Employees of Mahanagar Telephone Nigam Ltd. have launched a phased protest demanding clarity on their future amid the ongoing integration of MTNL services into Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd.
In a formal letter dated June 6 to the Department of Telecommunications, addressed to Secretary Neeraj Mittal, MTNL CMD and the communications minister, employee unions have raised alarms over stalled HR benefits and uncertain employment outcomes.
The Union government is actively assessing re-employment plans for around 2,500–3,000 MTNL employees impacted by the transition. Options being explored include redeployment across the DoT, BSNL and vacant posts in other ministries, government sources told NDTV Profit.
However, no formal roadmap has been communicated to the unions. "Even as services are being moved, employees are being left behind in an empty-shell MTNL, a company that will soon have no services, no revenue, only assets and loan liabilities," said the Forum of MTNL Unions and Associations, which represents the workforce.
The unions say employee morale is collapsing, citing suspended HR benefits like promotions, financial upgrades and career progression opportunities.
A key demand is the withdrawal of a DoT order dated March 11, 2025, which unions claim disrupts existing employee entitlements. Additionally, the unions have called for the immediate convening of a joint negotiation committee to resolve pending HR and transition-related issues.
To press for these demands, MTNL employees launched multiple protests spanning over a month from June 16 that will continue well into the end of July, sources suggest. Demonstrations are being held at key government telecom locations — including Sanchar Bhawan in Delhi and MTNL Telephone House in Mumbai — indicating the seriousness of the agitation.
Union representatives say repeated appeals to the government and MTNL management have gone unanswered. They are warning of further escalation unless swift action is taken. The June 6 letter, they say, is a humble appeal for intervention, demanding clarity, dignity and protection for thousands of MTNL employees now caught in an uncertain transition.
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