With 21 months backlog, families stare at starvation

 

ES Reporter

ITANAGAR, Nov 26: More than 200 casual employees of the BSNL working under different offices in Arunachal Pradesh today resorted to a strike in front of the office of the General Manager here in the state capital to demand an immediate release of their 21-month pending salaries.
Holding placards and banners, the casual employees under the umbrella of 'BSNL Casual Workers’ Union' (BSNLCWU) demanded immediate disbursal of their pending salaries. “I have come from Tawang leaving behind my kids to participate in the strike so that our voice can reach the concerned authority,” a lady casual employee said, adding that prolonged apathy by the BSNL authority has pushed families like her to near starvation. Echoing the hardships, another employee from Tezu said even groceries and ration shops have stopped selling essential commodities due to mounting debt. “The regular staff of the BSNL are getting their salaries without difficulty, but for the casual workers, hardships specially during the pandemic and lockdown seem to be endless,” he lamented.
“Despite repeated memorandums, no positive response has been made till date,” Secretary, BSNLCWU G Taje informed. In a written representation to the GM, BSNL, the union has demanded an immediate release of the 21 months pending salary, clearance of EPF since 2018, no reduction in working hours, no retrenchment of contractual workers, implementation of the Minimum Wages Act and an immediate action against Sonu Enterprise and others.
Interacting with the agitating employees, the GM- BSNL (AP) A Siram however claimed that no bills are pending in the GM Office, Itanagar and all such along with the representations of the casual workers related to their pending salaries are being apprised from time to time to the Dimapur head office and other concerned authorities. He also informed the casual employees that as soon as funds are received from the concerned office, disbursals will be made to them. 
“The corporate office is the main administrative centre which releases the salaries of casual employees. We can only apprise the situation to them to release the salary,” the GM said, admitting that all BSNL offices in the country are facing the same issue of pending salaries of casual employees. 

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Kenter Joya Riba

(Managing Editor)
      She is a graduate in Science with post graduation in Sociology from University of Pune. She has been in the media industry for nearly a decade. Before turning to print business, she has been associated with radio and television.
Email: kenterjoyaz@easternsentinel.in / editoreasternsentinel@gmail.com
Phone: 0360-2212313

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