Mysuru:  Employees of Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) in Mysuru — both executive and non-executive — will strike work from Feb.18 to 20 in support of their demands, including implementation of third pay revision with 15% fitment and allotment of 4G Spectrum to BSNL as per the proposals submitted by the management.

The strike in Mysuru will be observed in response to the nationwide strike called by the All Unions and Associations of BSNL (AUAB), New Delhi. The AUAB, Karnataka Circle, Bengaluru, is also supporting the strike by holding the strike on all three days to draw the attention of the Government towards the demands.

Staff across the BSNL offices in Mysuru will abstain from work in support of the strike. Certain services provided for the public at offices will remain affected on all three days” Subramanya N. Convener, AUAB and DS, BSNLEU said in a press release.

The press release said that the wage revision and 4G spectrum issues were pending since January 2017, and the Minister of State for Communications (Independent Charge) had promised that these two issues will be settled by July 2018, which got postponed to November 2018 and it is yet to be settled as on date.

Procurement of 4G services is very much essential for the BSNL, in order to retain its customer base across the country. Level playing will not be there to BSNL in the absence of 4G services, and this will also affect the revenue, which is very much essential to run the show on                                        day-to-day basis.

Unfortunately, the NITI Aayog has reportedly informed the Government, for reasons and justifications best known to it, that 4G services were not required for BSNL, since all other private operators were having such services,” said the release issued by the AUAB.

Though the BSNL is not having any kind of liability, either to nationalised or private sector banks, the Government is reportedly hesitating to give letter of consent to BSNL, which is an essential document for procuring the loans, the release said.