CITU stages protest in Shimla, says SJVN violating labour laws
Tribune News Service
Shimla, July 31
The Centre of Indian Trade Union (CITU) here today staged a protest outside the premises of the Deputy Commissioner’s office in support of the indefinite protest of 400 workers of the SJVN’s 412-MW Rampur Hydroelectric Power Plant. The protest has been going on for the last 60 days and the CITU demanded that the issues of the protesting workers be resolved immediately.
जिया में इस वक्त पार्वती नदी ।।
नदी के आसपास के सभी अपना ध्यान रखें ।।
ब्यास नदी और पार्वती नदी के संगम के बाद आप खुद अंदाजा लगा लीजिए मंडी की तरफ कितना पानी एक साथ जा रहा है।#Kullu #Manali #Manikaran #Bhuntar #Mandi #Himachal #Devbhoomi pic.twitter.com/i4Jcesf3Jt— Gems of Himachal (@GemsHimachal) August 1, 2024
The CITU has warned that if the SJVN officials, who are posted at its headquarters in Shimla, do not immediately intervene in the matter, then it will soon protest outside the office of its Chief Managing Director.
CITU state president Vijendra Mehra alleged that the SJVN, with this 412-MW power project, was blatantly violating the labour laws.
“The labourers working in the project are not being paid minimum wages. As per the provisions of the Minimum Wages Act, 1948, labourers are placed in different categories according to the nature of work, so that they are paid the minimum wages as per their category. In this power project, the SJVN is making the labourers do skilled work but are paying less wages than semi-skilled labourers,” he said.
He also alleged that employment cards and salary slips were not being given to the workers. “The workers are being deprived of the facility of gratuity,” he added.
“The workers, who are raising their voice for their rights, are being identified and harassed. The management is intimidating the workers by pressurising the contractors and adopting illegal tactics to harass the workers,” said Mehra.
