From Jal Khambata
NEW DELHI: Employees of Akashvani and Doordarshan on Monday took
out a protest march to the Prime Minister's office to petition
the threat to go on an all-India strike on March 18 and 19
unless their wage disparities were removed.
More than 1500 employees also courted arrest at the Parliament
Street Police Station while holding demonstration in support of
their demand on a call given by Akashvani and Doordarshan
Karmchari Sangyukt Sangh.
Sangh President Raghubir Dutt accused Information and
Broadcasting Minister Pramod Mahajan for his "double-speak" as
he categoricaly told Parliament that he has no say over the
matters relating to Autonomouc Prasar Bharti and yet he has
awarded pay-scales and arrears to the Prasar Bharti staff
selectively to the staff.
While the Fifth Pay Commission's award has been implemented by
the Minister for some 17,000 employees of AIR and Doordarshan,
there were still another 12,000 employees belonging to 23 cadres
who were denied the same benefits, compelling the Sangh to give
a strike call, Dutt added. END.
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