Mangalore Unit of AIR, DDK Stage Protest, Raise Several Demands

Media Release

Mangalore, Jul 21: The city unit of AIR and DDK (Doordarshan Kendras) under the banner of Samyukta Sangharsha Samiti staged a protest here on Thursday July 21 urging the fulfilment of their long-pending demands.

The Samyukta Sangharsha Samiti comprising members of the Association of Radio and Television Engineering Employees (ARTEE), AIR and DD Technical Employees Association (ADTEA) and Programme Staff Association (PSA), three of the largest associations of Akashwani and Doordarshan, also submitted memorandums to MPs Naveen Kumar Kateel and D V Sadanand Gowda.

The protestors said that there were many cadres with multiple scales though their designation, duties and responsibilities were the same. They also demanded assured career promotions (ACP) benefit as per the verdict of CAT PATNA, backed by the Supreme Court.

They also raised demands for grant of pay parity to senior technicians/technicians with lighting assistants as per verdict of the Chennai High Court, merger of engineering assistants with senior enginering assistants, as per the department of personnel and training (DOPT) instructions, no withdrawal of February 25, 1999 agreement, outsourcing of manpower from BECIL,SHAFF etc, cadre review of sub-ordinate engineering. and programme cadres and security of AIR and DD installations.

Earlier in April, the AIR and DD employees had organised meetings and in May they had worn black badges for during duty hours to express their protest. From July Tuesday 19 to Thursday July 21, relay hunger protest was organised throughout the country.

They have also planned a 24-hour boycott of duties on August 9, in case their demands are not met by then.