Excelsior Correspondent
SRINAGAR, Jan9: J&K Central Non-Gazetted Electrical Employees Union (JKCNGEEU) today protested here in support of their demands including the release of long pending wages of daily wagers and regularization of their service and stoppage of Power Development Department’s privatization.
Scores of employees and workers assembled at Press Enclave here and raised slogans in support of their demands. The protestors were carrying placards and banners reading: “stop privatisation of PDD” and “we want justice”. The protestors also sought the intervention of the authorities to fulfill their demands.
Click here to watch video
The protesting employees and workers said that Power Development Department has been reorganized in 1981 that too up to 60% requirements. Since then a huge augmentation has been made to the infrastructure by way of construction of a large number of Grid Stations, Receiving Station and lying of HV Transmission lines, they said.
“The manpower required for smooth maintenance of this huge infrastructure has not been provided and no attempt to create the adequate posts for the required manpower has been made by the competent authorities even after repeated requests which have resulted in acute dearth of staff in the department to look after this huge infrastructure,” a protestor said.
He further added that dearth of the staff is so acute that a lineman has to look after 10-15 Sub Stations along with the HT/LT transmission lines, which has affected the smooth electric supply and the common man has become the ultimate sufferer.
The protest was organized to support the countrywide general strike that is going on from last two days. The demands include urgent measures for containing price-rise, containing unemployment through concrete measures, strict enforcement of all basic labour laws and stringent punitive measures for violation of labour laws, universal social security cover for all workers, minimum wages of not less than Rs 18,000 per month with provisions of indexation, stoppage of disinvestment in Central/State PSUs and strategic sale, stoppage of contracting in permanent perennial work and payment of same wage and benefits for contract workers as regular workers for same and similar work.
Follow our WhatsApp channel
