The move to disinvest the public sector Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd has united all central trade unions once again and they have called an indefinite agitation from April 19 against the move.
The trade unions were called by the DoT Secretary for talks this week over their opposition to the recommendations. We could not agree to anything at the meeting and the strike would be indefinite, says G L Dhar, Secretary of the All India Trade Union Congress.
The government has reiterated its decision to go ahead with disinvestment, besides accepting the other recommendations of the committee like a voluntary retirement scheme for 1,00,000 workers and breaking up the company, AITUC says. Pitroda is acting on behalf of private sector companies and is not taking into account the interests of BSNL, he says.
The Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh and the Centre of Indian Trade Unions expressed similar sentiments. Disinvestment of profit-making public sector enterprises has been one of the five issues on which trade unions have come together on a year-long path of agitation, the others being price rise, job losses, creation of a fund for unorganised
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