BSNL employees' unions call for hunger strike on November 25

BSNL employee unions have alleged that manment is forcing personnel to opt for a voluntary retirement scheme (VRS) by creating a fear psychosis and have called for a pan-India hunger strike on vember 25. unions, representing more than half of BSNL employees, have alleged that manment is threatening employees of reduction in retirement to 58 years and far away postings if employees don't opt for VRS, All India Unions and Associations of Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (AUAB) Conver P Abhimanyu told PTI on Sunday.

"We are t opposing VRS. Those who want and think it is beneficial for m should opt for it. It is t beneficial for lower-level employees and y are being threatened to take VRS, else retirement will be reduced to 58. It is a forced retirement scheme, refore we are going on a hunger strike on Monday," Abhimanyu said.

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Main bone of contention

unions, in a tice for a hunger strike, have alleged that those opting for VRS will t be able to apply for pension commutation, which is one-third of pension amount payable over 15 years in vance, only after attaining of 60 years. "In case of any casualty, a person will t be able to apply for pension commutation. His family will get only family pension which is very less. Those who opt for VRS will t be able to claim benefit of third pay revision... With 4G services starting soon and proposed tariff hike in sector, BSNL will become eligible for third pay revision," Abhimanyu said. He alleged that banks a few years back offered better VRS compared to scheme offered by BSNL, which is t lucrative. "If manment stops threatening employees, number of employees opting for VRS will significantly come down," Abhimanyu said.

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Nearly half of all staff have opted for VRS

According to BSNL Chairman and Managing Director PK Purwar, over 77,000 out of around 1.6 lakh employees of loss-making telecom firm have opted for VRS. According to plan, all regular and permanent employees of BSNL, including those on deputation to or organisations or posted outside corporation on deputation basis, who attended of 50 years or above are eligible to seek voluntary retirement under scheme. 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% of total revenue earned by company annually. BSNL is looking at a savings of about Rs 7,000 crore in w bill, if 70,000-80,000 personnel opt for scheme.

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