Date:12/12/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/12/12/stories/2008121254360500.htm

Tamil Nadu

Strike deferred

Staff Reporter

Tirupur: Telecom employees falling under Group C and D categories deferred the decision to go on a two-day strike from Thursday, following an assurance from the Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited management to hold wage negotiations with the staff.

The BSNL Employees Union sources said that the employees would resort to agitations if their entire demands were not met during the negotiations, slated to commence on December 15.

According to the employees, interim relief should be given before an agreement on the scale of revision was worked out since the talks had already been delayed by about two years.

The staff also wanted the management to hike the festival bonus from Rs. 7,000 to Rs. 10,000 and implement the new promotion policy formulated for Group C and D workers this year.

The social security benefits should be extended to all contract workers deployed by the BSNL. Appointments on compassionate ground should be expedited.