Daijiworld Media Network – Mangalore (SM/RD)
Mangalore, Jul 9: A protest was held here on Monday July 9 by joint forum of BSNL Employees Unions/Associations.
Around 3,40,000 BSNL employees will be staging one-day strike on Wednesday, Jul 11, demanding issue of purchase order for the supply of 45.5 million GSM lines, for which tenders have already been finalized one year ago. Any delay in issuing the purchase order would result in loss of thousands of crores of rupees to BSNL. Besides it would also deprive BSNL mobile connections to crores of people, for which they have been waiting for a long time.
BSNL has decided to provide a target of 60 million (6 crore) G S Mobile connections to the people and placed an order for 30% of the same with Public Sector ITI and the balance of 45.5 million was called for through Global Tenders.
The delay in issuing purchase order of GSM lines has already caused more than Rs 110 crores during the last two months alone. If the purchase order is not issued and new tenders are called for, it will take another two years resulting in a loss of more than Rs 30,000/- crores. The BSNL will not be able to meet the large demand of the public and will relegate itself to the bottom, below all the private operators. As such, it has become most important for BSNL to issue the purchase order. The undue delay is completely unjustified.
Therefore, to ensure that the purchase order is issued, the BSNL non-executives and executives under the banner of Joint forum will be going on one day strike on that day. If the issue is not settled, it will be converted in to an indefinite strike.
Black Badges has been worn by workers and lunch hour demonstrations organized on Jul 6 and 7. Massive dharna will be organized on Jul 9 to 10 before going on strike.
They demand the minister and BSNL management to intervene in the case of purchase order issue b resolved, thus saving BSNL and the employees.
V A N Namboodiri, general secretary of BSNLEU and convenors joint forum, Venugopalan Nambiar, district president of BSNLEU, Mohan C district secretary of SNEA(I), B V Bhat president of SNEA (I), Balakrisha district secretary of FNTO and Purushotam Bhat S district secretary of AIBSNLEA were present during the protest.