MASSIVE HUNGER STRIKE & WALK-OUT BY BSNL WORKERS

Hundreds of BSNL Workers sat on Hunger Strike in front of Bharat Sanchar Bhawan, Corporate Office of BSNL, protesting against the very meager amount of Interim Relief granted and also demanding Wage Revision, which is due from 01-01-2007. The ITS officers who are on deputation to BSNL and the other executives have already been granted wage revision and arrears also paid w.e.f. 01-01-2006 and 01-01-2007 respectively. But so far the two and half lakh non-executive employees are deprived of the Wage Revision. The management is not prepared to grant Wage Revision in the same ratio and firmament as given to top executives.

The Hunger Strike at Corporate Office was inaugurated by V.A.N. Namboodiri, Convenor, United Forum, It was addressed by S/Shri. K.K.N. Kutty, Secretary General of Confederation, P.Abhimanyu, Dy.General Secretay,BSNLEU, Suresh Kumar, General Secretary, BSNLMS (BTEF), N.D.Ram (President, SEWA BSNL).Hari Singh(General Secretary, BTU), G.L. Jogi ( Secretary General,SNEA), Prahlad Rai (General Secretary,AIBSNLEA) and other leaders.

More than two lakh workers in BSNL walked out from duty in all other places and demonstrated. At Kolkata, Chennai, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Mumbai, Ahmedabad, Jaipur, Lucknow and other major centres, thousands walked out from duty and organized massive demonstrations.

The United Forum of BSNL Unions has already called for two days strike on 19^th & 20^th may 2009 demanding early Wage Revision.

Source : Press Statement of United Forum of BSNL Unions.