Linemen protest outside ETO’s residence

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, December 12

The employees of Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL) staged a protest outside the residence of Power Minister Harbhajan Singh ETO here on Tuesday over not-payment of full salaries even after completion of their probation period nearly 10 months ago. Later, the employees shifted venue of their protest to GT Road which caused inconvenience to commuters.

The Bijli Mulazam Ekta Manch of the protesting employees said the PSPCL had advertised posts of assistant lineman in 2019 and the recruitment process was completed in January 2021 during which 3,500 aspirants were appointed. The protesters said their probation period of two years was completed in January this year during which they were paid basic salary.

Surinder Singh, secretary of the manch said, “The basic salary paid during the probation period is a meagre amount. We hoped to get better salary after two years of probation, but the PSPCL continues to pay basic salary citing a court case filed by a candidate.”

He said the employees, who were working day and night and risking their lives rectifying electrical snags, felt that they had been cheated.

The employees said as it was evident, the court case might linger on for many years. It meant that they would have to work on meagre basic pay for many more years before the case was decided this way or that way, the employees said.

“Earlier in meetings with the power minister and officials of the PSPCL, they had promised that employees, who have completed their probation period, would be paid full salaries, but we do not know what has stopped the government from doing so,” said Surinder Singh.

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