Power sector workers hold protest, demand rollback of privatisation policy

Power sector employees of the Phagwara division staged a protest rally and observed a collective strike on Monday in front of the divisional office, demanding the acceptance of a charter of demands framed by various state-level unions.

The protest was organised jointly by the Technical Services Union (Regd. 49) and other allied unions. Leading the demonstration were Amarjit Singh, Circle Secretary of the Technical Services Union; Taj Muhammad, President of the Model Town Sub-Division; and union leaders Hardyal Singh, Ram Asra, and Surinder Pal, President of the 66 kV Grid Sub-Station.

Addressing the gathering, union leaders said the strike call received widespread support across subdivisions including Sub-Urban, City-1, Hadiabad and the Suvidha Centre. The protesting workers demanded that the Punjab government, Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL) and Transco management immediately roll back the privatisation policy.

Among the key demands were the restoration of the old pension scheme, reversal of recent changes to service conditions, regularisation of workers appointed under contracts 267/11 and 281/13, abolition of the contractual system, and filling of vacant posts through regular recruitment. The unions also called for regularisation of temporary staff, disbursal of pending dues under the Sixth Pay Commission, unconditional implementation of the 9-, 16-, and 23-year pay scales to all employees and pensioners, release of pending DA instalments, and repeal of the four new labour codes.

Additionally, the protesters demanded adequate safety arrangements for staff deployed on shift duties at grid substations and complaint centres.

Union leaders Mahinder Pal, Lalit Tiwari, Daljit Kumar, Dharaminder, and Hardyal Singh warned that if the demands were not met, the agitation would intensify. They appealed to all employees, including contractual staff who did not participate in Monday’s strike, to proceed on continuous leave starting August 12, 2025, to increase pressure on the government and management to address their demands.