to settle the issue.

Besides, around 200 representative members from various AIR and Doordarshan stations all over the country are also participating in a 72-hour relay hunger strike being held at Akashvani Bhavan at Parliament Street here, since Tuesday.

The employees also threatened to convert the present agitation into 'fast-unto-death if there is not an immediate resolution to what they allege discrimination in the pay scale matter.

They said the issue was not confined to them alone but also involved the broad outlook with reference to the implementation of the Prasar Bharti Act.

UNI