No profit, no pay hike

“This is the most crucial year in the history of BSNL, because 2017 will be the year when our salaries are going to be revised as a third PRC (Pay Review Committee), and let me tell you … unless we are profitable the salary is not going to be revised,” said BSNL CMD Anupam Shrivastava on January 28, 2016 while speaking after launching BSNL Mobile Data Offload service in Karnataka. He even gave examples of ITI and Air India, where the pay has not been reviewed being loss making companies.

On November 19, 2015, the 7th Central Pay Commission had recommended 23.55 per cent hike in pay and allowances which it recommended to be implemented from January 1, 2016 for the central government employees. But for the CPSUs, especially the loss making ones like BSNL, it is not mandatory to follow CPC recommendations.