ES Reporter

 

TEZU, Aug 12: At least a dozen of contractual employees of BSNL Tezu in Lohit district have resorted to a tool-down strike since August 3 last here as a protest against non-payment of their salaries for the last 17 months. Extending support to the employees, President Bhartiya Mazdoor Sangh-Lohit unit  Yalum Ama stated: “the employees of BSNL Tezu have been compelled to resort to the tool-down strike as despite repeated pleas and submission of representations, the concerned authority has not released their 17-month salaries.” 

“The employees are running pillar to post for their pending salaries, especially during the pandemic,” he said, also alleging that the salary of the contractual workers provided by the BSNL authority is against the Minimum Wages Rule. 

“BSNL and Sonu Enterprise (the contractor) must come forward and release the pending salaries,” Ama stated, informing that they are going to submit a representation to the Deputy Commissioner Lohit seeking his intervention.

“Since March 2019 we haven’t received any salary and are unable to pay bills to vegetable vendors and grocery stores,” lamented an employee while appealing the authority to release the pending salaries. When contacted, an official from Sonu Enterprise who is handling manpower and other establishment works of BSNL in Arunachal categorically informed that the BSNL authority hasn’t released any fund due to which they are unable to pay the pending salaries.

District Labour and Employment Officer, L Ete informed they have received a letter from the employees regarding the exploitation related to salaries and will seek a clarification from the BSNL authority.

General Manager-BSNL Arunachal Pradesh, however, couldn’t be contacted despite repeated attempts.