DHARNA: BSNL employees stage protest

Ludhiana, November 9, 2012: Activist of the United forum of BSNL Unions comprising of BSNL Employees Union,                  SC/ST Employees Welfare Association of BSNL and National Federation of Telecom BSNL Employees organized a long day dharna and massive lunch hour demonstration in front of the office of GMTD, Bharat Nagar Chowk, Ludhiana.

The call for day long dharna and demonstration was given by the United Forum of BSNL Unions demanding payment of minimum Productivity Link Incentive and immediate arrest of Adesh Kumar Gupta, GMTD, Ghaziabad and his accomplice in case of brutal murder of Sukender Pal Singh, District Secretary, BSNLEU, Ghaziabad.

Balwinder Singh, District Secretary, BSNL Employees Union, while addressing the demonstrators, told that the BSNL management has not paid productivity linked incentive (PLI) to the employees from last two years. The management is arguing that the BSNL is incurring losses from the last 3 financial years so the PLI cannot be paid. 

He further stated that BSNL employees are not responsible for the present poor financial condition of the company. The anti BSNL and pro private policies being adopted by the Government of India is mainly responsible for it. The Chief Labour Commissioner of India in the conciliatory meeting on May 17 this year has directed BSNL management to settle this issue through discussion with staff side, but the management failed to settle this issue.

Further, he demanded immediate payment of minimum PLI before Divali. He has also demanded the immediate arrest of Adesh Kumar Gupta, GMTD, Ghaziabad and his accomplice in brutal murder case of Sukender Pal Singh, District Secretary Ghaziabad who was murdered on October 22 this year.

S. P. Singh, Circle Secretary, National Federation of Telecom BSNL Employees, Punjab Circle and Pritam Chand, Senior Leader of NFTEBE, strongly criticised the U.P. Police for not arresting the GMTD, Ghaziabad in murder case of Sukender Pal Singh, District Secretary after a long period has already been gone. He demanded the immediate arrest of GMTD, Ghaziabad and his accomplice who involved in murder case and put them behind the bars.                He also demanded that the BSNL Administration to take action against the culprits.

Paramjit Singh, District President and Avtar Singh, Assistant District Secretary, BSNL Employees Union while addressing the demonstrators said the BSNL is incurring losses due to anti BSNL policies of government for which employees are not responsible for the same.                     He demanded the immediate payment of PLI for the employees on the festival of Diwali.              He also stated in his speech that the GMTD, Ghaziabad should be arrested immediately as already a long time has been gone but the culprits have not been arrested so far.