BSNL employee unions call for nationwide hunger strike on Monday for delay in relief package

Employees of BSNL are set to stage a hunger strike on Monday, protesting against the delay in implementing the revival package amounting to ₹69,000 crore announced by the Centre earlier.

Central to the revival package is the allotment of 4G spectrum, which, however, has not come so far, a release stated, adding that the salaries of the remaining employees – after the VRS led to the exit of 78,000 employees — have been delayed while salaries of contract employees has not been paid for the past 10 months. Further, issuing of sovereign guarantee to raise ₹15,000 crore funds through long-term bonds and monetisation of assets is yet to happen despite a Cabinet decision on this in October 2019, it added.

The employees now fear that the delay in allotment of 4G spectrum to BSNL would delay the roll out till the end of 2020.