Uttar Pradesh electricity division workers performing ‘havan’ in Varanasi on Friday
| Photo Credit: PTI
The Uttar Pradesh authorities on Saturday has issued a stern warning to the protesting workers of the State’s electricity division, asking them to be part of their duties by 6 p.m. or face authorized and disciplinary motion.
The workers went on strike from Thursday, demanding the regularisation of pay, the regularisation of contract workers, reintroduction of the Old Pension Scheme (OPS), rolling again of the Electricity (Amendment) Bill, 2022, amongst different issues.
So far, the Uttar Pradesh authorities lodged an FIR towards 29 workers and terminated providers of 1,332 contract workers in the course of the ongoing strike. “The Uttar Pradesh government has given bonus to the employees despite the losses in the electricity department. If the striking employees do not return to work by 6 p.m., there will be no delay in sacking them. So far, 1,332 contract workers have been sacked,” mentioned State Energy Minister Arvind Sharma.
Since Thursday, roughly one lakh workers and engineers of the facility division throughout the State have joined the strike ogranised beneath the banner of Uttar Pradesh Rajya Vidyut Karmachari Sanyukt Sangharsh Samiti.
Due to the strike, upkeep, restore and redressing of public grievances associated to electricity within the state have been affected.
Earlier, the federal government had threatened to invoke the National Security Act (NSA) if public properties are broken in the course of the strike. “The Essential Services Maintenance Act (ESMA) has been invoked against the employees across the state. If those employees involved in the strike damages properties or found preventing others from performing their duties, then the NSA will be invoked,” mentioned the Minister to reporters.
The workers within the Uttar Pradesh strike acquired help from varied quarters, together with the National Coordination Committee of Electricity Employees & Engineers (NCCOEEE) –– a pan India grouping of varied federations of electricity workers and engineers –– extending solidarity with the hanging workers
