Delhi/Port Blair : Braving heavy rain, around 1,500 BSNL pensioners, employees and casual/contract workers from across the country staged a massive dharna at Jantar Mantar here on Friday, demanding resolution of their long-pending issues, including pension revision, wage revision and minimum wages for casual and contract workers. Organised by the Coordination Committee of the All India BSNL Pensioners’ Welfare Association (AIBDPA), BSNL Employees’ Union (BSNLEU) and BSNL Casual Contract Workers Federation (BSNLCCWF), the protest continued despite a heavy downpour on Friday.
The protesters accused the government of adopting an apathetic approach towards their legitimate demands, particularly those relating to pension and wage revisions and minimum wages, which, they said, have remained pending since 2017. The proceedings were conducted by a presidium comprising P. Abhimanyu, M. Vijayakumar and M. R. Das. Addressing the gathering, CITU president Sudip Dutta, NCCPA Officiating Secretary General K. G. Jayaraj, BSNLEU general secretary Animesh Mitra and AIBDPA general secretary R. Muraleedharan Nair strongly criticised what they described as anti-worker and anti-pensioner policies.
The speakers called upon pensioners, employees and contract workers to intensify the agitation until their demands are accepted, asserting that the large turnout despite adverse weather reflected the determination of the workforce to continue the struggle.
