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Ludhiana: Move to give linemen AJE charge draws flak
Under this system, linemen would be made to perform assistant junior engineer duties without being given the rank, pay scale and service benefits
Employees of Punjab State Power Corporation Limited under the banner of the PSEB Employees Joint Forum Bijli Mulazam Ekta Manch Punjab and allied unions have opposed a recent circular issued by the power utility that allows linemen with just six years of service to be assigned assistant junior engineer duties terming the move arbitrary unsafe and anti-employee.
The unions said that instead of promoting eligible employees to the post of junior engineer the management has opted for a stop gap arrangement by assigning additional JE charge to linemen. Under this system, employees would perform the same technical administrative and safety related responsibilities as additional junior engineers but without being granted the rank pay scale allowances or service benefits attached to the post.
The protest follows an official circular issued by PSPCL on December 19 amending its existing rules to address an acute shortage of junior engineers at the field level. According to a decision taken by the committee of whole time directors in its meeting held on December 16, the minimum service tenure for redesignation of linemen as assistant junior engineers has been reduced.
Under the revised norms, diploma or ITI qualified linemen will now be eligible for redesignation after six years of service instead of the earlier 12 years while matriculate pass linemen will require 12 years instead of the earlier 15 years.
Rashpal Singh, deputy general secretary of the PSEB Employees Federation AITUC, said that while the management is citing staff shortage to push linemen into AJE roles there is no clarity on who will perform regular lineman duties which would effectively create a fresh shortage at the ground level. “Earlier, linemen with 12 years of experience were promoted as junior engineers but under the new policy employees are being denied increments and allowances while being burdened with full junior engineer responsibilities,” he added. He also flagged that no mandatory training was being given to the linemen who are being promoted to AJE and warned that in case of accidents or technical lapses they would be held accountable, which he said, was not a fair practice.
Union leaders also pointed out that nearly 50,000 posts are lying vacant in PSPCL. They said although the management had agreed in a settlement reached on August 14 last year to recruit 11,000 employees no concrete steps towards fresh recruitment or adequate promotions have been taken.
The unions have alleged that junior employees are being forced to perform the duties of senior posts leading to stagnation in promotions, undue pressure and harassment.
Warning of serious repercussions, the unions said such short-sighted measures would adversely affect the working environment and could also impact power supply during the upcoming summer and paddy sowing season. They said if the management fails to withdraw the decision a strong statewide agitation would be launched. They reiterated their demand for regular recruitment and time-bound promotions across all cadres.
