Privatisation move: UT powermen union flays issuance of letter of intent

The UT Powermen Union has strongly reacted to the decision of the Chandigarh Administration to issue Letter of Intent (LoI) in favour of an eminent company by “violating rules and taking a one-sided decision in haste”.

In a meeting chaired by the union president Dhyan Singh here today, the union announced a united and fierce struggle against the proposal.

Terming the administration’s talks of protecting the interests of the employees as absurd, ridiculous and misleading, it was stated that how can the administration talk of protecting the interests of the employees by making government employees servants of a private company.

By putting the GPF deposited with the Accountant General in a private trust, the administration wants to hand over the employees’ savings to the speculative market. “Who will pay the pension and gratuity? No one wants to discuss this either,” said Gopal Dutt Joshi, general secretary of the union.

Citing a decision of the Supreme Court, he said the apex court, while giving the decision in favour of the employees of NTPC, had stated that the employer of the employees cannot be changed without their consent/option. Then how can the government employees of Chandigarh Administration be made “servants of a private company”, he asked.

It was also mentioned that even after 28 years, the employees transferred from UT to MC in 1996 are not being given pension, gratuity and other benefits.

The union announced to continue the struggle against the administration and to hold protest rallies again from Monday.

It was also decided that if unilateral decision is taken to hand over the department to the company, from the day of takeover an indefinite strike will be started and all sections of the public will be included in it by involving all the organisations and by conducting public awareness campaign and group march in villages and cities.