People's Democracy

 BSNL Workers Observe One Day Fast

WORKERS of the Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd (BSNL) throughout the country observed a one day fast on September 27, 2011, in protest against the proposal to retrench one lakh workers through the so called “voluntary” retirement scheme (VRS) and demanding restoration of medical, LTC and encashment of leave facilities as also immediate procurement of GSM lines, cables and broadband modems, settlement of ITS absorption etc. The call was given by the Joint Action Committee (JAC) of BSNL Unions.

According to a statement issued by V A N Namboodiri, convenor of the Joint Action Committee Of Associations and Unions Of BSNL Executives and Non-Executives, on the day, thousands of workers participated in the fast at all the centres, the major ones being Chennai, Kolkata, Bangalore, Mumbai, Hyderabad etc. Thus the fast was observed in all the 300 and odd SSAs and also before the CGM BSNL offices.

In front of the BSNL Corporate Office, Bharat Sanchar Bhawan in New Delhi, the fast was inaugurated by V A N Namboodiri. G L Jogi (general secretary, SNEA), P Abhimanyu (general secretary, BSNLEU), Prahlad Rai (general secretary, AIBSNLEA), Suresh Kumar (general secretary BSNLMS), N D Ram (secretary, SEWA BSNL), R K Kohli (general secretary, NFTBE), Ram Kishan (general secretary, BTU BSNL), Andiappan (general secretary, FNTOBE) and other leaders addressed the lunch hour meeting which was attended by hundreds of workers.

The fast was undertaken as a measure in preparation for the one day strike decided to be organised on October 10, 2011.