GNDTP contractual staff demand gratuity, bonus

Bathinda, October 18

Under the banner of Theka Mulazim Sangharsh Committee Powercom, contractual employees of GNDTP burnt an effigy of the powercom department over the non-payment of gratuity and bonus for the past one year here on Thursday.

A large number of protesters gathered in front of the main entrance of the Guru Nanak Dev Thermal Plant (GNDTP) and raised slogans against the powercom department and the ruling government.

The protesters rued that their gratuity and bonus had been lying pending with the powercom department for over a year now. Despite repeated reminders, the latter did not fulfil their long-pending demands.

Khusdeep Singh, general secretary of the union, said, “After the Guru Nanak Dev Thermal Plant (GNDTP) was shut down by the government a year ago, a number of contractual workers were accommodated in power grids at different locations. But a majority of the contractual workers have still not received their gratuity and bonus.”

Khusdeep Singh added, “We have met the chief engineer and Power Minister Gurpreet Kangar over the matter, but to no avail. If our demands are not met soon, we will intensify our struggle.” — TNS