BSNL employees strike hits services in northeast India

AGARTALA/GUWAHATI - Telecommunication services were affected in northeast India Tuesday as the employees and officers’ associations of Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd (BSNL) struck work indefinitely to oppose the proposed disinvestment in the public sector body.

“Over 2,000 employees and officers of BSNL across the seven northeastern states took part in the nationwide strike,” Joint Action Committee (JAC) of BSNL unions and associations convenor Tirthankar Choudhury told reporters in Agartala.

All categories of employees and officers of BSNL took part in the strike. Nine trade unions, including Indian National Trade Union Congress (INTUC), Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU), Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh and the All India Trade Union Congress, are supporting the strike.

Choudhury said the central government has been planning to implement a voluntary retirement scheme (VRS) for 100,000 employees across the country. “We strongly oppose the scheme.”

In the wake of the strike, the BSNL authorities said efforts were being made to ensure services are not disrupted.

“All efforts are being made to ensure that the services are not disrupted and no inconvenience is caused to our customers and people,” BSNL general manager Deb Kumar Chakraborty told IANS.

The striking employees are organising picketing in front of the BSNL offices in Guwahati, Agartala, Shillong, Imphal and scores of other places.