According to a press release issued by the Association of Radion and TV Engneering Employees (ARTEE) and the AIR and DD Technical Employees' Association (TEA), the strike call was given following failure of talks with Information and Broadcasting Minister Pramod Mahajan in New Delhi yesterday.

According to J M Singh, zonal secretary of ARTEE, the engineering staff of AIR and DD are demanding regularisation of the hike in their salaries effected after an agreement signed between the government and the Joint Committee of ARTEE and TEA on December 12, 1997.

Following the agreement, the AIR and DD directorates sanctioned an ad hoc increase in salaries of technicians, senior technicians, senior engineeing assistants and engineering assistants, but they have been receiving only 90 per cent of the agreed amount.