The apex body of BSNL unions has claimed that over three lakh of its members have begun their indefinite strike to protest the proposed disinvestment in the telecom PSU. The Secretary of BSNL employees Union R.S CHauhan told AIR that none of the striking employees have joined duty today. <br/><br/>Meanwhile, BSNL is working on a contingency plan . Earlier Its Chairman and Managing Director Kuldeep Goyal said that 10,000 senior staff, who are not participating in the strike besides senior ITS cadre employees are working to ensure that services are not affected. <br/><br/>Employees are protesting the recommendations of the Sam Pitroda panel that was formed to suggest ways to revive the company. These include offering voluntary retirement to one lakh staff and 30 percent disinvestment as part of improving the financial health of the PSU. <br/><br/>Besides the scrapping of the divestment plan, the unions are also demanding absorption of the 1,500 Indian Telecom Services (ITS) officers, who have been continuing on deputation for the last 10 years.<br/>