PSUs threaten stir over wage deadlock

As stalemate continues in wage settlements, more and more PSUs are taking the strikd route to step up pressure on the government. The workers, backed by trade unions, are demanding a five-year settlement and higher increments.

After public sector banks, BSNL, Air India and Bharat Electronics Ltd, workers of the steel industry, ports and docks and Bhel are toying with the agitation option. While steel workers are taking a strike ballot to decide on the future course of action, Bhel workers have planned a day’s strike on September 14 and the Indian Ports and Docks Federations are also threatening a stir.

Of the 220 PSUs, 70 are sick while the rest are trying to work out wage settlements. Barring the coal sector, negotiations are deadlocked in other undertakings even 32 months after the old agreement ended in 2006. “The government is adopting a wage restraint policy. This is a major reason for the stalemate in wage negotiations,” CPM polit bureau member and CITU leader M K Pandhe said on Tuesday. He said the delay in wage settlements coupled with increase in prices of essential items was increasing discontent among the workers.

Executives and non-executives in central PSUs are eligible for wage revision with effect from January 1, 2007. The last revision was done in 1997. The trade unions are now insisting on a five-year tenure of wage agreement instead of 10 years with full fitment benefit.

Mr Pandhe claimed that Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had “verbally” given permission for a five-year wage settlement period for PSU workers in 2008, but the government directive is for 10 years. “We want a 30% increase in wages for five years for the workers. The government has granted 30% increment for executives for 10 years,” he said. The workers’ demands are not new. A GoM in 2000 was in favour of a status quo on the five-year wage settlement period for workers employed with public sector undertakings, autonomous bodies and departmental organisations.

The workers also want that the rate of increment should be a percentage of the basic salary along with proportionate rise in fringe benefits. BSNL, whose over 10,000 employees went on strike last week, was demanding wage revision for more than two lakh non-executive employees. It was also protesting against any disinvestment, contractorisation and outsourcing in the PSU.

Earlier this month, employees of public sector banks across the country struck work for two days demanding wage hike, among other issues.

Source : Economic Times.