CHANDIGARH, July 5 — Members of the UT Powermen Union have announced a strike on July 9, accusing Chandigarh Power Distribution Limited (CPDL) of failing to address key concerns raised by the workforce during ongoing discussions with the administration.
General secretary Gopal Dutt Joshi said on Friday that the decision followed unsatisfactory talks with CPDL Director Arun Kumar Verma over an 11-point charter of demands. “Instead of offering clear solutions, officials deferred responsibility, claiming they would write to the administration,” Joshi stated.
Among the union’s primary demands is that ownership of the state transmission utility remain with the Chandigarh Administration to ensure employees’ accommodation within the government system. The union insists that staff displaced by departmental restructuring be absorbed in other wings, as was done for PWD employees.
Joshi further criticized the alleged arbitrary nature of recent transfers. “Transfers made on a pick-and-choose basis must be reviewed,” he said, adding that those already shifted to CPDL should be treated as on deemed deputation, with all pension and terminal benefits secured by the administration.
The union is also demanding that promotions and seniority be determined in accordance with existing rules, without further delays. Eligible employees, they argue, should be placed directly against quota posts.
Contractual workers, who had previously been on CPDL’s rolls, must be reinstated, Joshi said. He also called for protection of part-time employees’ current wages and working hours.
“No department is willing to take ownership of the transferred staff. This ongoing ambiguity has left workers in deep uncertainty,” said Joshi, emphasizing that the union’s unanimous vote for a strike reflects the depth of their frustration.
The strike threatens to disrupt power services across the Union Territory, with workers vowing to press ahead until their demands are met or adequately addressed.
