Kohima: Ther Joint Forum of the Non-Executive Unions & Associations of Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) on Wednesday staged protest at the BSNL office premises in Kohima.
After a brief programme, protestors marched to Raj Bhavan and submitted a memorandum to the Governor of Nagaland La Ganesan.
In the memorandum, the protestors cited that due to non-settlement of wage revision, around 12,000 non-executives (Group ‘C’ and ‘D’ employees) of BSNL out of 30,000 have been suffering from stoppage of annual increment, due to stagnation.
The memorandum pointed out that on April 27, 2018, the Department of elecommunications (DOT) which is the nodal department for BSNL, had issued a letter to the chairman & managing director of BSNL (CMD BSNL), wherein direction was given to negotiate and to sign the Wage Revision Agreement with the Recognised Unions of the Non-Executives of BSNL and to send the same for its approval.
However, even after five years, the BSNL Management had not signed the agreement with the unions of the non-executives leading to the stagnantion, the memorandum said.
The protestors demanded that the wage revision should be settled without further delay.
The memorandum also said that inordinate delay in the launching of BSNL’s 4G & 5G services had resulted in huge losses since private operators had already launched their 5G service. This delay, it said, was due to the roadblocks created by the government in BSNL’s 4G launching.
The unions pointed out that due to non-availability of high-speed data service with BSNL, 77 lakh customers have left the Company in the year 2022 alone. Lakh of customers continue to leave BSNL due to heavy delay in BSNL’s launching of 4G & 5G services.
This exodus of BSNL’s customers, the letter said, was causing irreparable damage to the company. The protestors demanded that all out efforts should be taken for the immediate launching of BSNL’s 4G & 5G services.
The protestors further demanded for a new promotion policy for the non-executives of BSNL citing they were being discriminated in the matter of promotions. The unions demanded that the policy should be reviewed and implemented.
The protestors through the memorandum requested the governor to intervene and settle the burning issues of the employees and the company.
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The protestors had, through a seperate letter addressed to the chairman & managing director, Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd, P.K. Purwar and Secretary, Telecom, Department of Telecommunications, Ministry of Communications, K. Rajaraman, notified them about the proposed nationwide protest demanding settlement of the issues.
Earlier on June 1, the protestors had organised a human chain programme in all district headquarters which was followed by today’s march to the Raj Bhawans and submission of memorandum in all circle headquarters.
In the next phase scheduled on July 7, the protestors are planning to march to Delhi through their plan – ‘Delhi Chalo’.
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