The All Unions and Associations of BSNL (AUAB), a coalition representing the state-run telecom operator’s workforce, has announced a nationwide one-day strike on 20 November 2026 to press for implementation of the Third Pay Revision Committee’s recommendations, which have been pending since 2017.
The strike call was formalised at an AUAB meeting on 16 September 2026 and reaffirmed during BSNL Foundation Day protests. Employees staged a hunger fast as part of a broader agitation over the delay in approving the pay revision proposal for executives and non-executive employees.
Sanchar Nigam Executives Association Assistant Secretary Samir Khare said BSNL employees had been awaiting a pay revision since 2007, while those recruited after 2007 had not benefited from any pay revision. He said the proposal for executives was recommended in 2018-19, and the proposal for non-executive employees was submitted to the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) in February 2026 and remains pending approval.
The unions are demanding a 15% pay fitment, retrospective settlement of arrears dating from 1 January 2017, and the immediate processing of the wage revision proposal forwarded by BSNL management to the DoT. The AUAB has also called for the removal of the affordability clause from the pay revision process. BSNL recorded a net loss of ₹4,903 crore in fiscal 2026, primarily on depreciation and finance costs.
The affordability clause requires a public sector company to maintain a consistent profit record to be eligible for wage revisions. BSNL has struggled to meet the specified metrics despite cost reductions.
The AUAB will hold a three-day dharna from 4 to 6 November at different BSNL offices as part of the escalation leading to the all-India strike. Any settlement or agreement before 20 November could alter the planned agitation, the report noted.
AUAB has also tied its agitation to allied demands including the allotment of 4G spectrum to BSNL, pension contribution on actual basic pay, pension revision, and settlement of superannuation benefits to directly recruited employees.
