The non-executive employees of state-run MTNL, who are on strike demanding higher wages, can only be termed totally out of sync with the times. As responsible employees, the least they should know is that an organisation cannot pay more than it can afford. How justified is it for the employees to ask for a 30% increase in wages at a time when the company?s fourth-quarter earnings were in the red (it posted a net loss of Rs 83.81 crore at a time when the telecom sector is booming)? In any case, the non-executive cadre of the company, which comprises over 90% of the total employee strength of around 40,000, are among the best paid, especially when compared to their counterparts in other government departments. The reason being that many years ago when MTNL was carved out from the government as a corporation its non-executive employees were put on a higher salary slab than their C and D category counterparts in other arms of the government.
The reason behind such an unjust demand of the employees is sibling rivalry. Since BSNL employees have recently been given a 30% salary hike, the MTNL ones also want the same little realising that BSNL, which is still posting a profit of around Rs 3,000 crore as against MTNL?s Rs 214 crore, is finding it difficult to pay such a huge raise. BSNL at the end of the day operates services all over the country barring Delhi and Mumbai and is the country?s second-largest telecom operator, while MTNL is present in only two metros without any ranking to talk about.
The concerned employees should do a reality check before demanding higher wages. For instance, tomorrow if they were to quit MTNL what?s their employability? Will private telecom operators, which are much more profitable, employ them in their ranks? The answer to both the questions would disappoint them.
The employees should realise that times have changed in terms of telecom services. No more can they hold communications to ransom. Subscribers have a choice to junk their services and go for better alternatives. If that starts happening they may not be eligible for the 5% raise, which the management is ready to give.
?rishi.raj@expressindia.com