Non-gazetted power staff on strike from today
Umesh Dewan Tribune News Service Patiala, December 7

Thousands of non-gazetted employees working with Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL) and Punjab State Transmission Corporation Limited (PSTCL) will go on a two-day strike across the state from midnight tonight.

Since engineers have announced that they will not do the duty of their subordinates, consumers may have to face trouble in case there develops any technical snag.

Sources said to ensure that power services were not paralysed in the state during the strike, the management of the PSPCL convened a meeting with representatives of various employees unions, particularly the Employees Joint Forum, at Mohali this afternoon.

Union leader Surinder Pehalwan said: “These meetings are nothing but dilly-dallying tactics.” Besides the Chairman-cum-Managing Director of the PSPCL, KD Chaudhri, other senior officers of the PSPCL were also present at the meeting. “Though deliberations were held on all issues, the meeting ended inconclusive,” said one of the members present at the meeting.

However, in an attempt to prevent employees of the power corporation from going on the strike, Chaudhri and whole-time Directors of the PSPCL held another meeting with the PSEB Employees Joint Forum, the Council of JEs and the PSEB Engineers Association, at Mohali in the evening. It was announced that pending demands regarding the pay and allowances of the employees have been accepted by the government. “Orders in this regard will be issued soon after the receipt of the formal communication from the government”, reads a statement issued by the PSPCL management.

Employees Joint Forum leaders, however, reiterated their stand and announced that the strike would be held as per the schedule. “Our agitation will continue till our demands are accepted in writing by the competent authority,” said Karamchand Bhardwaj, a joint forum leader.