The contract employees of Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) across the State will go on an indefinite strike from Thursday in protest against the lack of response from the management and the Central government to their demands to pay wage arrears for the past seven months.
In a press release issued here on Wednesday, BSNL CCLU Working President K. Mohanan said that the current crisis in the BSNL was a direct result of the Central government’s moves to promote Reliance Jio, by denying permission for 4G services to BSNL. The government was planning to relieve around 54,000 employees through a voluntary retirement scheme.
“All these months, the contract staff have been protesting in such a way that the functioning of the BSNL was not affected. But the management responded by arbitrarily asking several contract staff to leave the organisation. Now, even the salaries of the regular employees are getting affected. The contract staff have no other way but go ahead with indefinite strike,” said Mr. Mohanan.
Since June 24, the employees under the BSNL Casual Contract Labour Union (CCLU), affiliated to the CITU, has been sitting in protest in front of the Chief General Manager’s office in Thiruvananthapuram and district centres demanding payment of pending wages.
Circular
The management has also in a recent circular sent to all circles directed reduction of contract labour by 30% in terms of numbers as well as expenditure. It further says that contract workers should be engaged only for activities which cannot be performed by the regular employees.
