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Journalism of Courage
SEPT 7: On intelligence reports indicating chances of sabotage of networks in the coming days, Home Ministry has directed state police authorities to lend support to telecom authorities in maintaining the exchanges, a Ministry statement said.
With the deadlock persisting, no negotiations took place after the BMS-controlled Bharatiya Telecom Employees Federation BTEF claiming a strength of 80,000 employees pulled out from the strike late last night having reached an understanding with the authorities.
Federation of National Telecom Organisation FNTO and the National Federation of Telecom Employees NFTE, however, were not party to the last night negotiations and were not invited, Secretary General of NFTE, OP Gupta told PTI.
Officials monitoring the networks said networks problems have been reported from many parts of the country, but strict vigil was being maintained. Many of the cellular operators have reported connectivity problem with DTS networks. However, the strike had no impact on the National capital and Mumbai as telecom network in these cities were handled by the Mahanagar Telephone Nigam Ltd MTNL.
Talking tough, Communications Minister Ram Vilas Paswan termed the strike as unjust and uncalled for8217; and said strike and negotiations cannot go together.8217;
The agitation received a serious jolt late last night when Bharatiya Telecom Employees Federation BTEF, affiliated to Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh BMS, decided to pull out of the strike. BTEF, which along with two other federations launched the strike yesterday, pulled out after Communications Minister Ram Vilas Paswan assured them that employees8217; pension in the newly formed corporation would be paid from the Consolidated Fund of India.
BTEF commands a strength of 80,000 employees among the four lakh strong telecom staff. Other two federations 8211; National Federation of Telecom Employees NFTE and Federation of National Telecom Unions FNTU 8211; said they were not party to the decision of BTEF and would go ahead with the strike.
Cellular networks hit: Cellular networks across the country have been affected by the indefinite strike by a section of telecom employees against corporatisation of DTS, Cellular Operators Association of India said today.
Mobile calls are getting affected when calls are being made from cellular to fixed lines and from cellular to cellular phone of different networks, COAI said in a statement here. Cellular companies have been receiving large number ofcomplaints and it has been noted that long distance calls from cellular phones were the worst hit sector, COAI said.
Officials at the Department of Telecom DOT and Mahanagar Telephone Nigam have expressed their inability to offer any solution to the problem. COAI said the adverse impact of the strike could have been minimised if the cellular operators had been permitted direct connectivity to Videsh Sanchar Nigam and also between various operators of different circles.
STATE AFFECTED: The nationwide indefinite strike by employees of the Department of Telecom affected telecom network in rural Maharashtra. About 99 per cent of the 32,000-strong staff in the state had struck work, general secretary of All India Telecom Employees Union Class III, M B Vichare, claimed here today.
The strike had no impact on telecom services in the city where the services are provided by Mahanagar Telephone Nigam Ltd. 8220;We have received no complaints so far,8221; MTNL Mumbai chief general manager Ramani Iyer said.
8220;However, some minor problem was detected on the Mumbai-Calcutta line where the call success rate is low,8221; Iyer added.
quot;While the government has been so accommodative in sorting out various problems raised by the federations, attitude of the striking federations was totally uncalled for and unfair to customers,8221; Paswan was quoted by an official statement here.
quot;While trade unionism has a place in democracy, it should not forget national interest and cause avoidable inconvenience to customers,quot; Paswan said. He said the current strike was unjust when the government had taken all measures to secure the welfare of the employees.
Paswan charged National Federation of Telecom Employees and Federation of National Telecom Organisations with not responding postively to the invitation extended to them yesterday to sort out the issues.
