Workers went on strike for their demands in SJVN projects of Nathpa Jhakri, Rampur and Luhri, about 1000 participated
Addressing the strike, CITU All India Secretary Dr. Kashmir Singh Thakur, State President Vijendra Mehra, State General Secretary Prem Gautam, District Shimla President Kuldeep Dogra, Vice President Ranjit Thakur, Secretaries Amit, Kam Raj, Gurdas, Neeldutt Sharma, Anand Mehta, Rajkumar, Kapil, Ajay Sharma, Durbhasa Sharma, Sandeep, Sanjeev, Rajkumar, Sanjeev said that labor laws are being openly violated by the management in all three projects of Satluj Jal Vidyut Nigam, 1500 MW Nathpa Jhakri, 412 MW Rampur and 210 MW Luhri. Workers are not being paid salaries for 3 months.
Labor leaders said that the workers of 412 MW Rampur and 1500 MW have given a demand letter to the management, in which the main demands are promotion policy for the workers working in the project, group insurance, posts on the basis of work, uniform allowance of Rs 22000, washing allowance. The main demands are an increase in traveling allowance, replacement of cut trades, arrangement for shift trains, etc.
Labor leaders said that it has been more than 4 months since the union has been informing the management about the demands and problems of the workers, but the SJVNL management deliberately does not want to resolve the demands of the workers through negotiations.
No initiative is being taken by the SJVNL management to resolve the problems and the attitude is continuously being adopted as anti-labor, workers are being treated differently within one project for the same work. Two types of salaries are being given, both in the case of contract laborers and in the case of regular laborers, which is wrong and is a flagrant violation of the Supreme Court’s order of 26 October 2016. In the project, a permanent type of work is being done by these laborers and the employment has been given on contract, which is a violation of the labor law. Work is being done to harass the laborers by identifying them. The management’s holding only a formal meeting with the union on the demand letter and threatening the workers in that meeting shows the management’s stubborn anti-labor attitude.
On the other hand, to harass the workers who are protesting for their demands, the SJVNL management is putting pressure on the contractors and intimidating the workers by adopting illegal tactics.
The union leaders warned the management that if the management harasses the workers and does not reach a conclusion after discussing the demands of the union, then in the coming time, there will be an indefinite strike by violent agitation, and along with this, the main office of SJVNAL in Shimla will also be laid siege.
