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Ludhiana: PSPCL workers’ strike disrupt services in city
The protesting workers have urged the government to withdraw privatisation plans, repeal new labour and electricity laws and regularise outsourced employees based on seniority and experience
Power services remained disrupted in Ludhiana on Tuesday after outsourced workers of Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL) began a three-day strike from December 2 to 4. They are demanding the rollback of privatisation policies and the regularisation of contract employees.
The protesting workers, deployed as complaint handling bikes (CHB) and complaint handling wagons (CHW), are responsible for maintaining transmission lines and addressing complaints registered on the 1912 helpline.
Explaining the impact of the strike, PSPCL officials said the outsourced workers handle a major share of on ground technical operations, including routine maintenance, feeder repair and fault rectification. With the department initiating large scale feeder bifurcation and infrastructure upgrade projects across Ludhiana, their absence has slowed ongoing work and delayed repairs. The impact was visible on Tuesday, with the district reporting 29 power outages, officials added.
Additionally, the PSPCL central zone recorded 2,022 complaints on the helpline 1912. Among these, Aggar Nagar division logged the highest number of complaints (451), followed by Model Town (257) and City West (241).
Meanwhile, outsourced workers under the Powercom and Transco Contract Workers Union began a three-day strike in coordination with Verka Milk and Cattlefeed Plant employees, under the banner of Theka Mulazam Sangharsh Morcha Punjab. They are demanding the rollback of privatisation policies and the regularisation of contract employees.
Avtar Singh, West Circle head of Powercom and Transco contract workers union and Kulmanveer Singh, president of Verka Milk and Cattlefeed Plant employees accused the state government of failing to deliver on its promise of regularising contract workers. “The AAP government came to power promising to regularise all contract employees, but even after nearly four years, no policy has been framed,” they said.
They added that despite claims of ending exploitation of contract staff, workers continue to face the same hardships under the contract system. “This shows the current government, like previous ones, is misleading outsourced and enlistment-based workers,” the leaders said.
The unions also objected to the privatisation of essential service departments, alleging that permanent posts are being phased out and regularisation is being denied.
The protesting workers have urged the government to withdraw privatisation plans, repeal new labour and electricity laws and regularise outsourced employees based on seniority and experience. They also demanded government jobs, pensions, and compensation for families in case of death or disability during service, along with pension and livelihood support after retirement.
