Over 2 million government employees are up in arms over layoffs, poor wage hikes and delayed salaries, Business Insider reports. For BSNL’s 176,000 staffers, payday has come late for the last few months amid reports of a massive voluntary retirement scheme in the works. Air India’s 20,000-strong workforce faces uncertainty as the carrier goes on the block while thousands of Hindustan Aeronautics workers are protesting poor increments. Nearly 25,000 home guards have been sacked in Uttar Pradesh and 49,000 transport employees in Telangana are on strike over retirement age and salaries, among other issues.

Now, youngsters are preferring government jobs for security. But, are they secure enough? They are facing job crisis of another kind — where some are being denied salaries, others are waiting for years for hikes and arrears, and some just work for PSUs which might fail. We need a balanced approach to protect the interests of both the workers and the employers. The need of the hour is introduction of transformative labour law reforms with focus on productivity and worker rights.

India’s Largest Biscuit Manufacturer Parle G to cut 10,000 Jobs; Signs of far worse Slowdown in Indian Economy

Termination of Jobs of 25,000 Home Guards and Drastically cutting the working days, almost by half, for another 1,00,000 Home Guards are like the trailer of an horror film! Especially, at this uncertain time of economic slowdown! The question that striked me – Were all these Home Guards’ curtailed mandays unproductive and idle? Was Uttar Pradesh Government affording luxury of these whole excess mandays? Here point is not of Supreme Court verdict, point is – in case there were no surplus manpower, how come suddenly, overnight, those same works are no more required?

On other hand BSNL employees could have blamed Management etc provided they had ever worked. Chatting, passing balls, irresponsible & vague answers to the customers have landed them here today. However not getting salaries for months together is sad thing.

Indian Army to cut 150,000 Jobs over the Next Five Years

BSNL provides an essential services. It is there for more than one reason. It may be a cumbersome and badly managed organization, but that is not the fault of the present employees. The government needs to pay the poor employees their salaries, while they work out a solution, restructuring or any other plans.

BSNL is better placed, among all the telecom companies, to be profitable. Bad management is not an excuse to privatize it.