BSNL employee unions to go on Pan-India hunger strike today

BSNL Employees unions have called for a nationwide hunger strike against the VRS scheme. BSNL is looking at a savings of about Rs 7,000 crore in wage bill, if 70,000-80,000 personnel opt for the scheme.

New Delhi:BSNL employee unions have alleged that the management is forcing personnel to opt for voluntary retirement scheme (VRS) by creating a fear psychosis and have called for pan-India hunger strike on Monday.

The unions, representing more than half of BSNL employees, have alleged that the management is threatening employees of reduction in retirement age to 58 years and far away postings if the employees don't opt for VRS.

The unions, in a notice for hunger strike, have alleged that those opting for VRS will not be able to apply for pension commutation, which is one-third of pension amount payable over 15 years in advance, only after attaining the age of 60 years. They alleged that banks few years back offered better VRS compared to the scheme offered by BSNL, which is not lucrative.

"If management stops threatening employees, the number of employees opting for VRS will significantly come down," a union member said.

According to BSNL Chairman and Managing Director P K Purwar, over 77,000 out of around 1.6 lakh employees of the loss-making telecom firm have opted for VRS.

According to the plan, all regular and permanent employees of BSNL, including those on deputation to other organisations or posted outside the corporation on deputation basis, who attended the age of 50 years or above are eligible to seek voluntary retirement under the scheme.

The amount of ex-gratia for any eligible employee will be equal to 35 days salary for each completed year of service and 25 days salary for every year of service left until superannuation.

Employees' benefit accounts for 75-80 per cent of total revenue earned by the company annually. BSNL is looking at a savings of about Rs 7,000 crore in wage bill, if 70,000-80,000 personnel opt for the scheme.

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