CM directs Kinnaur admn to end tussle

SHIMLA: Even as Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh today directed the district administration to end the stalemate over wage hike between workers and the Jaiparkash power company management, the tussle intensified as the company termed workers’ strike as illegal saying that “workers cannot go on strike when the conciliation meeting is on”.

Kuldeep Chauhan

Tribune News Service

Shimla, January 27

Even as Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh today directed the district administration to end the stalemate over wage hike between workers and the Jaiparkash power company management, the tussle intensified as the company termed workers’ strike as illegal saying that “workers cannot go on strike when the conciliation meeting is on”.

Meanwhile, the representatives of JP Workers’ Union of Karcham and Baspa projects today met the CM and Principal Secretary, Power, SKBS Negi here today.

“We have requested the CM to intervene in the matter. We are ready even if the company management pays 40 per cent hike in wages as compared to what SJVNL workers get,” said Vimal Prakash, union vice-president.

He said the CM had directed the district administration of Kinnaur to solve the matter.

“The police is pressurising workers to join work, but we will continue with the strike as it is our right to seek justice. We do not subscribe to management’s dictate,” he said.

The workers refused to call off the strike after the CMD announced to give a hike of Rs 300 per month to all workers on January 25.

The police vacated the Sholtu camp, but workers staged a protest at the Tapri ground today.

Meanwhile, HK Sharma, Managing Director of JP’s 1,000-mw Karcham-Wangtoo and 300-mw Baspa-II projects in Kinnaur, said the strike was illegal and they had asked workers to join work as they could not go on strike in the midst of the conciliation process as the company would negotiate with them on the table to resolve other issues.

“The company cannot go by what the SJVNL is paying as it has its own wage structure. It is paying them the best as per private sector wages in the state,” Sharma said.

He said they had taken up the matter with the district administration and the CMD had met the CM and apprised him about that the company was enhancing wages by Rs 300 per worker.

Deputy Commissioner, Kinnaur, DD Sharma told The Tribune that they had called the meeting of the workers and the company to sort out the matter as per the conciliation process, but no breakthrough had been achieved so far.