PSPCL linemen want probation period reduced, hike in salary

Tribune News Service

Bathinda, March 10

Members of the PSPCL Assistant Lineman Front conducted a meeting at Nehru Park to discuss plan of action regarding their pending demands, including regularisation of jobs and hike in salaries, here on Sunday.

The union members said the state government in its recent decision had ignored the demands of linemen recruited one year ago and employees of other government departments. Notably, the state government had announced that 5178 master cadre teachers and nurses would be regularised soon after they would have served a probation period.

Addressing the members of the union, president Daljit Singh Mehma said, “The state government has adopted an impartial approach by fixing the probation period of two years for regularising 5178 master cadre teachers and nurses. We wholeheartedly welcome and appreciate the decision of the government to regularise teachers and nurses, but it must follow a uniform policy for regularising employees of all government departments.”

“Interests of employees from other departments were ignored by the government. Around 2,800 linemen were recruited one year ago by the state government on a regular basis. But we are on a probation period of three years which is quite a long time.

“Moreover, we will not be getting proper salaries and other benefits during the probation period. Therefore, we demand that our jobs must be regularised by providing us the same benefits as being given to a government employee and the probation period must be reduced from three years to two years. Our salaries must also be raised. If the government does not fulfil our genuine demands, we will carry out state-wide protests in the coming days.”

Govt ignored our demands: Linemen

• The union members said the state government in its recent decision had ignored the demands of linemen recruited a year ago and employees of other government departments. Notably, the state government had announced that 5178 master cadre teachers and nurses would be regularised soon after they would have served a probation period. Around 2,800 linemen were recruited one year ago by the state government.