Powermen go on strike, hold protest in Sector 17

CHANDIGARH: On the nationwide call given by different trade unions, the UT powermen union observed a strike on Tuesday. The workers gathered in Sector 17 and raised slogans against the UT administration and the municipal corporation.


Gopal Dutt Joshi, general secretary, UT powermen union, said that the employees of UT electricity department had gone on strike at 12 midnight and did not entertain any power related complaints throughout the city. According to union members, the electricity department is facing shortage of staff, specially field staff. For the past several years, the union has been pressing the administration for filling the vacant posts in the department.

As per official figures, the power department is operating with just 1,000 employees against the sanctioned strength of 1,780. A total of 158 linemen are working in place of 253 and 286 assistant linemen against the sanctioned strength of 625.

The staff shortage has affected the department’s functioning. On the other side, the UT administration have already decided to follow the principle of ‘no work, no pay’, for the employees who participated in the strike. The administration will also initiate disciplinary action against those who took part in the protest. The UT administration has maintained that they have made arrangements for uninterrupted supply of power in the city for two days — January 8 and 9, but the administration has urged city residents to co-operate in case of power failure.