Powermen press demand for manpower, equipment

CHANDIGARH: Employees of the UT electricity department were on strike for the second consecutive day on Wednesday. Gopal Dutt Joshi, general secretary, UT Powermen Union, said they did not entertain power-related complaints for the second day in a row. Staff in all offices of the electricity department are on a two-day strike and will return to work on Thursday, Joshi said.

Union members said the electricity department is facing shortage of staff, especially those on the field. For the last several years, they said, they have been asking the administration to fill vacant posts. According to them, they have also been pressing for removal of pay anomalies and jobs to the next of kin of deceased employees.

One of the branches of the Punjab National Bank wears a deserted look on Day 2 of the nationwide strike on Wednesday

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

Union members have also raised the demand for boom ladders, cable joints, metres, fuse wire and other material.