New Delhi, Oct. 5 -- Employees want the government to relax the affordability rule for salary revision, while BSNL's losses keep the proposal on hold.

A nine-year-old pay dispute between employees of state-owned Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd (BSNL) and the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) is escalating, with unions threatening a nationwide strike demanding implementation of salary revision.

The All Unions and Association of BSNL (AUAB), a consortium of 15 employee unions of BSNL, has threatened a month-long agitation culminating in a nationwide strike on 20 November, according to a letter dated 18 September to the telecom secretary, Amit Agrawal.

The unions are seeking implementation of the Third Pay Revision Committee (PRC) recommend...