Powercom contractual staff burn govt effigy, demand regular jobs

Tribune News Service

Bathinda, December 9

Members of the technical services wing of the Powercom contractual employees today staged a protest and burnt effigy of the state government and the department over their long pending demands at the Thermal Colony here.

Demanding regularisation of contractual staff, protesting members of the union raised slogans against the state government. The members of the union said if the government did not fulfill their demands, then a state-wide protest along with family members of the union would be held on December 14 and January 6.

Narinder Kumar, secretary of the union while addressing the gathering of protesters alleged, “Instead of resolving problems of staff members, the state government has been stalling them for reasons best known to them.”

Kumar added, “We demand that retrenched employees of the department be reinstated on priority by the government. The stir would be intensified in the coming days if our demands are not fulfilled. Outsourced workers must be provided work throughout the year and those on contract must be regularised. Moreover, we vehemently oppose the decision to privatise the sector and demand that thermal power plants must be restored to their previous glory and be made fully-functional. The government must also conduct recruitment on regular basis.”