BSNL employees to go on hunger strike today

New Delhi, Nov 25 (HS): Employees unions of BSNL have called a nationwide hunger strike on 25 November today. Employee unions allege that company management is forcing employees to take voluntary retirement (VRS). All India Unions and Associations of Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (AUAB) convenor P. Abhimanyu told that management is threatening employees if they do not take VRS they can be sent away and their retirement age can be reduced to 58 years.

AUAB claims that more than half of the company’s employees are associated with it. Abhimanyu also said, “We are not against the VRS scheme, employees who consider it good for themselves, then take it, this scheme is not beneficial for the lower-level employees, but forced them to accept it. He said that if it is imposed forcefully, we will go on a hunger strike from Monday.

BSNL Chairman and Managing Director P.K. According to Purwar, more than 77,000 employees have opted for VRS. The company has a total of 1.6 lakh employees and is in the loss. The company estimates that if 70 to 80 thousand employees leave with VRS, then the salary expenditure of the company will be reduced by about Rs 7,000 crore annually.