Continued from page 01 THOSE who have taken VRS are mostly grade C ( clerical) and D ( peons) employees and linemen.
The city has already started experiencing the effects of the mass retirement with most MTNL broadband networks, landlines and mobile phone glitches remaining unresolved for many weeks.
Amongst those affected was the Sub Registrar of Assurances office in Chembur where people coming for registration of documents have been having a harrowing experience due to internet network issues. u201c We have been facing broadband technical glitches for the past couple of days due to which the portal is not accessible at certain hours, adversely impacting the number of documents being registered on the portal.
Our servers are not getting connected since Monday,u201d an employee said.
Call centres shut MTNL Mumbai has around 125 exchanges across Mumbai, Thane, Navi Mumbai, Mira Bhayander, Panvel and Uran.
The call centres in almost all these exchanges, apart from Prabadhevi Head Office, have been non- functional since January 31.
u201c We have been asked to multitask.
It is unfair, especially when you have not been paid two monthsu2019 salary. We have our home loans, childrenu2019s education and other household expenses which have all gone for a toss,u201d said an MTNL staffer on the condition of anonymity.
u201c While people from grade A to D have opted for VRS, the maximum retirement has happened in the C and D grades u2014 the foot soldiers. The management has not applied their mind to chalk out a plan in advance,u201d said Dilip Jadhav, secretary, MTNL Kamgar Sangh, a Shiv Sena- backed union headed by Arvind Sawant.
u201c To pay off such a large number of employees who opted for the VRS, the government will have to pump in around R 2,000 to R 2,500 crore. The payment of ex- gratia dues is supposed to be cleared in two instalments u2014 March 2020 and June 2020. The retired employees are also eligible for pension,u201d Jadhav added.
u2018 Blame govtsu2019 Kamagar Sangh president Sawant said that a major chunk of MTNL revenue goes towards paying employeesu2019 salaries and other fixed outgoings. u201c Therefore, the yearly financial results of the company including balance sheet has been in the red for close to 10 years now.
We blame the management and the present BJP and past Congress government for this situation of MTNL. The government favouring certain private players has led to this situation,u201d Sawant claimed.
The union representatives had a series of meeting with the MTNL management where they were told that the government was keen on outsourcing the entire functioning of MTNL but neither the Ministry of Telecommunications nor MTNL management u201c have invited any tenders yetu201d. Sawant said that MTNL was making profits of R 218 crore in 2008 and is struggling to survive now.
He also said that MTNL/ BSNL were deliberately kept away from 3G licensing bids to favour key players and its Garuda phone scheme was killed too by the government.
Sawant said he has requested the retired employees to continue coming to work to avoid public discomfort and inconvenience. u201c We have proposed to the management and Telecom Ministry that even if they outsource MTNL to a private party, the retired MTNL employees should be hired on a contract basis so that the new team can be trained under the experienced people,u201d he said.
u201c The union will stand by all the MTNL employees and will support them till their dues are cleared by the government as assured,u201d said Sawant.
u2018 No commentsu2019 Attempts made to contact Sunil Kumar, chairman and managing director, MTNL, Delhi did not yield any results.
This correspondent was asked by his office to contact the human resources department.
MTNL Delhi senior manager ( HR) Shama Kaushik said, u201c I am not authorised to speak on the issue and therefore wonu2019t be able to make any comments.u201d u2018 Government dug grave for MTNLu2019 u2018 While people from grade A to D have opted for VRS, the maximum retirement has happened in the C and D grades u2014 the foot soldiers. The management has not applied their mind to chalk out a plan in advanceu2019 Dilip Jadhav, secretary, MTNL Kamgar Sangh ' 218 cr Approximate profits MTNL was making in 2008 14 l Number of landline phones affected 10 l Number of mobile users affected 05 l Number of broadband users affected
