Power employees threaten blackout
amshedpur, Feb. 5: Brace for more powercuts from February 12. The employees of Jharkhand State Electricity Board (JSEB) are planning to on an indefinite strike.
Over 5,000 employees, under the banner of Jharkhand Rajya Bijli Kamgaar Union, are expected to join the strike that has been called to press for a host of demands.
The union has already submitted a 42-point charter of demands to Governor Syed Sibtey Razi. These include implementation of the 6th Pay Commission recommendations, clearance of overtime arrears that have pending since undivided Bihar, uniform allowance and regularisation of temporary workers.
K.N. Singh, the deputy general secretary of the union, said that almost all field workers — electricians, linemen, supervisors and operators — would abstain from work from February 12.
But the threat failed to unnerve the power board authorities. General manager JSEB, Jamshedpur, A.N. Mishra said: “I have been informed about the Jamshedpur unit employees’ decision to go on a strike, but I am yet to get a directive from the apex board.”
In fact, the general manager is not even aware of all the demands of the union. He said he only knew about their main demand — implementation of 6th Pay Commission scale. He added that this demand would be fulfilled sooner or later.
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