Powercom employees protest goes on for the second consecutive day

Powercom employees protest goes on for the second consecutive day

Harshabab Sidhu
Nabaz-e-Punjab Bureau, Mohali, October 6:
Powercom and Transco Contract Employees Union Punjab protested against state government today consecutively for the second day in front of Labour commisioner office here in Mohali.
The employees demanded cancellation of retrenchment policy, reinstatement of dismissed workers, adequate compensation to the families of accident victims, provision of jobs for family members of deceased workers and refund of salary deductions. Late last night, contract workers and women conducted march on the city streets and shouted slogans against the government.
Today, Powercom chairman A Venu Prasad called meeting of the top leaders of the contract employees union but in the meeting the Powercom management did not give any support to the demands of the employees but tried to make a fuss. The contract workers continued their day and night protest outside the office of Labor Commissioner Punjab at Mohali and satiated the Powercom management, labor department and the rulers. It may be mentioned here that the meeting of VK Janjua, Principal Secretary, Department of Contract Workers, on Monday also remained fruitless.
Union state president Balihar Singh, senior vice president Chaudhary Singh, vice president Rajesh Kumar, joint secretaries Ajay Kumar and Shiv Sankar said that so far eight meetings have been held with top officials of Powercom management and labor department including Labor Minister Balbir Singh Sidhu. They alleged that the Labour Minister has assured the higher authorities to accept all the legitimate demands of the contract employees but the officials of the departments are deliberately evading. They demanded that the retrenched workers on September 30, should be reinstated, the retrenchment policy should be revoked, reinstated workers should be reinstated, adequate compensation to the families of the accident victims, employment arrangements for the heirs of the deceased workers and other legitimate demands should be addressed. Accusing the government of breach of promise, he said that Powercom management was running away from implementing the approved demands.
On the other hand, the contract workers who were crippled due to electric shock while on duty also joined their families and young children and encouraged the employees to continue their struggle. The spokespersons said that they would no longer fall prey to the false pretenses of the rulers and high officials but would continue their struggle till their legitimate demands were met and would not shy away from fighting the government for justice.
Mohali SDM Jagdeep Sehgal reached the protest site late in the evening and appealed to the contract workers to call-off the protest and assured them to hold a panel meeting with top Punjab government officials on Wednesday but the contract workers did not take up the protest. In this regard, the state president Balihar Singh and other leaders said that the next struggle would be mapped out tonight. He said that if written orders were not issued in the panel meeting on Wednesday to accept the legitimate demands of the contract workers and implement them immediately, their dharna would continue.