Chandigarh, Sep 21 (IANS) Power sector workers in Punjab went on a 24-hour strike Tuesday, accusing the state government of having failed to meet already accepted demands. Nearly 65,000 members of various unions are taking part in the protest.
The strike will continue till midnight Tuesday, leaders of various powermen’s unions said.
Though there was no immediate effect on power supply in the state, officials said complaints of power breakdown are unlikely to be attended till the strike continues.
‘The chief minister (Parkash Singh Badal) had agreed in April this year to our demands for absorption in the new power sector corporations after the PSEB (Punjab State Electricity Board) was disbanded, salaries, increments and other issues,’ Karam Chand Bhardwaj, general secretary of the Powermen’s Union, said.
‘However, despite the 10-day deadline to implement the demands, nothing has happened even after six months.’
Regretting any inconvenience to electricity consumers, Bhardwaj said that the powermen were forced to resort to strike as the Punjab government had failed to address their grievances.
