EEFI Announces Protests on Jan 31 in Solidarity With Chandigarh Power Employees’ Struggle

Newsclick Report

New Delhi: The Electricity Employees Federation of India (EEFI) has announced that it would mobilise thousands of people on January 31, 2025 against the government’s privatisation drive and in solidarity with the struggling power employees in Chandigarh.

“Electricity employees under the banner of EEFI will demonstrate all across the country on January 31, 2025 to support and extend solidarity to the struggling Chandigarh Power employees,” a press release by EEFI said.

Electricity workers in the Chandigarh Union Territory (UT) have been agitating since the past 48 days, holding rallies in their workplaces and divisional offices, to educate the masses about the ill effects of privatization, it said.

Read Also: Electricity Workers Hold One-Hour Nationwide Strike on Dec 30 Against Privatisation

On Republic Day, the electricity workers and their families gathered in Electricity Colony of Chandigarh, under the banner of the UT Powermen Union. They hoisted the national flag and pledged to protect the Constitution and the public electricity utility “till their last breath.”

Chandigarh’s power employees belonging to the UT Powermen Union and their families also organised rallies covering all sectors in Chandigarh, an EEFI release said.

They have collected over 20,000 signatures against the privatisation move and submitted it with a memorandum to the Administrator of Chandigarh on Sunday, EEFI said, adding that they plan to collect one lakh signatures during their campaign.

The anti-privatisation has been formed to intensify the struggle, and includes the people of Chandigarh, represented by several village committees, resident welfare associations, independent women organisations, Gurudwara committees, kisan and youth organisations.

“Most inspiringly, the entire mass campaign is led by the women. They have arranged a bus permanently for their commutation and reaching out to newer areas for expanding the campaign. Many other issues are also emerging in their interactions with the common people,” the EEFI statement read.

On the occasion of Republic Day on Sunday, electricity employees held a meeting to discuss the “social philosophy enshrined in the Constitution and the doctrine of the “basic structure” of the Constitution enunciated by the Hon’ble Supreme Court” said EEFI, adding that the public sector was formed under the directive principles of state policy of the Constitution and was an essential instrument for achieving a Welfare State in India.

“The privatization process is nothing but establishing private monopoly in these strategic sectors which will impact heavily upon the people and the energy security of our country,” it said.

In Sunday’s meeting, the employees also day-long relay dharnas for one week in front of all divisional electricity offices of Chandigarh. They warned the UT Administration that further escalation of the privatisation process would compel them to go for an indefinite strike “for which the Central government and its caretakers of UT will be solely responsible.”

The struggling Chandigarh power employees have been resisting a private bidder’s move to deposit the money for two months. “31st January 2025 is the third time extended day of deposition of money and the rally will assure that, even if the company deposit the money, they will not be allowed to take over the utility. The battle is very tough but people are getting united and determined. Chandigarh is not going to be a very easy cake for the Modi government,” said the statement, issued by EEFI general secretary Prasanta N Chowdhury.