BSNL to pay employees’ salary by October 23

State-owned Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd’s (BSNL) unions have deferred their hunger strike, following a meeting with the company’s top brass, who promised to pay the September salary by October 23.

The unions, led by the All Unions and Associations of BSNL (AUAB), met BSNL Chairman and Managing Director PK Purwar, Director HR Arvind Vadnerkar, and other directors on Thursday to iron out the salary issue, sources close to the development told BusinessLine.

“In the meeting, the CMD assured to make the salary payment by October 23. He also assured that the revival plan is moving in the right direction, with a number of positive steps being taken by the government despite objections from various quarters,” said one of the sources.

He added, “An agitation at this stage will only weaken the government’s efforts, and hence, it was decided to defer the hunger strike to a new date. The AUAB will decide on the further course of action at its meeting slated for October 30.”

The meeting was attended by representatives of the Sanchar Nigam Executives’ Association (SNEA), the BSNL Employees Union (BSNLEU), the National Federation of Telecom Employees (NFTE), the All India Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd Executives’ Association (AIBSNLEA), the National Union of BSNL Workers and the SC/ST Employees Welfare Association of BSNL (SEWA BSNL) among others.

The AUAB had called for a one-day hunger strike on Friday to protest against non-payment of September salary and seeking timely payment of salary every month.

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As per company policy, BSNL credits salaries on the last working day of every month. For the first time in its history, the company had delayed February salary and paid it later in March, it paid August salary after an 18 days’ lag, July wages on August 5, while it’s yet to foot September bills.

ALSO READ:- BSNL may delay salary payout in September too

BSNL – which employs 1,63,902 personnel (46,597 executives and 1,17,305 non-executives) - incurs about ₹750-850 crore as salary every month.

The unions were seeking BSNL’s revival by immediate allocation of 4G spectrum, extension of financial assistance or soft loan and approval for the public sector unit’s land monetisation policy. Further, payment of contract and casual workers wages, electricity bills and rentals were among other demands.