National
AIR, DD employees to observe nationwide strike today

New Delhi (PTI): About 6,500 administration employees of All India Radio (AIR) and Doordarshan (DD) will be on a countrywide strike from on Tuesday against pay disparities.

The employees at different AIR and DD kendras will observe a "pen down"strike" while their representatives will assemble at AIR station in the capital and start a relay hunger strike for four days.

"If our demands are still not met, we will convert this agitation to fast-unto-death," said Sangam Thakur, General Secretary, Akashvani and Doordarshan Administrative Staff Association.

The strike is unlikely to affect the daily broadcast of AIR and DD as the engineering and programming employees are not the part of the agitation.

The employees' grievance is their pay scales are much less than compared to engineering and programme employees. Latter are enjoying higher pay scale for working in Prasar Bharati on the ground that they have been completely absorbed with the broadcaster.

But administrative employees continue to on "deemed deputation" and their services have not been completely absorbed, as required by the Prasar Bharati Act 1990.

They demanded while converting the government departments of AIR and DD into and "autonomous" media corporation called Prasar Bharati, a uniform policy should be followed in the matter of wages.

"The Act should be implemented in toto," Thakur said.

National

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