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Striking AIR, DD employees call off stir

Some 28,000 agitating Prasar Bharati employees today called off their 11-day-old indefinite nationwide strike "in view of the prevailing political scenario".

A statement signed by leaders of the three organisations spearheading the strike -- the United Forum of Prasar Bharati Employees, the Akashvani and Doordarshan Karamchari Sangyukt Sangh and the Akashvani and Doordarshan Administrative Staff Association -- said the strike was being "deferred" with effect from today.

In a letter to Union Information and Broadcasting Minister Pramod Mahajan, the union leaders apprised him of their decision to return to work.

The employees's representatives hoped the minister would respond in a positive manner and revoke all suspension orders and show cause notices immediately and open the door for negotiations.

They said the stir was being deferred in view of the prevailing political scenario and the appeal made by veteran parliamentarians Somnath Chatterjee, chairman of the standing committee on communications, and Geeta Mukherjee, member of the Information and Broadcasting consultative committee.

"Accordingly, we have decided. in the national interest, to defer our indefinite strike with effect from April 16, 1999. We believe our decision is in tune with your opinion too," the employees' leaders wrote in their letter to Mahajan, copies of which were released to the press.

Some 28,000 AIR and DD employees belonging to the administrative and news cadre and group 'D' employees had gone on an indefinite nationwide strike to press their demands for pay revision along the lines granted to the engineering and programme cadre recently. They had also demanded the regularisation of casual workers who had spent more than 10 to 15 years in service.

UNI

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