Over 12,000 BSNL staff boycott work on 2nd day

Over 12,000 BSNL employees in Gujarat circle boycotted work today as the strike by telecom C and D category staff entered the second day here.

"Telecom services like shifting of connections, obtaining new broadband and telephone connections remained affected for second consecutive day as 12,000 C and D staff boycotted work in Gujarat," President BSNL Employees Union, Gujarat Circle N K Trivedi said.

The C and D telecom staff comprising TTAs or telecom technicians, senior telecom office assistant, regular mazdoor and others have been demanding pay revision from retrospective effect, change in promotion policy and removal of pay related anomalies, he added.

"The total strength of telecom C and D category staff in Gujarat circle is 20,000 employees, out of which nearly 8,000 joined duty and worked in routine course," BSNL officials claimed.

However, GM Administration Gujarat Circle VK Sajnani said, "There was no impact of the strike on telecom services in the state, although absenteeism was recorded in offices. All the required measures are being taken to avoid disruption of services."

According to Sajnani, nearly 43 per cent of the C and D category telecom staff is on strike since yesterday here.

Meanwhile, members of All India Junior Telecom Association (AIJTA), have also gone on an hunger strike and boycotted work in support of their demands related to promotion.        

The executive staff-telecom engineers-were recruited directly by BSNL recently, and was posted in 17 districts of the state, a BSNL employee said.