BSNL staff on indefinite strike. Network may be affected. What BSNL needs to do?

Three lakh employees of the state-owned telecom major, BSNL are on indefinite strike starting today. It includes 50K executive staff & 2.5 lakh non-executive staff.

Financial health of the PSU has not been sound, from quite sometime, since it has not been able to keep up with the competition from private players. The company’s profit has come down to Rs 178 crore in 2009-10 (upto third quarter) from Rs 575 crore in 2008-09. See here for details.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh set up Sam Pitroda panel to suggest ways to improve BSNL’s financial health. In order to turn the future of the company, the panel has recommended voluntary retirement to one lakh staff & 30% divestment.

The employees on strike are protesting against these recommendations. Their demands include:
* Divestment plan to scrapped

* Absorption of the 1,500 Indian Telecom Services (ITS) officers, who have been continuing on deputation for the last 10 years

* Do NOT share BSNL infrastructure, including cables and towers, with private telecom companies

* Do NOT outsource any work of the company

* Revise pension of the retirees
There have been lot of negotiations ongoing till last week, so that the strike does not happen.

Looks like the negotiations have not worked & the strike has started.

We need to wait & watch how the situation will be handled.
To sit back and think, I think its not only the government or the panel or the BSNL executives that are to be blamed for the condition of the company. Its the entire system, starting from BSNL line-man to the Chief of the company, who need to work together to make the company work. Given that the company has a long presence in our country & has been ruling the telecom market with its landline from decades, it should not be difficult for it to get out of this mess. The company has all – the resources, the infrastructure, the funds and all India presence. Then why is it still in such a pitiable financial condition!!