Chandigarh: Despite Kataria’s assurance, power staff set to go on strike on December 6

The powermen union insisted that it will move forward with the planned strike, demanding that a clear policy be framed before transferring assets to the private firm

Despite UT administrator Gulab Chand Kataria’s fresh assurance that the benefits of employees will be protected amid privatisation of Chandigarh’s power sector, the UT Powermen Employees Union remained firm in its decision to proceed with its protest on Friday.

Kataria met with officials concerned on Thursday, instructing them to ensure that all existing service benefits of employees are safeguarded during the transition to privatisation (HT)

Kataria met with officials concerned on Thursday, instructing them to ensure that all existing service benefits of employees are safeguarded during the transition to privatisation. However, the union insisted that it will move forward with the planned strike, demanding that a clear policy be framed before transferring assets to the private firm.

The union represents around 600 regular employees and about 500 outsourced workers. They are demanding that they remain under the government’s jurisdiction, retaining the same service conditions as government employees.

New trust will protect employees’ interest: Kataria

In response to employees’ concerns, Kataria assured that to protect the interests of those being transferred to the Chandigarh Power Distribution Limited (CPDL), a new trust— the Chandigarh Electricity Employees Master Trust— will be established.

The trust, which will be governed under the Indian Trust Act, 1882, will manage terminal liabilities of the transferred employees. An initial fund of ₹263 crore has been allocated for this purpose. The trust will be overseen by a Board of Trustees, with the UT engineering secretary serving as the head and the superintending engineer (Electricity Circle) as member secretary.

Furthermore, the Chandigarh Electricity Reforms Transfer Scheme has been put in place to regulate the transition of functions from UT to CPDL, ensuring that employees’ accrued service benefits, including government entitlements before the transfer, are fully recognised. Transferred employees will also have the right to consent before being posted outside Chandigarh.

Despite these assurances, union’s general secretary Gopal Dutt Joshi insisted that a policy must be formulated and notified first, considering objections from all stakeholders, before any assets were transferred. He added, “If the department is handed over to a private company without protecting employees’ service conditions, we will announce an indefinite work boycott during the December 6 protest.”

This is not the first time tensions have flared between the union and the administration. In February 2022, the union had staged a three-day strike, resulting in significant disruptions.

Allegations of sabotage had led to disciplinary actions against 143 employees, termination of 17 outsourced workers, and the filing of an FIR against eight individuals.