Strike cripples telephone network

JUNE 23: Coinciding with the Cabinet Committee on Disinvestment (CCD) meeting to discuss Mahanagar Telephone Nigam Ltd (MTNL) privatisatio...

JUNE 23: Coinciding with the Cabinet Committee on Disinvestment (CCD) meeting to discuss Mahanagar Telephone Nigam Ltd (MTNL) privatisation, employees of MTNL and Department of Telecom (DoT) resorted to a nation-wide flash strike which crippled the telephone network all over the country.

While Mumbai-based consumers complained that they could not connect to rest of the country over the landlines, mobile phones between the two cities were also not available for most of the day.

The strike affected the working of most of the corporates based in Mumbai and Delhi as company officials failed to reach their counterparts. “I’ve been trying since morning to get in touch with my clients in New Delhi but I’ve failed,” said Pawan Dharnidharka, a BSE stock broker. MTNL operates telephones in Mumbai and New Delhi while DoT is the telephone operators for the rest of the country.

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Top MTNL officials said that the strike by a section of officers was not pre-planned as no notice was served to the management as per the rules. MTNL, which would be launching its mobile phone operations in Mumbai on Saturday, was planning to list its shares on the New York Stock Exchange (BYSE) by July. “Any strike which could hit our bottomlines can result in a negative sentiments among foreign investors,” top MTNL officials feared.

Incidentally, the CCD did not take a decision on MTNL privatisation and decided to shelve it for the time being.

Meanwhile, the employees union of India’s largest car maker, Maruti Udyog Ltd (MUL) also threatened to strike work if government holding was reduced below the existing 50 per cent. Representatives of the union — Maruti Udyog Employees Union (MUEU) — had called on Minister for Heavy Industries Manohar Joshi yesterday and urged him to prevent dilution of government equity in MUL.

“If the government and the Cabinet decides to go ahead with disinvestment in Maruti, we will organise protest demonstrations and even strike work,” MUEU general secretary Mathew Abrahamhe added.