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Ludhiana: Contract staff halt work for 2 hrs over delayed June salaries
CHB workers of PSPCL and PSTCL resume duties after officials assure payment within 24 hours; union flags recurring wage delays and inadequate safety gear
Field operations of the Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL) and Punjab State Transmission Corporation Limited (PSTCL) were partially disrupted on Tuesday after Complaint Handling Bike (CHB) workers suspended work for nearly two hours over the non-payment of their June salaries.
The employees resumed duties after senior officials assured them that the contractor would release the pending wages within 24 hours, but warned of an indefinite strike if the commitment is not honoured.
The CHB workers are among the utilities’ frontline field staff and are responsible for attending consumer complaints, including power breakdowns, snapped conductors, fuse-off calls, faulty meters and other electricity-related faults.
The brief work stoppage affected complaint redressal and field maintenance operations.
According to the Powercom and Transco Contract Employees Union, the June salaries, which are usually credited by the seventh of every month, are yet to be released.
The union alleged that wage disbursements have been delayed repeatedly over the past two to three months, causing financial hardship to employees.
Union president Avtar Singh alleged that PSPCL had already released the payment to the contractor, but the salaries had not been credited to the workers’ bank accounts.
“The contractor has failed to release our salaries despite receiving the payment. Many workers depend entirely on their monthly wages to support their families, and repeated delays have become a serious concern,” he said.
Following the protest, PSPCL officials held discussions with union representatives and contacted the contractor, who sought 24 hours to clear the pending dues. Acting on the assurance, the employees called off the protest and resumed work.
The union, however, warned that it would launch an indefinite strike if the salaries were not credited within the stipulated period.
