U'khand bans power corporations from protesting for 6 month

Dehradun (Uttarakhand) [India], July 27 (ANI): After various employees of Uttarkhand's power corporations started an indefinite strike in the wee hours of Tuesday, the state government banned the workers of the power department from holding strikes for the next six months.

The Uttarakhand government has issued a notification banning the strike in all categories of services in Power Corporation, Power Transmission and Uttarakhand Jal Vidyut Nigam with immediate effect.

Upset over non-fulfilment of the demands of regularization of contractual employment and equal pay, over 3,500 employees belonging to various employee associations of Uttarkhand's power corporations have staged an indefinite strike since 12 am on Tuesday, the protestors told ANI.

The employees who started an indefinite strike belong to the three corporations of the energy department - Uttarakhand Power Corporation Limited, Uttarakhand Jal Vidyut Nigam Limited, and Power Transmission Corporation of Uttarakhand Limited.

Non-fulfilment of 14 point demand along with the demands of regularization of contractual employment and equal pay led to the employees staging the protest, said the protesters.

On July 20, the employees suspended the work for a day as a symbol of protest and announced to stage an indefinite strike from July 27. Despite this announcement, the officials did not do anything, said the employee.

On Monday evening, the leaders of the employee association rushed a round of talks with the secretary and chief secretary of the energy department. However, the talks were not productive as there was no mutual settlement between the two parties, said the employee association.

The employees began with the indefinite strike as a consequence of unproductive negotiation between the employee association and the officials.

The employees, contractual employees, regular officers, pensioners of all three corporations participated in the protest, said the employee association. (ANI)