UP: Power Workers’ Strike Against Privatisation of UP Power Discom Enters Second Day

Lucknow: The employees of the Electricity Department in Uttar Pradesh continued their protest for the second day against the proposed privatisation of the Varanasi discom – Purvanchal Vidyut Vitran Nigam Limited (PVVNL) on Tuesday, October 6. The employees including power engineers, sub-divisional officers, executive engineers and superintendent engineers began their work boycott in response to the call given by the UP Vidyut Karmachari Sanyukt Sangharsh Samiti (VKSSS).

The talks between the UP Power Corporation Ltd (UPPCL) management and the VKSSS leaders on Monday failed after the management rejected the proposal to introduce reforms without privatising the energy sector, as per reports. The chairman of UPPCL refused to sign the agreement that had been reached between Power Minister Shrikant Sharma and the VKSS. Following this development, the employees said their boycott of work will continue.

“After the UPPCL management turned down our reform proposal, we have asked all the power personnel to begin the full day work boycott from Monday as per the pre-declared plan,” All-India Power Engineers Federation (AIPEF) chairman and Sangharsh Samiti leader, Shailendra Dubey told media.

He further claimed that the 15 lakh power employees across the country will also boycott work in solidarity with the protesting workers. He has issued an appeal to the Chief Minister for his intervention in the matter as he accused the management of misleading the government. "As per the agreement between the engineers and the energy minister on April 5, 2018, the department had said that reforms in distribution companies would be introduced after taking employees into confidence,” he added while speaking to media.

The UP Power Officers Association president, KB Ram and acting president, Avadhesh Kumar Verma on Monday submitted memorandum to leaders of the ruling party as well as Bahujan Samaj Party and Congress seeking their support to stop privatisation.

Verma also said that the essential services like hospitals have been exempted from the work boycott of the staff.

The state government reportedly has issued warning against the protesters, saying that they will face strict action if they continue with their boycott disrupting power supply

Speaking to NewsClick, Atul Kumar, an executive engineer who is protesting against privatisation in state capital, Lucknow, said, "All electricity transmission and supply employees including senior officials are opposing the move for privatisation as the power sector has worked as a social redress field. Once privatised, the farmers and the poor will be most affected along with employees’ own welfare and services. Therefore, there has been an ongoing statewide protest of Vidyut Karmachari under VKSS."

According to Kumar the BJP-led government has already initiated privatisation bids for Purvanchal Vidyut Vitran Nigam Ltd that caters to divisions of Varanasi, Azamgarh, Ghazipur, Chandauli, Jaunpur, Sant Rabidas Nagar (Bhadohi), Mirzapur, Sonbhadra, Mau, Ballia, Deoria, Kushi Nagar, Gorakhpur etc.

Another protesting employee was quoted as saying in The Times of India, "We have stopped work but are still attending to emergency services because our fight is against the government and not the common man. Hospitals, drinking water supply have been exempted from the strike."

Dubey also said that they will go on a state-wide strike if their employees are arrested for protesting.